Why COVID-19 threatens to reverse Africa’s industrialisation

While the impact of COVID-19 on Africa is still manifesting, the consensus is that this disease will be most consequential in this continent than in other regions of the world. Two factors explain this position. First, is the inadequacies in testing due to, interlia,  the lack of testing equipment, and the deficiencies in the health infrastructure. Testing limitations put to question the ability of governments in Africa to gauge the extent of corona virus positivity in their countries. Second, lockdowns and the closure of borders have had a deleterious on the economies  of individual African countries which depend on the exportation of commodities to earn foreign currency. 

COVID-19 and the attendant lockdowns come at the backdrop of efforts to promote trade between African nations. One of such efforts, the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area which was endorsed by all countries in the African continent, except Eritrea. Its purpose is to establish a continental free trade area. The Agreement aims to reduce barriers to trade between African states and incentivise more business between them. Click here to read full paper.

(The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the organization, FES South Africa.)