Only 13% of Africans have heard of AfCFTA as support for free trade surges to 62% – Afrobarometer

Although the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is regarded as one of the continent’s most ambitious economic integration initiatives, only 13 per cent of Africans have heard of the agreement, according to the latest Afrobarometer African Insights 2026 report. The report, titled ‘Beyond Borders: Citizen Perspectives on a Shifting Global Order,’ indicates that while public awareness of the landmark trade agreement remains strikingly low, support for freer trade between African countries and the rest of the world continues to grow. The study, which draws on Round 10 Afrobarometer survey data collected across 38 African countries between 2024 and 2025, explores how Africans perceive global trade, migration, international influence, climate change and geopolitical developments.

According to the report, awareness of the AfCFTA is concentrated largely among highly educated and politically informed citizens, with no surveyed country recording awareness levels above 27 per cent. Despite this knowledge gap, the survey found that 62 per cent of Africans believe their countries would benefit economically by making trade easier with other nations. The figure represents a significant increase from 51 per cent recorded five years earlier, highlighting growing public confidence in international trade as a driver of economic growth.

Support for freer trade emerged as the majority view in 32 of the 38 countries surveyed. Economic hardship One of the report’s most notable findings challenges conventional global assumptions about public attitudes towards trade. While economic hardship in many parts of the world often fuels protectionist sentiments, Afrobarometer found the opposite pattern across Africa.

Rather than calling for greater economic isolation, many Africans continue to favour increased openness to regional and international markets despite difficult economic conditions. The report suggests this reflects widespread expectations that stronger trade relations could create jobs, stimulate investment and improve living standards across the continent. Immigration attitudes The survey also uncovered an unexpected trend regarding immigration.

Contrary to patterns observed in many other regions of the world, resistance to immigration in Africa is strongest among wealthier, better-educated and more highly skilled citizens, as well as residents of the continent’s mo… A new Afrobarometer report has revealed a striking paradox in African public opinion: while support for free trade is growing across the continent, awareness of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) – the flagship agreement designed to boost intra-African commerce – remains remarkably low. The findings are contained in the 2026 African Insights flagship report titled “Beyond Borders: Citizen Perspectives on a Shifting Global Order,” which draws on nationally representative surveys conducted across 38 African countries in 2024/2025.

According to the report, only 13% of Africans have heard of the AfCFTA, despite it being one of the most ambitious economic integration initiatives in history. Awareness ranges from highs of about one-quarter of respondents in Guinea-Bissau (27%), Gabon (26%), and Cabo Verde (24%) to mere handfuls in Tunisia (5%) and Mauritania (4%). Even in Ghana, one of the first countries to ratify the agreement and home to the AfCFTA Secretariat, only 17% of citizens are aware of it.