Pan-African Private Sector Trade and Investment Committee (PAFTRAC)
AFRICA CEO TRADE REPORT 2026
Data from 2,500 business leaders across the continent reveals record corporate appetite for regional markets, hindered by arbitrary sovereign credit margins, custom delays, and low adoption of AfCFTA clearance mechanisms.
2,500+
Senior executives responded surveyed across the continent
81.3%
Respondents prioritising intra-African corridors over Western markets
$31 Bln
Quantified annual loss from arbitrary sovereign credit risk margins
57%
Commercial operators reporting severe cross-border finance shortages
PAFTRAC Africa CEO Trade Report 2026: Commercial goodwill meets operational friction
First presented in preliminary form to multilateral delegates at the WTO Public Forum in Geneva, the 2026 PAFTRAC Africa CEO Trade Survey documents a historic divergence. More than 60% of commercial enterprises now actively trade or plan to trade across African borders, looking within the continent ahead of historic corridors in Europe and Asia. However, the report finds that private sector ambition is outpacing the regulatory machinery.
The Trade Finance Drought
While regional demand grows, 57% of commercial operators report that accessing trade finance is difficult or very difficult. This structural liquidity shortage starves mid-tier enterprises in an environment with a $331 billion financing gap.
The AfCFTA Awareness Deficit
Over 70% of companies report tangible benefits from regional integration, yet more than half remain unfamiliar with the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS). Awareness of other AfCFTA operational mechanisms remains similarly depressed.
The Cost of Border Friction
Tariff structures, expensive maritime freight, currency volatility, and inefficient border posts continue to act as an internal tariff on African manufacturing and supply chains.
"When capital is priced so that an economy actively at war receives more competitive financing than a stable, peaceful African sovereign, the system is misreading reality. Outdated global rules and subjective rating methodologies are imposing a direct $31 billion annual tax on African trade."
- Professor Patrick Utomi
Chairperson, PAFTRAC
Be first to receive the 2026 Report
Register below to receive the complete 2026 report as soon as it is released. You can also register for the Launch Webinar in mid-November, hosted by African Business and featuring private sector executives and key trade facilitators. In the meantime, we will share the preliminary findings presentation of the report for those who sign up below.
The Pan-African Private Sector Trade and Investment Committee unites African private-sector leaders and public policymakers to drive practical trade expansion, allocate investment capital, and implement structural economic reforms aligned with the African Union's Agenda 2063. African Business, published by IC Publications, is the research partner of PAFTRAC Africa CEO Trade Survey 2026.
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