Recent assessments of AfCFTA implementation, including the preliminary findings of the PAFTRAC 2026 Africa CEO Trade Survey, point to a growing gap between formal commitments and practical results. The challenge is increasingly to translate the agreement commitments, national AfCFTA implementation strategies and the institutional mechanisms established to support implementation into effective action and tangible benefits for businesses. Closing this gap requires more than political commitment or institutional coordination. It requires mechanisms capable of tracking progress, identifying obstacles and ensuring that corrective action follows. National AfCFTA Implementation Committees (NICs) were established to help fulfil this function.

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The Pan-African Private Sector Trade and Investment Committee (PAFTRAC) is an advocacy platform bringing together public- and private-sector stakeholders to develop policy recommendations aimed at improving trade and investment flows across Africa. Its annual Africa CEO Trade Survey examines perceptions of business leaders in the continent economic outlook, trade environment and investment prospects (we commented the 2025 survey here). The 2026 edition draws on responses from more than 2,500 business executives, including Desiderio Consultants, which also participated in the survey. Although the full report has not yet been officially published, preliminary findings have circulated ahead of its formal release. The findings point to a central challenge for AfCFTA implementation: while reforms are beginning to generate tangible operational benefits, enterprises continue to face financial, informational and regulatory constraints that limit their ability to translate preferential market access into actual cross-border trade.

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