(Ecofin Agency) - • Intra-African trade in Central Africa could grow by 12% a year by 2028, faster than any other region
• Trade in the region may rise from $19.4 billion in 2024 to nearly $31.8 billion in 2028
• Progress depends on regional reforms, infrastructure upgrades, and better movement of goods and people

Central Africa could become the fastest-growing region for intra-African trade in the coming years—if it sees through the reforms already on the table. New estimates from Afreximbank’s latest African Trade Report project that trade between Central African countries and the rest of the continent could grow by 12% each year through 2028. That would place the region ahead of West Africa (6.8%), North Africa (5.7%), Southern Africa (3.9%), and East Africa (3.6%).

By 2028, trade flows involving Central Africa could reach nearly $31.8 billion, up from current $19.4 billion. The region would then account for about 12.2% of total intra-African trade, counting both trade with other regions and trade within Central Africa itself.

This growth potential ties into broader trends: the rollout of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), efforts to shift away from fossil fuels, and the strengthening of regional payment systems. But in Central Africa’s case, the push may need a more solid foundation to take off.

Turning potential into real momentum

While Central Africa was named the region with the lowest export potential within the continent in the African Trade Report 2024 -mostly due to limited industrial transformation, the region has started laying the groundwork for stronger trade ties. Countries are now showing interest in boosting the kind of production that matches continental demand—items like machinery, fertilizer, equipment, and food products. These products also match national plans for economic diversification.

Physical integration has also been gaining ground. Since 2019, the CEMAC bloc refocused its regional development strategy on 11 key infrastructure projects. These include cross-border roads (such as Libreville–Brazzaville and Brazzaville–Bangui–Ndjamena), power grid interconnections, fiber optic networks, dry ports, and the Chollet hydroelectric dam between Cameroon and Congo.

These projects are expected to cost €4.1 billion. So far, financing pledges worth €3.8 billion have been secured from major development partners like the African Development Bank (AfDB), Afreximbank, the Development Bank of Central African States (BDEAC), and the World Bank.

AfCFTA implementation shows signs of progress

The region is also making slow but steady progress in implementing the AfCFTA. During a meeting organized by the UN Economic Commission for Africa in Yaoundé in March 2025, it was confirmed that most Central African countries have completed key technical steps, such as submitting their tariff offers. Cameroon, for instance, has already made these offers part of its national legislation.

That same meeting served as a reminder that a regional implementation strategy had already been adopted in 2023. Most countries are now setting up national follow-up committees to manage the next phase. Still, business leaders point to major roadblocks: poor access to energy, difficulty moving goods out of production zones, limited certification systems, and the region’s slow uptake of PAPSS, the African cross-border payment system.

"We have signed trade deals with African firms under AfCFTA," said Ntap Ekoue, CEO of Sweet Choco. "But Central Africa has yet to adopt the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS)."

So while the region is clearly involved in the continental trade agenda, the question remains: can current reforms, new investments, and improved coordination turn potential into lasting momentum?

Free movement is still lagging behind

One key challenge is often overlooked: people and goods still do not move easily across borders in the region.

The latest Intra-African Passport Index by the African Mobility Observatory shows that Central Africa is still one of the most closed-off regions on the continent. Unlike ECOWAS or the East African Community—both known for supporting cross-border mobility—CEMAC countries continue to enforce strict visa policies. Not a single country in the bloc ranks among the most open to African travelers.

To fully benefit from a growing continental market, the region will need to make good on its 2017 promise of free movement within CEMAC—and extend that openness to the rest of the continent.

Louis-Nino Kansoun