According to the Africa Trade Report 2025 published by Afreximbank, intra-African trade experienced a notable resurgence in 2024, growing by 12.4% to reach approximately US$220.3 billion. This recovery marks a sharp turnaround from the 5.9% decline observed in the previous year, underscoring the continent’s resilience and renewed momentum for integration.
Leading this resurgence was South Africa, which accounted for US$42.1 billion in intra-African trade—19.1% of the continent’s total. The country maintained its longstanding dominance in Southern Africa, largely driven by robust industrial exports and regional demand.
Nigeria also recorded a significant rise in intra-African trade, reaching approximately US$18.4 billion in 2024. This growth was largely fueled by refined petroleum exports, particularly from the Dangote Refinery, which has become a key catalyst in transforming Nigeria’s export mix and reducing reliance on imported fuel.
Côte d’Ivoire emerged as a strong West African player, contributing 4.8% of the total intra-African trade. Its performance was buoyed by the export of refined oil and manufactured goods to neighboring countries such as Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Mali.
Regionally, Southern Africa remained the largest contributor to intra-African trade, followed by West Africa, which benefited from solid performances by Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire. East Africa continued as the third-largest trading region but was highlighted in the report for having an unrealized intra-African export potential of US$7.9 billion, particularly in machinery, apparel, and agricultural products.
This trade dynamic points to strong opportunities in improving logistics, boosting regional value chains, and enhancing trade facilitation systems such as PAPSS (Pan-African Payment and Settlement System), which are being operationalized under the AfCFTA framework.
As intra-African trade continues to deepen, the Africa Trade Report 2025 emphasizes the need for targeted investments in storage, logistics infrastructure, and the promotion of value-added exports to further reduce trade deficits and accelerate industrialization.
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