On Sunday 15 May, the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) unveiled a tool to measure the ease of doing business between African countries. The AfCFTA Country Business Index is the first comprehensive tool based on a robust methodological framework where data is collected in a way that allows businesses to express their views on the implementation of the zone.
One of the main objectives of the AfCFTA Country Business Index (ACBI) is to assess the perceived impact of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on the private sector’s ability to trade and invest across African borders once the area is fully operational.
The AfCFTA came into force in January 2021, making it the new pillar of trade integration in Africa. The aim is to create a single continent-wide market and improve business competitiveness.
Following the launch of the Index in 2018, the ECA began testing and refining the tool to measure and compare the views of businesses across Africa on the implementation of the AfCFTA. The countries were selected for three phases of the pilot study. After Phase 1, which was conducted in Cameroon and Zambia, the methodology was refined and surveys were conducted in seven additional countries: Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria and South Africa.
This report presents the results from this second phase of the implementation of the Index. In the third phase, the Index will be introduced in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia.
AfCFTA Country Business Index Guide
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