Africans Back Free Trade, But AfCFTA Remains Largely Invisible to the Public

Africa’s most ambitious economic integration project is confronting an unexpected challenge: the people it is designed to benefit largely do not know it exists.

A new Afrobarometer flagship report has found that although support for freer trade across the continent has risen sharply over the past five years, public awareness of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) remains strikingly low, highlighting a significant communication gap that could undermine long-term political and public backing for the agreement.

The findings, published in the 2026 African Insights report titled Beyond Borders: Citizen Perspectives on a Shifting Global Order, paint a picture of a continent that increasingly embraces open markets while remaining disconnected from the policy framework intended to deliver those economic gains.

Only 13 per cent of Africans surveyed across 38 countries said they had heard of the AfCFTA, despite it representing one of the largest free trade agreements in the world by participating countries. The research is based on nationally representative surveys conducted during 2024 and 2025.

The disparity is particularly notable in Ghana, which hosts the AfCFTA Secretariat and was among the earliest countries to ratify the agreement. Yet only 17 per cent of Ghanaians reported being aware of the continental trade pact.

Across the continent, awareness levels varied significantly. Guinea-Bissau recorded the highest recognition at 27 per cent, followed by Gabon at 26 per cent and Cabo Verde at 24 per cent, while Tunisia and Mauritania ranked among the lowest, with awareness levels of just 5 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively.

The findings expose a disconnect between high-level policymaking and public engagement. Since its launch, the AfCFTA has dominated discussions among governments, regional institutions, policymakers and businesses. However, the agreement appears to have struggled to penetrate public consciousness, particularly among ordinary citizens and small enterprises expected to drive intra-African commerce.

Ironically, the survey shows that Africans are becoming increasingly receptive to the broader principles underpinning the agreement.

According to Afrobarometer, 62 per cent of respondents now believe it is better for their governments to make international trade easier to create economic opportunities, compared with 34 per cent who favour restricting imports to protect domestic industries. That marks a significant increase from five years earlier, when support for freer trade stood at 51 per cent.

The results suggest that the continent’s political leadership may already enjoy broad public endorsement for liberalising trade, even if citizens remain unfamiliar with the institutional framework created to facilitate that objective.

Regional trends reinforce this shift. Central Africa, West Africa and Southern Africa all recorded collective support levels exceeding 64 per cent, demonstrating that enthusiasm for trade liberalisation extends well beyond Africa’s traditional commercial hubs.

Individual countries displayed even stronger preferences. Liberia emerged as the strongest supporter of free trade, with 86 per cent of respondents backing greater international commerce, followed closely by Eswatini at 85 per cent and Chad at 79 per cent.

Yet the survey also uncovered another strategic reality that may shape future African trade policy.

Rather than favouring trade primarily within Africa, most citizens expressed a preference for broader global engagement. Approximately 66 per cent said governments should expand commercial relationships worldwide, while only 20 per cent preferred prioritising trade within Africa and just 8 per cent favoured concentrating on their immediate subregions.

That finding suggests many Africans view continental integration not as an end in itself but as part of a wider strategy for global competitiveness.

For policymakers, this distinction carries important implications. Much of the AfCFTA’s political narrative has focused on strengthening intra-African trade, reducing dependence on overseas markets and building regional value chains. However, citizens appear to see global trade opportunities as equally—if not more—important than regional integration.

The report therefore argues that governments cannot assume public support for open trade will automatically translate into enthusiasm for the AfCFTA.

“Despite being one of the most ambitious economic-integration projects in history, the AfCFTA remains largely unknown to ordinary Africans,” the report states.

It further observes that “awareness is heavily skewed toward the better-educated and regular news consumers, suggesting a disconnect between elite-level policy ambition and public reach.”

That imbalance presents both political and economic risks. Successful implementation of the AfCFTA ultimately depends not only on governments removing tariffs and harmonising regulations but also on businesses, entrepreneurs, transport operators and consumers actively participating in cross-border trade.

Small and medium-sized enterprises, which form the backbone of most African economies, cannot fully exploit new market opportunities if they remain unaware of the agreement’s existence or potential benefits.

Similarly, public misunderstanding could weaken support for reforms that accompany trade liberalisation, including customs modernisation, regulatory alignment and investment in transport infrastructure.

Afrobarometer therefore recommends a far stronger public education campaign across member states.

“They will need to invest in targeted public education and domestic communication strategies that clearly explain how intra-African trade serves as a stepping stone to broader global economic competitiveness—or risk pursuing a landmark agreement without the public mandate needed to sustain it,” the report warns.

For Ghana, the findings are particularly significant.

As host of the AfCFTA Secretariat, Ghana has positioned itself as the operational centre of Africa’s integration agenda, investing political capital in promoting the agreement globally. Yet domestic awareness remains below one-fifth of the population, indicating that national communication efforts have not matched the country’s continental leadership role.

The survey suggests that Africa’s integration project is not suffering from a lack of public appetite for trade. Instead, it faces a branding and communication challenge. Citizens increasingly support economic openness, but many do not associate those aspirations with the AfCFTA itself.

Closing that awareness gap may prove just as important as reducing tariffs or removing non-tariff barriers. Without widespread public understanding, one of Africa’s most transformative economic projects risks remaining an elite policy initiative rather than a genuinely continental movement capable of reshaping trade, investment and industrial development.