By: Mohamed Sahr
African countries must strengthen regional cooperation and fully embrace the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) if they are to compete effectively in China and other international markets, a business leader has said.
Speaking at the China Africa Building in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, Dr. Ntsane Lepholisa, Director of Overseas Business, said individual African countries cannot meet global market demands alone and must work together to build stronger economic systems.
He called for the creation of integrated production bases, efficient logistics networks, and interconnected payment systems modelled on successful approaches used in China.
Dr. Lepholisa said existing payment systems established in parts of West Africa should be connected with regional logistics networks to make cross-border trade easier and more efficient.
He cited cooperation between South Africa and Botswana as an example of how shared production capacity and coordinated strategies could help African countries access larger markets, including China’s population of more than 1.4 billion people.
“Even Africa’s largest economies cannot successfully navigate the Chinese market alone,” Dr. Lepholisa said, stressing the need for collective action.
He encouraged regional blocs such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to align industrial clusters, production systems, and supply chains to enable African businesses to trade more effectively under AfCFTA.
The business leader also called for increased research on how African countries can engage major economies as unified regional blocs rather than operating separately.
Meanwhile, Zhu Sun, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of China Africa Holding Group and President of the China Africa Chamber of Commerce, said China-Africa trade relations are undergoing a significant transformation.
He noted that Chinese buyers are increasingly travelling to Africa to identify and source high-quality products for the Chinese market, marking a shift from the traditional pattern where African entrepreneurs mainly travelled to China to purchase goods.
According to Zhu, the growing two-way trade relationship reflects stronger commercial ties and presents new opportunities for African exporters to access China’s vast consumer market.
Both leaders said the changing trade pattern supports efforts under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) to create a more balanced economic relationship between Africa and China, moving beyond the traditional model of Africa exporting raw materials while importing finished products.
They emphasised that stronger regional integration, improved infrastructure, and coordinated trade policies will be critical for Africa to maximise the benefits of global markets.
The AfCFTA, which seeks to create a single market for goods and services across Africa, is designed to increase intra-African trade, promote industrial development, and strengthen the continent’s position in the global economy.
