Accra: The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has entered into a strategic partnership with Rendeavour, Africa's new city builder, to support infrastructure-led industrialisation and trade development across the continent. The partnership names Rendeavour as the AfCFTA's inaugural implementation partner for African industrialisation and trade infrastructure.
According to Ghana News Agency, under the agreement, Rendeavour will support the AfCFTA Secretariat in advancing Special Economic Zones (SEZs) as catalysts for industrialisation, mobilising private capital for trade-enabling infrastructure, and developing trade and industrial corridors linked to master-planned cities, logistics networks, and integrated industrial hubs. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of Biashara Afrika 2026, the AfCFTA Secretariat's flagship private sector engagement platform, which brought together Heads of State and Government, ministers, regulators, investors, and business leaders to promote industrialisation, intra-African trade, and private sector-led growth.
The AfCFTA, with a combined Gross Domestic Product of more than 3.4 trillion dollars, is projected to generate an additional 450 billion dollars in income across Africa by 2035. However, intra-African trade currently accounts for only 14 per cent of the continent's total trade, while Africa hosts just four per cent of the world's Special Economic Zones, representing about 230 out of more than 5,400 globally.
Stephen Jennings, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rendeavour, stated that the partnership marked a significant step towards translating Africa's economic potential into tangible investments and industrial growth. He emphasized that Africa is not only the fastest-growing region in the world but will also become one of the safest and most reliable destinations for investment. Jennings further highlighted that the partnership recognized Rendeavour's cities as infrastructure-ready environments where investment, manufacturing, and trade could thrive.
Rendeavour, backed by American, Norwegian, New Zealand, and British investors, operates large-scale urban development projects in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its projects, valued at more than five billion dollars, include 250 businesses, schools serving over 6,000 students, and 10,000 mixed-income homes. The company's Special Economic Zones, including Tatu City in Kenya and Alaro City in Nigeria, have attracted significant domestic and foreign investment. Other projects include Kiswishi City in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jigna City in Nigeria, Roma Park in Zambia, as well as Appolonia City and King City in Ghana. Collectively, the developments have created more than 50,000 jobs over the past five years.
Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, stated that the implementation of the AfCFTA required strategic partnerships capable of transforming the opportunities under the Agreement into commercially viable industrial and trade ecosystems. He noted that Special Economic Zones, logistics platforms, and integrated industrial infrastructure would play an important role in strengthening regional value chains, expanding manufacturing capacity, and facilitating intra-African trade. Mene described the partnership as a demonstration of growing private sector confidence in Africa's single market and industrial future.
The African Continental Free Trade Area is a flagship project under Agenda 2063 that came into force in May 2019 and started trading in January 2021. It brings together all 55 AU member states to create a market of over 1.3 billion people. The agreement covers trade in goods and services, digital trade, investment, intellectual property, and competition policy. Its main goal is to cut trade barriers and boost intra-African trade, especially in value-added production and services. Estimates suggest it could increase intra-African trade by 52.3% through tariff cuts and easier trade processes.
Rendeavour builds new cities across Africa with backing from US, Norwegian, New Zealand, and UK investors. Projects in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Zambia, and DRC are among Africa's largest construction efforts, designed as infrastructure-ready economic zones for business, housing, schools, and recreation. Current development is worth over five billion dollars, with 250 businesses, 10,000 mixed-income homes, and schools for more than 6,000 students. In the last five years, it has created over 50,000 jobs, including East Africa's largest call centre with 5,000 young Kenyans serving clients like United Airlines, JetBlue, and Amazon.