Will Free Trade Unleash Africa’s Full Potential?

Will Free Trade Unleash Africa’s Full Potential?

From Imagine This... by Boston Consulting Group BCG

December 10, 2025 · 28 min · Episode 41

About this episode

The episode discusses the potential impact of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement on Africa's economy and energy infrastructure.

For decades, Africa has exported critical raw materials to the rest of the world. But the African Continental Free Trade Agreement promises to help the continent capture more value from its natural resources. The AfCFTA will create a single market where goods and services flow freely between commodity-rich African nations and more industrialized ones. At the same time, Africa is poised to finally achieve universal access to reliable power. BCG’s Tolu Oyekan looks at what these developments mean for Africa—and for the rest of the world.  Learn More:  Tolu Oyekan: https://on.bcg.com/3KLu56U   Africa Unleashed: Powering Prosperity Through Energy Access: https://on.bcg.com/4pjj0ZK   Africa Unleashed: Bridging Africa’s Infrastructure Execution Gap: https://on.bcg.com/4rKhQbe   Chapters  00:00-02:10 The scenario: The value of Pan-African trade has exploded  02:11-03:01 Where does intra-African trade stand today?  03:02-03:50 How will Africa plug into future global supply chains?  03:51-05:10 What is the current impact of AfCFTA?  05:11-05:42 How to address skepticism   05:43-07:40 What could an African renaissance look…

People in this episode

Guest: Tolu Oyekan

Topics covered

  • free trade
  • Africa
  • energy access
  • infrastructure
  • global supply chains
  • economic potential

Keywords

  • AfCFTA
  • trade
  • Africa
  • energy
  • infrastructure
  • economic growth
  • supply chains

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: African Continental Free Trade Agreement, Boston Consulting Group

Places: Africa

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