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Articles by Wamkele Mene
Digital Economy: India Can Be A Blueprint For Africa To Set Up Inclusive, Scalable Digital Foundation
Africa and India, with their large, youthful populations and rapid urbanisation, demand digital infrastructure at scale. In 2023, India’s consumption expenditure reached $2.52 trillion, while Africa is projected to host 1.7 billion people and $6.7 trillion in consumer and business spending by 2030. However, there is a fundamental difference in how DPI must be implemented. As a single sovereign nation, India could roll out a foundational identity that serves all its citizens.
The African Continental Free Trade Area is game changer for both African and global economies
The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) provides a blueprint for the continent to overcome development challenges through intra-African trade that is economically and environmentally sustainable. é talks with AfCFTA Secretary–General Wamkele Mene, who shares his vision of how the world’s largest free trade area can address Africa’s development needs with African solutions. Subscribe to Foresight Africa on Apple, Spotify, Afripods, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Intra-African trade and its potential to accelerate progress toward the SDGs
Intra-African trade has been growing, especially with the push from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which was operationalized in January 2021.1 Prior to the implementation of the AfCFTA, total formal trade within the continent totaled between 12-18%.2 Since its enactment, intracontinental trade has noticeably increased.
Helping to create a single integrated market across Africa is in the west’s interests
The writer is secretary-general of the African Continental Free Trade Area Misinformation may have sparked the UK’s anti-immigration...
African AI pioneer InstaDeep ready for future after €500m takeover
When Karim Beguir and Zohra Slim co-founded artificial intelligence pioneer InstaDeep a decade ago, the idea of an Africa-founded AI business with applications in fields as diverse as medical science, shipping and circuit board programming wasn’t even on their radar. All that the Tunisian-born founders knew was that they hoped to use their understanding of software and mathematics to affect meaningful change on the continent of their birth.
A new era of free trade has arrived for SA and Africa at large
03 March 2024 - 00:00 Preferential trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was launched in South Africa at the end of January. With the recent AU heads of state summit focusing heavily on the AfCFTA, and given that South Africa is the most industrialised economy in Africa, the launch of the scheme at the Port of Durban signals the start of a new trade and economic era — not only for South Africa, but for the continent at large...
Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Opening Ceremony of the 20th AGOA Forum, Johannesburg Expo Centre
Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition of South Africa, Mr Ebrahim Patel, United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Katherine Tai, African Union Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals, Mr Albert Muchanga, Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, Mr Wamkele Mene, African Ministers of Trade from AGOA-eligible countries, US Deputy Secretary of Commerce, Don Graves, Ambassadors, Government Officials, Business leaders...
Opening address by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the 5th South Africa Investment Conference, Sandton Convention Centre
Programme Director, Deputy President Paul Mashatile, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Ebrahim Patel, Ministers and Deputy Ministers, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, Mr Wamkele Mene, Premiers, Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Ambassadors and High Commissioners, Business leaders, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen, Good morning and welcome to the 5th South Africa Investment Conference.
African free trade area lets youth to take control of their destiny, Secretary General says
A fragmented internal market has long hampered trade among African nations. That has prevented the continent from fully sharing in the economic benefits of international trade, which has helped raised more than a billion people worldwide out of poverty in recent decades. But the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) promises to be a game changer. It would create a single market that unites 54 countries with a combined population of 1.3 billion and GDP of $3.4 trillion.
Bruce Byiers
Biography Bruce is a development economist with a DPhil from the University of Sussex. His work focuses on regional integration processes in Africa, particularly from a political economy perspective. This includes looking at regional organisations, but also at regional economic integration dynamics. Prior to joining ECDPM in 2011, Bruce worked as a consultant for UNIDO, USAID, the World Bank and DANIDA, among others.
Poorva Karkare
Policy officer Economic recovery and transformation African economic integration Sustainable food systems Biography Poorva Karkare is a policy officer in ECDPM's African economic integration, economic recovery and transformation and sustainable food systems teams. Poorva has a master’s degree in development economics from SOAS, with a particular interest in Africa. Before joining ECDPM, Poorva worked in Mozambique as a consultant with organisations like UNICEF, DfID and the World Bank.
AfCFTA: Time to move into the fast lane
FREE TRADE AGREEMENT AfCFTA: Time to move into the fast lane Wamkele Mene & Frank Matsaert,
One year of free trading in Africa calls for celebration despite teething problems
We are very excited about the potential that this payment system has. We have over 42 currencies in Africa. The cost of currency convertibility annually is estimated to be about $5 billion. We want to reduce and eventually eliminate that cost because it constrains our SMEs' competitiveness and makes trade costly and inaccessible to many SMEs and young entrepreneurs. Do you mean from January 2022 traders will be able to use that platform? That is correct.
With AfCFTA, ‘Africa is sending a crystal clear signal’ that it is open for business says Wamkele Mene
A woman counts Ethiopian birr notes in Addis Ababa. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri On 26 April African Continental Free Trade Area will hold the inaugural meeting of its Disputes Settlement Body which will be central to the fair and effective operation of what will eventually be Africa’s single market. In this exclusive opinion piece for The Africa Report, Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA, explains how this body will work and avoid the pitfalls of trading blocs.
[Tribune] La Zlecaf est en marche, et l’Afrique prête pour les affaires – Jeune Afrique
L’Organe de règlement de différends de la Zone de libre-échange continentale tiendra sa réunion inaugurale lundi 26 avril. L’occasion pour le secrétaire général de la Zlecaf, Wamkele Mene, d’en détailler les grands principes de fonctionnement.
Continental integration:
Making the AfCFTA Vision our reality Wamkele Mene Secretary-General, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat On March 19, 2020, I was sworn in as the first secretary-general of the Secretariat established to coordinate the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), The AfCFTA Secretariat, envisaged to be agile and nimble, is endowed with the autonomy to manage the affairs of the AfCFTA. The moment of this formal induction had been a long time coming.
Covid-19: What is at stake for the African Continental Free Trade Area?
In partnership with With an expected US$ 3.4 trillion in wealth creation and targeted objective of 50% intra-African trade by 2030, the African Continental Free Trade Area is a source of considerable hope for the private sector. In the current context of COVID-19, the agreement is also seen as the “stimulus package” the continent can’t afford. Since the new AfCFTA Secretary-general, Wamkele Mene, announced that the agreement will not come into force on July 1st as planned, doubts have arisen.
Africa: Implementing Africa's Free Trade Pact the Best Stimulus for Post-COVID-19 Economies
Wamkele Mene was recently appointed Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat. Because of the effects of COVID-19, free trading for countries that have ratified the agreement cannot begin on 1st July 2020, as was originally scheduled. In this interview with Africa Renewal's Kingsley Ighobor, Mr. Mene explains the way forward, and how increased intra-African trade can help lift economies post-COVID-19.
Implementing Africa’s Free Trade Pact The Best Stimulus For Post-COVID-19 Economies
Wamkele Mene was recently appointed Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat. Because of the effects of COVID-19, free trading for countries that have ratified the agreement cannot begin on 1st July 2020, as was originally scheduled. In this interview with Africa Renewal’s Kingsley Ighobor, Mr. Mene explains the way forward, and how increased intra-African trade can help lift economies post-COVID-19.
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