Intra-African trade could generate an additional $77 billion
According to the annual report of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) for 2025, Africa's intra-African export potential is estimated at $77 billion, equivalent to almost 40% of the current volume of trade between African countries.
Manufactured goods and semi-finished products account for more than 60% of intra-African trade, highlighting the potential for expanding regional industrial value chains within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
On the contrary, 65-75% of African exports to world markets still come from raw materials. Afreximbank attributed this imbalance mainly to the fact that most of the processing activity on the continent, especially in the mining and metallurgical sectors, is still carried out outside Africa.
In order to support the economic integration of Africa, Afreximbank completed 183 financial transactions worth $22.4 billion in 2025. These measures resulted in an increase in intra-African trade of almost $8.7 billion during the year by strengthening productive capacities and regional value chains.
According to Afreximbank's Africa Trade report for 2026, trade on the continent increased by 6.1% in 2025 to about $1.5 trillion, while intra-African trade increased by 5.5% to $213.8 billion.
AFREXIMBANK
