Intra-African trade is showing strong signs of recovery, recording a 12.4% growth in 2024 to reach a total value of $220.3 billion.
According to africa.businessinsider.com, this rebound follows a difficult 2023 and highlights renewed momentum in regional commerce, with the top 10 African countries playing a key role in driving cross-border trade on the continent.
It represents a strong comeback from the 5.9% drop recorded the year before, and a hopeful sign that Africa’s push toward regional integration is gaining ground, even in uncertain global times.
At the heart of this rebound are countries like South Africa, Nigeria, and Morocco, whose improved economic performance helped drive up trade across the continent.
South Africa, in particular, maintained its lead as Africa’s top intra-African trading nation, with $42.1 billion in trade, nearly one-fifth of all intra-African trade in 2024, according to Afreximbank report.
Though this was slightly down from the previous year, it still reflects the country’s vital role, especially within regional blocs like the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and SADC.
West Africa also made strong gains, thanks to standout performances from Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Mali. Côte d’Ivoire alone accounted for 4.8% of all intra-African trade, powered by growing exports of refined oil and manufactured goods.
Meanwhile, East Africa remained the third-largest contributor to intra-African trade, while North and Central Africa played smaller but meaningful roles.
Despite some regional disparities, the overall picture is encouraging. Africa is trading more with itself, an important goal under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
