By Delisa Thwala
Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini will join industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators who will gather over three days in Kigali to advance African trade and economic growth under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The dialogue will focus on the challenges and opportunities in building regional and continental value chains and establishing reliable supply chain networks which are essential to unlock the full potential of Intra-Africa trade.
Dlamini left the country on Tuesday for Kigali, Rwanda, where he will represent His Majesty King Mswati III and the Nation at the second edition of the AfCFTA Business Forum, also known as Biashara Afrika 2024.
Held under the theme ‘Dare to Invent the Future of the AfCFTA’, the forum will bring together African Heads of State and Government, Trade Ministers, African public and private sectors, multinationals and key stakeholders to address challenges and opportunities to unlock intra-Africa trade.
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Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat Wamkele Mene highlighted the increase in the number of countries actively trading under the AfCFTA regime as one of the success stories.
“The Guided Trade Initiative (GTI), which facilitates the flow of goods among African states, has expanded participation from seven to 39 countries,” Mene said during the press conference before the forum.
“This rise signals growing commitment across the continent, with an increasing number of small-scale traders, including women, benefiting from new market opportunities,” he added.
Worth mentioning is that Biashara Afrika 2024 is co-hosted with the government of Rwanda under the theme: ‘Dare to Invent the Future of the AfCFTA’.
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It will provide an engaging and dynamic platform for continued dialogue between African public and private sectors, multinationals, and key stakeholders.
The dialogue will focus on the challenges and opportunities in building regional and continental value chains and establishing reliable supply chain networks which are essential to unlock the full potential of intra-Africa trade.
The second edition of the AfCFTA Business Forum, branded Biashara Afrika 2024 (#BA2024), will kick off today at the Kigali Convention and Exhibition Village (from 9 to 11 October 2024), under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Rwanda Paul Kagame.
