AfCFTA: UNECA to create opportunities in Africa’s sports manufacturing 

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) is set to investigate opportunities in sports manufacturing and how the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) can create opportunities for the continent’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the sports sector.

According to a statement from the commission on Friday, the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) of the commission  and African Sports Unified (ASU) will organise a sports, trade and manufacturing roundtable on Sept. 8 to explore the linkage between the sports industry and the AfCFTA.

The webinar will provide an opportunity for dialogue among stakeholders in the sector to explore and identify solutions to the current challenges in developing sports trade and business on the continent by reaching small and medium sized businesses, the youth, women and people with special abilities.

Producers and marketers of sports equipment across the continent, academics, government officials, workers are among participants also expected at the event.

The statement, identified Ugo Udezue, Chief Executive Officer of pan-African sports merchandising company AFA Sports, and Charlie Appleton, Chair of ball manufacturer Alive and Kicking Kenya, as the main speakers, with leading sports companies on the continent also scheduled to participate.

The AfCFTA, which commenced operations in January this year, is expected to create the biggest free trade area in the world with a market of more than 1.2 billion people and a gross domestic product (GDP) of over 2.5 trillion U.S. dollars.