Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are a particularly trending topic at the moment. The role of this policy tool was discussed during the fifty-seventh session of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) held in Addis Ababa from 17 and 18 March 2025 on the occasion of the Conference of the African Union Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. At this event, a specific round table explored the role of these important policy tools as drivers of the development of regional value chains in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). A concept note developed by ECA to guide the discussions provides an overview of such tools, revealing that Africa has witnessed a strong growth in their number since 1990 (when there were only 20), reaching the considerable number of 237 in 2020, mainly concentrated in Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Egypt. However, despite this proliferation, these zones have delivered mixed results, in terms of attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) and know-how, creation of employment and improvement of trade balances through increased exports. This is due to persistent challenges as weak cross-industry linkages and infrastructure connections. But there is more...