Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor | Journalist at Weng Global
Africa’s drive towards deeper economic integration and stronger intra-African trade will come under renewed focus as African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretary-General Wamkele Mene prepares to headline a major business summit in Cape Town, South Africa.
Mene is scheduled to participate in the Project Management Institute’s Global Summit Series in Cape Town on September 14 and 15, 2026, where policymakers, business executives and development experts will examine how Africa can translate regional integration ambitions into practical economic projects.
The summit, themed “Africa Delivers M.O.R.E. Together,” is expected to focus on the practical requirements for connecting African economies, including infrastructure, energy, technology, financial systems and efficient cross-border trade.
Mene’s participation comes at a critical stage in the implementation of AfCFTA, as African countries seek to move beyond policy commitments and create a functioning continental market capable of supporting businesses, investors and consumers across national borders.
AfCFTA implementation takes centre stage
The African Continental Free Trade Area is designed to reduce barriers to trade among African countries and create a more integrated market for goods and services.
While the agreement represents one of the continent’s most ambitious economic integration projects, its success depends heavily on implementation. Governments must be able to establish the infrastructure, regulations, customs systems and financial mechanisms required to allow businesses to trade more easily across borders.
Recent discussions within African trade institutions have increasingly shifted towards implementation and commercial outcomes.
At a recent AfCFTA Council of Ministers meeting in Abuja, Mene described the next phase as one focused on turning the agreement’s legal framework into commercial reality for African businesses and citizens. The AfCFTA Secretariat said more than 12,000 Certificates of Origin had been issued and notified to the Secretariat as of March 2026, signalling increasing practical use of the agreement.
The Cape Town summit is therefore expected to reinforce the message that Africa’s integration agenda requires not only agreements but also effective execution.
Infrastructure critical to regional trade
One of the major issues expected to dominate discussions is infrastructure.
For African businesses to take advantage of a larger continental market, roads, railways, ports, airports, electricity networks and digital infrastructure must be capable of supporting cross-border economic activity.
The summit will bring together stakeholders from infrastructure, energy, technology and finance to examine how major projects can be delivered more effectively.
According to the summit organisers, discussions will extend beyond trade policy to the practical infrastructure required for deeper integration, including transport, energy, digital connectivity and financial systems.
This focus reflects a broader challenge facing African economies: the existence of a continental trade framework does not automatically eliminate the physical and administrative barriers that increase the cost of doing business.
For manufacturers, farmers and exporters, unreliable electricity, poor transport networks, complicated border procedures and limited access to efficient payment systems can make regional expansion difficult.
Digital systems could transform African commerce
Digital technology is also expected to feature prominently at the Cape Town gathering.
As African businesses increasingly sell products and services across borders, digital payments, technology infrastructure and modern customs systems are becoming increasingly important.
Improving digital connectivity could allow small and medium-sized enterprises to reach customers in other African countries without the traditional costs associated with international expansion.
The South African government has similarly identified regulatory alignment, customs digitalisation and trade facilitation as important measures for strengthening trade under AfCFTA.
During the South Africa-Kenya Business Forum in June, business leaders called for greater cooperation in infrastructure, customs digitalisation, standards alignment and value-chain integration to improve trade between the two economies.
These measures could become increasingly important as African economies attempt to build regional supply chains rather than relying heavily on markets outside the continent.
Energy and infrastructure investment
Energy access will also be part of the Cape Town discussions, with Eskom Chair Mteto Nyathi expected to participate in discussions on energy access.
Reliable and affordable energy remains central to Africa’s industrialisation ambitions. Manufacturing companies, technology firms and other businesses require stable power supplies to operate efficiently and compete in regional and global markets.
Infrastructure development is similarly expected to receive attention, with Zutari Head of Projects Willem Botha scheduled to participate in discussions on infrastructure.
The involvement of private-sector leaders highlights the importance of partnerships between governments, development institutions and businesses in delivering large-scale projects.
South Africa’s recent SACU summit also placed regional industrialisation and infrastructure development at the centre of its economic integration agenda. The bloc agreed to support cross-border value chains, attract investment into priority sectors and improve trade facilitation while leveraging AfCFTA to expand value-added exports.
Africa’s private sector expected to play bigger role
The private sector is expected to be another major component of discussions in Cape Town.
African businesses stand to benefit significantly from a larger continental market if barriers to movement of goods, services and capital are reduced.
Flutterwave founder and Chief Executive Officer Olugbenga Agboola is expected to contribute to discussions around financial and digital systems capable of supporting greater African trade.
For African entrepreneurs, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, access to efficient payment systems could make it easier to sell goods and services across borders.
The expansion of regional value chains could also encourage companies to source raw materials, components and services from neighbouring African countries instead of importing them from outside the continent.
The execution challenge
The summit’s broader message is expected to centre on execution.
Managing Director of PMI Sub-Saharan Africa George Asamani said Africa was not short of ambition, arguing that the challenge was increasingly about delivering projects capable of converting plans into measurable improvements.
The observation highlights a longstanding problem in African development: ambitious policies and agreements can produce limited economic impact when implementation is slow or fragmented.
For AfCFTA to achieve its full potential, governments will need to coordinate policies, improve border systems, strengthen infrastructure and create a business environment that encourages investment.
The Southern African Customs Union has already committed to measures aimed at reducing non-tariff barriers, advancing trade digitalisation and improving border processes. Its June 2026 summit also reaffirmed the importance of fully leveraging AfCFTA to strengthen regional resilience and expand value chains.
What the push means for Africa
A more integrated African market could create significant opportunities for businesses across the continent.
Manufacturers could gain access to larger consumer markets, agricultural producers could reach new buyers, technology companies could expand across borders and investors could operate within a more connected regional economy.
For consumers, greater competition could potentially increase product choices and improve access to goods and services.
However, the benefits will depend on how effectively African governments implement the agreement.
The Cape Town summit therefore comes at an important moment for AfCFTA. With policymakers and business leaders increasingly focusing on infrastructure, digitalisation, energy and project delivery, the emphasis is shifting towards making continental integration visible in the daily operations of African businesses.
Mene’s participation is expected to reinforce the AfCFTA Secretariat’s push for practical implementation and stronger economic connections between African countries.
As Africa seeks to strengthen its position in the global economy, deeper regional trade could provide a foundation for industrialisation, job creation and greater economic resilience.
The challenge now is turning the vision of one African market into a functioning reality.
Sources
- Punch Newspapers — report on Wamkele Mene and the Cape Town summit.
- AfCFTA Media Hub — AfCFTA implementation and Certificates of Origin.
- South Africa Department of Trade, Industry and Competition — South Africa-Kenya trade cooperation under AfCFTA.
- South Africa Department of Trade, Industry and Competition — SACU regional integration and industrialisation.
