The African Continental Free Trade Area AfCFTA is poised to become the world's largest single market by population, and with SMEs already accounting for more than 80 of employment in Africa, the vision of an integrated and prosperous Africa leveraging its regional potential for trade is both bold and within reach.
But realising that vision requires more than policy frameworks or political will. It depends on infrastructure - not only physical infrastructure like roads and ports - but also the financial architecture that underpins modern, competitive economies. We need seamless digital systems that can move money, credit, and data across borders quickly, securely, and affordably.
Despite Africa's progress in trade integration and development, this critical financial foundation remains incomplete. Cross-border payments are still costly and inefficient. Financial services remain out of reach for many rural and low-income communities, and Africa's SMEs continue to struggle against a staggering 330bn financing gap . Moreover, in sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, and education, which should be scaling regionally under AfCFTA, the continent's financial infrastructure is simply not fit for purpose.