$31bn Risk Premium Threatens Africa’s Regional Trade Ambitions

African businesses are increasingly looking to expand across the continent, but high financing costs, limited access to trade finance and gaps in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are threatening to constrain regional commerce.
This is contained in preliminary findings of the 2026 PAFTRAC Africa CEO Trade Survey presented at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Public Forum in Geneva.
The survey found that 81.3 per cent of executives expect their cross-border business activities to increase over the next 12 months, pointing to growing interest in African markets.
However, 57 per cent of respondents said accessing trade finance for cross-border tran...