“The era of subsidies is over,” stated Angus Miller, Regional Advisor for the Horn of Africa at Trademark Africa. He advocates for a new dynamic built on private funding and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), which can support Africa’s ambitions for trade integration, industrialization, and competitiveness. According to him, targeted investments have already proven effective. He cited the $90 million injected into regional infrastructure (roads, customs, logistics systems), which led to a 70% reduction in border crossing times within the East African Community customs clearance dropped from 11 days to just 3.5 days. The economic gain is estimated at $63 million per year.
Trade corridors : strategic levers of intra-african trade
The conference highlighted the importance of cross-border infrastructure and trade corridors, seen as the vital arteries of a transforming continent. Demitta Gyang, Director of Customs at the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, recalled that Africa bears the highest transport costs in the world, holding back the growth of its economies. She emphasized that three elements are key to facilitating trade: modern physical infrastructure, efficient digital systems, and appropriate human skills. The AfCFTA has launched an awareness campaign along these corridors to identify logistical bottlenecks, modernize facilities, and strengthen regional cooperation.
Rwanda : a testing ground for an integrated investment model
Denis Muganga, representative of the Northern Corridor Coordination Authority, presented the Rwandan model as a continental benchmark. The country has successfully integrated SEZs into its national industrial development strategy, with a central agency—the Rwanda Development Board in charge of coordinating investments and PPPs. In 2023, Kigali announced the doubling of its main SEZ’s area to meet the private sector’s growing need for industrial land, energy, and logistical connectivity. This initiative is part of a broader strategy under the new industrial policy adopted in 2024, with a clear goal: to make Rwanda an upper-middle-income country by 2035, by betting on sustained industrial growth and double-digit export increases. Today, the country has two special economic zones (Kigali and Bugesera) and eight industrial parks spread across the districts of Rwamagana, Muhanga, Nyagatare, Musanze, Huye, Nyabihu, Rusizi, and Rubavu.
Global tariff tensions : an African opportunity?
For Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of the AfCFTA, the recent tariff crisis imposed by the United States on African countries should be seen as an opportunity to refocus. He calls for an acceleration of continental integration and the strengthening of intra-African trade to reduce dependency on external markets. The U.S. administration, starting January 2024, imposed tariffs on virtually all African exports to the United States, including countries under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) from which Rwanda has been excluded since 2018. For Mene, this economic pressure calls for a unified continental response and stronger local production through SEZs.
Over 200 SEZs in Africa to structure a continental market
To date, Africa has more than 200 Special Economic Zones, with over 70 more under development. To support this ecosystem, the African Union adopted a ministerial regulation ensuring that products from SEZs that comply with the rules of origin are fully integrated into the African single market. According to Mene, this decision will enhance the competitiveness of SEZs by enabling them to produce at competitive costs and serve as true engines of regional industrial development.
Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, President of the African Union Commission, concluded the discussions by emphasizing the fundamental role of SEZs in adapting to the “new global economic order.” According to him, intra-African trade is now a strategic necessity, and the AfCFTA’s tools must be fully operational to overcome current crises.
The private sector is now the cornerstone of investment in commercial infrastructure across the continent. This was the central message that emerged from the Regional Conference on Special Economic Zones (SEZs), held on April 21–22, 2025, in Djibouti. The event brought together policymakers, economic experts, and private investors to discuss the future of intra-African trade.
“The era of subsidies is over,” stated Angus Miller, Regional Advisor for the Horn of Africa at Trademark Africa. He advocates for a new dynamic built on private funding and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), which can support Africa’s ambitions for trade integration, industrialization, and competitiveness. According to him, targeted investments have already proven effective. He cited the $90 million injected into regional infrastructure (roads, customs, logistics systems), which led to a 70% reduction in border crossing times within the East African Community customs clearance dropped from 11 days to just 3.5 days. The economic gain is estimated at $63 million per year.
Trade corridors : strategic levers of intra-african trade
The conference highlighted the importance of cross-border infrastructure and trade corridors, seen as the vital arteries of a transforming continent. Demitta Gyang, Director of Customs at the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, recalled that Africa bears the highest transport costs in the world, holding back the growth of its economies. She emphasized that three elements are key to facilitating trade: modern physical infrastructure, efficient digital systems, and appropriate human skills. The AfCFTA has launched an awareness campaign along these corridors to identify logistical bottlenecks, modernize facilities, and strengthen regional cooperation.
Rwanda : a testing ground for an integrated investment model
Denis Muganga, representative of the Northern Corridor Coordination Authority, presented the Rwandan model as a continental benchmark. The country has successfully integrated SEZs into its national industrial development strategy, with a central agency—the Rwanda Development Board in charge of coordinating investments and PPPs. In 2023, Kigali announced the doubling of its main SEZ’s area to meet the private sector’s growing need for industrial land, energy, and logistical connectivity. This initiative is part of a broader strategy under the new industrial policy adopted in 2024, with a clear goal: to make Rwanda an upper-middle-income country by 2035, by betting on sustained industrial growth and double-digit export increases. Today, the country has two special economic zones (Kigali and Bugesera) and eight industrial parks spread across the districts of Rwamagana, Muhanga, Nyagatare, Musanze, Huye, Nyabihu, Rusizi, and Rubavu.
Global tariff tensions : an African opportunity?
For Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of the AfCFTA, the recent tariff crisis imposed by the United States on African countries should be seen as an opportunity to refocus. He calls for an acceleration of continental integration and the strengthening of intra-African trade to reduce dependency on external markets. The U.S. administration, starting January 2024, imposed tariffs on virtually all African exports to the United States, including countries under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) from which Rwanda has been excluded since 2018. For Mene, this economic pressure calls for a unified continental response and stronger local production through SEZs.
Over 200 SEZs in Africa to structure a continental market
To date, Africa has more than 200 Special Economic Zones, with over 70 more under development. To support this ecosystem, the African Union adopted a ministerial regulation ensuring that products from SEZs that comply with the rules of origin are fully integrated into the African single market. According to Mene, this decision will enhance the competitiveness of SEZs by enabling them to produce at competitive costs and serve as true engines of regional industrial development.
Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, President of the African Union Commission, concluded the discussions by emphasizing the fundamental role of SEZs in adapting to the “new global economic order.” According to him, intra-African trade is now a strategic necessity, and the AfCFTA’s tools must be fully operational to overcome current crises.
