A majority of Africans support freer trade across the continent and beyond, even though only a small fraction are aware of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), according to the Afrobarometer African Insights 2026 report.
The survey reveals that 62% of Africans believe governments should make it easier to trade with other countries to create jobs and economic opportunities, marking a significant increase from 51% five years ago.
The findings suggest that public opinion is increasingly aligned with the broader goals of economic integration, despite widespread unfamiliarity with the AfCFTA itself.
Only 13% of Africans have heard of the AfCFTA, the flagship continental trade agreement aimed at creating a single African market. Awareness remains low even in Ghana, which hosts the AfCFTA Secretariat, where just 17% of respondents said they were aware of the agreement.
Support for freer trade is now the majority view in 32 of the 38 countries surveyed, indicating growing confidence that expanded trade can improve economic prospects.
The report also found that 66% of Africans want their governments to strengthen trade ties with countries around the world, while 20% prefer prioritising trade within Africa and 8% favour focusing mainly on trade within their sub-region.
Researchers argue that this preference for global trade does not contradict the AfCFTA’s objectives. Instead, the agreement is intended to deepen intra-African trade as a foundation for improving Africa’s competitiveness in international markets.
One of the report’s notable findings is that Africans experiencing greater economic hardship tend to be more supportive of open trade, a pattern that differs from many other regions where economic pressure often leads to stronger protectionist sentiment.
Afrobarometer said the gap between public support for trade and awareness of the AfCFTA points to a major communication challenge for policymakers.
The report called for sustained public education efforts to ensure citizens understand the agreement and can take advantage of the opportunities it is designed to create.
“Despite being one of the most ambitious economic integration initiatives in history, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is barely on the radar of the people it is designed to benefit,” the report stated, noting that awareness remains heavily concentrated among highly educated and well-informed populations.
