Lesotho and the AfCFTA: An Examination of Progress and Opportunities for the Future

Denis Nfor Yuni
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Denis Nfor Yuni: University of Namibia, Department of Economics

Chapter Chapter 11 in From Policy to Practice: Challenges and Ways Forward on the Implementation of the AfCFTA, 2026, pp 227-245 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract The AfCFTA, with its vast market of over 1.3 billion people across the continent, presents a significant opportunity for Lesotho’s businesses to expand their customer base beyond its small population and achieve economies of scale that are unattainable within its borders. Consequently, Lesotho’s registration with the AfCFTA is not merely a matter of convenience; it is a matter of survival. This chapter indicates that Lesotho signed the AfCFTA agreement in 2018 and ratified it in 2020 and is currently engaged in ongoing negotiations concerning tariff concessions for trade in goods. However, implementation has been slow for Lesotho, as well as other African countries. This chapter recommends that, for Lesotho to optimise the potential benefits of the AfCFTA, it must conclude tariff concession negotiations and implement the agreed tariff reductions stipulated by the AfCFTA, adopt and enforce the agreed Rules of Origin, finalise its commitments for the liberalisation of trade in the five priority services, actively participate in Phase II negotiations and ratify protocols, enhance the capabilities of government agencies to implement and monitor AfCFTA obligations, conduct awareness campaigns, and provide capacity-building support to businesses (particularly SMEs), as well as strategically diversify products and trade destinations based on its comparative advantage.

Keywords: AfCFTA implementation; International trade; Economic integration; Intra-African trade; Lesotho (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-14051-7_11

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