Bridges Africa

Analysis and news on African trade and sustainable development
China

Reflections on China-Africa Economic Relations at a Time of Transition

5 July 2018
Economic relations between China and African nations have generated much interest among development experts and practitioners over the last two decades. Behind this attention lies the high stakes for Africa regarding the opportunities and challenges involved in the deepening relationship with the...
China

China and Africa: Whither the Belt and Road?

5 July 2018
Wenjie Chen, Roger Nord
While economic ties between China and African countries have vastly expanded over the past decades, falling commodity prices and rising debt levels risk reversing this process. Can China’s Belt and Road Initiative reinvigorate the relationship? Economic links between China and Africa have increased...
Development

Crossing Rivers, Feeling Stones: The Rise of Chinese Infrastructure Finance in Africa

5 July 2018
Yunnan Chen
As Chinese firms and capital play an increasingly dominant role in African infrastructure development, what are the potential opportunities for promoting sustainable development? And what social and environmental risks could this trend entail? Across African cities, Chinese-emblazoned signs litter...
Africa

Harvesting from “Poor Old” China to Harness “Poor Young” Africa’s Demographic Dividend?

5 July 2018
Lauren A. Johnston
As China’s four-decade long demographic dividend is coming to an end, the country is actively seeking to seize new economic opportunities in higher-value-added productive activities. Could Africa be the big winner of this economic restructuring? In September, leaders of China and most African...
Investment

China in Africa: Goods Supplier, Service Provider rather than Investor

5 July 2018
Thierry Pairault
While in the development community and beyond, there is a widespread feeling that China is investing heavily in Africa, factual data shows the precise opposite. How can this be explained, and what is the real nature of China’s economic engagement on the continent? China’s official data on outward...
Development

Is China Changing Information Societies in Africa?

5 July 2018
Iginio Gagliardone
China’s growing interest in supporting the development of Africa’s telecom infrastructure has been met with suspicion in some quarters. Is such engagement favouring the emergence of an authoritarian version of the information society on the continent? Huawei, China’s leading telecom equipment...
Development

Publications and Resources

5 July 2018
Crafting a Framework on Investment Facilitation – ICTSD – June 2018 A coalition of over 70 WTO members endorsed a Joint Ministerial Statement on Investment Facilitation for Development during the global trade club’s 11 th Ministerial Conference. The statement outlined the group’s interest in...
LDCs

Five Questions to Least Developed Country Governments about Inclusive Trade

27 June 2018
Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, Kamrang Tekreth, Hassan Come
Bridges Africa and Passerelles discussed trade and sustainable development with Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, Vice President of The Gambia, Kamrang Tekreth, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Commerce of Cambodia, and Hassan Come, Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Central African Republic (...
Africa

Supporting Small-Scale Cross-Border Traders Across Africa

5 June 2018
Small-scale cross-border trade – often referred to as informal cross-border trade – is a pervasive phenomenon in Africa. As such, it holds fundamental social and economic development implications. Across the continent, countless small-scale traders cross borders daily to sell goods or services in a...
Development

Small-Scale Cross-Border Trade in Africa: Why It Matters and How It Should Be Supported

5 June 2018
Paul Brenton, Carmine Soprano
Small-scale cross-border trade can play a fundamental role in contributing to poverty reduction and food security across Africa. How can it be supported to ensure that it delivers its full development potential? Sub-Saharan African economies have been inextricably linked for centuries. Traders,...
Continental Free Trade Area

The African Continental Free Trade Area: An Opportunity for Informal Cross-Border Trade

5 June 2018
Lily Sommer, Chris Nshimbi
How can African countries use the African Continental Free Trade Area to overcome the existing challenges to informal cross-border trade and harness the potential of such trade to support income generation, job creation, structural transformation, and food security on the continent? Informal cross-...
Gender

Empowering Women by Supporting Small-Scale Cross-Border Trade

5 June 2018
Emma Marie Bugingo
Over the last six years, the Rwandese non-governmental organisation Pro-Femmes/Twese Hamwe has been implementing a project aimed at empowering women cross-border traders. Why is it important to facilitate small-scale cross-border trade from a gender perspective? Pro-Femmes/Twese Hamwe is a Rwandan...
Trade Facilitation

A Look at the Simplified Trade Regimes in East and Southern Africa

5 June 2018
Taku Fundira
The East African Community (EAC) and the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) are the two only African regional economic communities that have adopted simplified trade regimes (STR) to facilitate small-scale cross-border trade. What can be learnt from their experiences? Regional...
Africa

West African Cross-Border Trade: Trends and Opportunities

5 June 2018
Bio Goura Soulé
Cross-border trade is not a new phenomenon in West Africa. What are the major changes that made it evolve over time? And which barriers still hinder its development? The signature of the agreement establishing the Continental Free Trade Area by forty-four African countries on 21 March 2018 in...
Development

Publications and Resources

5 June 2018
The Rising Potential of e-Commerce for Trade and Development in Africa – TRALAC – May 2018 This paper examines the role of electronic commerce (e-commerce) and related Information and Communication Technology services (ICTs) in the furthering of trade and development in Africa. It begins with a...
Africa

Ratification of African Continental Free Trade Area Gets Underway

24 May 2018
Two months after over 40 nations signed a framework agreement for an African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), signatories are now beginning the ratification process, while also looking at the technical work needed to make the area a reality. However, analysts note that many steps remain before...
Fisheries

WTO Fisheries Negotiators Resume Text-based Discussions, Get Work Programme Into Gear

24 May 2018
Negotiators aiming to clinch a WTO deal on disciplining harmful fisheries subsidies concluded several days of meetings last week with an updated set of working documents, with subsequent meetings already set for June and July. The 14-17 May meetings marked the second time that the “rules...
WTO

WTO Members Debate Next Steps to Resolve Systemic Trade Tensions

9 May 2018
The challenges facing the multilateral trading system took centre stage at meetings at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland, as members weighed in on trade tensions among some major members; the status of its global trade court; and the next steps for its negotiating arm...
Global Economy

IMF, World Bank Spring Meetings: Trade, Development Financing Top Packed Agenda

26 April 2018
Trade, investment, and development financing dominated the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group (WBG) last week, as finance and development officials debated over how to ensure improving economic growth forecasts are not short-lived. The 16-22 April...
Global Economy

Commonwealth Leaders Look to Deeper Economic, Trade Ties

26 April 2018
Leaders at the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) last week examined a series of areas for deeper cooperation, including trade and investment, sustainable and inclusive economic growth, climate action, and ocean preservation and conservation. The Commonwealth meetings took...