The economic case for Africa to move faster is already visible. Africa’s total merchandise trade reached $1.5 trillion in 2024, while intra-African trade rose to $220.3 billion.
By
Lydia Wangari-Karanja
Transactional Banking Director
Absa Bank
Africa stands at a defining moment in the future of trade. For years, the debate has focused on access to capital, regulatory complexity and the cost of doing business across borders. Those issues still matter. But the bigger question now is this: how does trade move?
Africa's trade topped $1.5 trillion in 2025 and its economy outgrew the world's, a new African trade report from Afreximbank says.
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