An analytical study For the advantages and challenges of the African Continental Free Trade Area

   The research study sheds light on the stages of establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area "AFCFTA," beginning with visualisation and progressing to launch and implementation.It focuses on the expected economic benefits from implementation, such as: raising the rates of intra-African trade; increasing growth rates and economic welfare gains; as well as raising employment rates and supporting the industrial sector. It also analysed the obstacles in this region that may prevent the maximum benefit from those advantages. The study was exposed to different results as predicted by the economic studies of international institutions.
     The study concluded with many results, the most important of which is that the economic benefits expected from the implementation of the African Free Trade Area are varied and contribute significantly to achieving economic development in the countries of the continent, while enhancing their capabilities towards more regional integration and reducing economic dependence on the countries of the outside world. Although there are many challenges that may negatively affect the progress in achieving the region, the African continent has become aware of these challenges and is striving hard under the first ten-year plan of the Sustainable Development Agenda 2063 towards overcoming them, and there are still ambitious efforts towards greater regional economic integration for Africa.