Trade runs on trust, not treaties

For the past decade, Africa has invested enormous political energy in trade policy. Regional agreements have expanded, tariff frameworks have been negotiated, and the African Continental Free Trade Area has created the continent's most ambitious integration project. And while this is impressive on paper, policy alone does not move goods across borders.

Trade moves when systems work. It moves when businesses trust that payments will settle, when banks trust counterparties across jurisdictions, when customs processes are predictable, and when transport corridors function reliably enough for goods to reach markets on time. In other words, trade runs on trust.