By 
The Director of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Subregional Office for Southern Africa, Eunice Kamwendo, has called for stronger and more coordinated regional action to fully unlock the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Kamwendo identified four priority areas critical to transforming AfCFTA into a catalyst for sustainable development: strengthening value addition and regional value chains; promoting economic diversification; creating employment opportunities for youth and the private sector; and advancing greener, more sustainable economies.
She said inclusive industrialisation remained the most viable pathway for development in Southern Africa and across the African continent.
Kamwendo was speaking at the 31st Session of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts of Southern Africa (ICSOE31), held in Ezulwini, Eswatini, according to the ECA newsletter.
“To make AfCFTA a true game changer, we must focus on these four interconnected objectives to drive sustainable growth, industrialisation and regional integration,” she said.
Read more: AfCFTA Framework Agreement marks defining moment in Africa’s economic integration —Mene
She further stressed that ICSOE should go beyond dialogue and serve as an accountability platform, urging member states to take concrete actions to accelerate industrialisation, deepen regional value chains and fast-track AfCFTA implementation.
United Nations Resident Coordinator for Eswatini, George Wachira, echoed the call for action, emphasising the need for practical and implementable strategies to address Africa’s long-standing economic challenges, including limited diversification, exposure to external shocks and underutilised industrial capacity.
Wachira highlighted Eswatini’s strong industrial base, noting that manufactured goods accounted for nearly 80 percent of the country’s exports, well above the continental average.
He said Eswatini’s strategic location and commitment to regional cooperation position it as a potential regional production hub within the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
He added that beyond AfCFTA, Southern Africa could leverage complementary frameworks such as the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap, the Tripartite Free Trade Area, and the COMESA–EAC–SADC regional infrastructure programmes to advance regional trade, industrialisation and inclusive growth.
Speaking on behalf of Prudence Kaoma, Permanent Secretary for Planning and Administration at Zambia’s Ministry of Finance and National Planning and Chair of the 30th ICSOE Bureau, Director of Development Planning Davison Mapiza underscored the importance of coordinated regional efforts to maximise AfCFTA opportunities.
Kaoma highlighted achievements by the ECA Secretariat in promoting sustainable industrialisation and climate action, including the completion of a renewable energy study to support a just transition, which has informed the ongoing SADC Just Energy Transition Framework.
She said ECA’s technical partnership in developing the framework was expected to be completed by 2026 and noted progress under the Project on Innovative Climate Action, which supports green and inclusive industrialisation in six SADC countries.
Describing AfCFTA as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shift from raw material exports to value-added production, Kaoma cited several ECA-supported initiatives.
These include finalised National AfCFTA strategies for Botswana and Lesotho, a step-by-step AfCFTA trading guide for Namibia, and Angola’s AfCFTA implementation strategy.
She also highlighted the launch of the Southern Africa Trade and Investment Platform and the empowerment of more than 70 women entrepreneurs with tools to trade effectively under AfCFTA.
WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.
Comments