AfCFTA, Rendeavour to accelerate industrialisation, intra-African trade through economic zones

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has entered into a strategic partnership with Rendeavour, Africa’s largest new city developer, to accelerate the implementation of the continental trade agreement through infrastructure-led industrialisation, integrated economic zones, and trade-enabling urban development.

The partnership, signed on the sidelines of the Biashara Afrika 2026 summit, seeks to strengthen Africa’s industrial capacity by promoting Special Economic Zones (SEZs), mobilising private capital for critical infrastructure, and supporting the development of trade and industrial corridors linked to master-planned cities and logistics networks.

Biashara Afrika, the AfCFTA Secretariat’s flagship private sector engagement platform, brought together heads of state, ministers, regulators, investors, and business leaders to explore opportunities for industrialisation, intra-African trade, and private sector-led growth under the continent-wide trade pact.

Under the agreement, Rendeavour will work closely with the AfCFTA Secretariat across three priority areas: advancing the role of Special Economic Zones as engines of industrialisation, attracting private investment into trade-supporting infrastructure, and fostering industrial corridors connected to integrated urban developments across Africa.

The partnership comes as Africa seeks to unlock the full potential of the AfCFTA, which covers a market of more than 1.4 billion people with a combined gross domestic product exceeding $3.4 trillion. The agreement is projected to generate an additional $450 billion in income across the continent by 2035.

Despite the promise of the single African market, intra-African trade remains low, accounting for only about 14 percent of the continent’s total trade. Africa also hosts just 230 of the world’s more than 5,400 Special Economic Zones, highlighting a significant infrastructure and industrialisation gap.

Industry stakeholders argue that bridging this gap will require large-scale investment in physical infrastructure, including industrial parks, logistics corridors, reliable utilities, and mixed-use developments capable of supporting businesses, workers, and expanding urban economies.
Stephen Jennings, founder and chief executive officer of Rendeavour, said the company is positioning itself as a key private-sector implementation partner for the AfCFTA.

“Africa is not only the fastest-growing region in the world; with time it will also become one of the safest and most reliable destinations for investment,” Jennings said. “As the first private sector implementation partner of AfCFTA, Rendeavour’s cities are recognised for their infrastructure and operating environments where investment, manufacturing and trade can thrive.”

Rendeavour, which is backed by investors from the United States, Norway, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, has developed large-scale urban projects in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its portfolio includes industrial, commercial, residential, educational, and recreational developments within infrastructure-ready economic zones.

The company said its ongoing developments are valued at more than $5 billion and currently host over 250 businesses, more than 10,000 mixed-income homes, and schools educating over 6,000 students.

Among its flagship projects are Alaro City in Lagos and Tatu City in Nairobi, both of which operate as Special Economic Zones and have attracted significant domestic and foreign investment. Other developments include Kiswishi City in Lubumbashi, Jigna City in Abuja, Roma Park in Lusaka, and Appolonia City and King City in Ghana.

According to the company, its developments have generated more than 50,000 jobs over the past five years while also facilitating cross-border expansion by businesses operating within its ecosystem.

Several firms that established operations in Rendeavour’s Kenyan developments have subsequently expanded into Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, illustrating the type of regional integration and market expansion envisioned under the AfCFTA framework.
Companies operating within Rendeavour’s cities include Zhende Medical, a major medical garment manufacturer, and Ariel Foods, a therapeutic food producer that exports to regional and international markets.

Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, said strategic partnerships with private sector developers are essential to translating the opportunities created by the trade agreement into tangible economic outcomes.

“The implementation of the AfCFTA requires strategic partnerships that can translate the opportunities of the Agreement into commercially viable industrial and trade ecosystems,” Mene said.

He added that Special Economic Zones, logistics platforms, and integrated industrial infrastructure would be critical to strengthening regional value chains, expanding manufacturing capacity, and boosting intra-African trade.

“This partnership reflects the growing confidence of the private sector in Africa’s single market and industrial future,” he said.