The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has unveiled a new Tourism and Creative Industries Forum aimed at harnessing the potential of Africa’s vibrant cultural, entertainment, and travel sectors to accelerate intra-African trade, job creation, and economic diversification. The initiative, unveiled at the AfCFTA headquarters in Accra, Ghana, brings together policymakers, private sector players, and development partners to explore how creative and tourism industries can drive the continent’s economic integration agenda.
Secretary-General of AfCFTA, Wamkele Mene, said the forum was created to strengthen collaboration among African nations and develop strategies to unlock the economic potential of the continent’s creative ecosystem—one of the fastest-growing sectors globally. According to him, the creative economy, which includes film, fashion, music, design, and digital arts, has the capacity to contribute billions of dollars annually to Africa’s GDP if properly harnessed under the AfCFTA framework.
Mene stated that the creative industries have emerged as key drivers of youth employment, innovation, and soft power diplomacy, adding that the forum will provide a platform for African entrepreneurs, investors, and governments to share ideas and create policies that enable creative talents to thrive. “We are determined to make the AfCFTA not just about trade in goods, but also about trade in services and ideas. Africa’s creative and tourism sectors represent some of the most dynamic and promising industries on the continent,” he said.
He noted that the AfCFTA’s strategic objective is to eliminate trade barriers across Africa and create a single market for goods and services, but this vision must also include support for industries that promote cultural exchange and human creativity. Mene said, “We believe that the tourism and creative sectors will play a pivotal role in promoting African identity, unity, and economic resilience.”
The forum, according to the AfCFTA Secretariat, will feature policy dialogues, investment roundtables, and capacity-building sessions to help creative entrepreneurs scale their operations across borders. Participants from all 54 AfCFTA member states are expected to engage in collaborative projects aimed at developing film co-productions, regional tourism circuits, digital content distribution, and intellectual property protection frameworks.
Mene stressed that the Secretariat will collaborate with key stakeholders, including the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and private sector partners to implement actionable initiatives from the forum. He explained that this cross-sectoral collaboration will ensure that policies align with the realities of creative professionals and tourism operators on the ground.
Highlighting the importance of the tourism industry to Africa’s post-pandemic recovery, Mene noted that tourism contributes significantly to the GDP of several African economies, including Seychelles, Mauritius, Morocco, and South Africa. However, he lamented that intra-African travel remains low due to restrictive visa policies, inadequate infrastructure, and poor air connectivity. “One of our objectives is to advocate for more open skies and simplified visa regimes to encourage tourism within Africa,” he said.
He added that by promoting regional travel and cultural exchange, the forum would help Africans explore their own continent while retaining tourism revenue that currently flows to destinations outside Africa. Mene also stated that the creative economy is uniquely positioned to complement tourism by showcasing Africa’s cultural richness through film, music, fashion, and art.
According to the AfCFTA Secretariat, the creative economy currently accounts for about 3% of global GDP and employs over 30 million people worldwide. In Africa, sectors such as Nollywood, Afrobeats, fashion design, and digital media have become global phenomena, creating new markets and export opportunities for young entrepreneurs.
Industry stakeholders at the launch expressed optimism that the forum would help address structural bottlenecks, such as lack of funding, weak intellectual property protection, and poor market access, that have hindered the growth of creative industries on the continent.
Ms. Amina Jallow, a Gambian filmmaker and participant at the forum, said the initiative would bridge gaps between creative professionals and policymakers. “For too long, creative talents in Africa have worked in isolation without a unified platform to address industry challenges. This forum gives us a voice and a space to shape the future of our industries under AfCFTA,” she said.
Similarly, Mr. Adewale Ayeni, a Nigerian digital entrepreneur, noted that the forum’s focus on technology-driven creativity aligns with Africa’s youth-led innovation culture. “Digital platforms are redefining how African content is produced, distributed, and monetised. AfCFTA’s support for cross-border collaboration will help local creators reach continental and global audiences,” he added.
The AfCFTA Secretariat disclosed that one of the forum’s immediate priorities is to establish an African Creative Industries Fund, which will provide low-interest loans and grants to creative entrepreneurs, especially women and youth. This fund will be managed in partnership with regional development banks and private investors to ensure transparency and sustainability.
AfCFTA also plans to launch a Creative Industries and Tourism Data Observatory to collect and analyse data on the contribution of these sectors to Africa’s economy. This, according to Mene, will help policymakers design informed interventions and measure progress effectively.
He further emphasised that Africa’s creative and tourism sectors, if properly integrated into the AfCFTA framework, could collectively generate over $100 billion in annual revenue within the next decade. He said, “Our creative industries are not just about entertainment—they are about economic growth, cultural identity, and Africa’s global influence. Through this forum, we aim to provide structure, funding, and visibility to these industries.”
The AfCFTA chief concluded by calling on African governments to prioritise the creative and tourism sectors in their national development plans and to support local content policies that promote African-made products and services. “The success of AfCFTA will depend on how well we harness our creativity, innovation, and diversity,” Mene said.
Analysts believe that the establishment of the AfCFTA Tourism and Creative Industries Forum marks a milestone in the continent’s pursuit of economic diversification. By leveraging Africa’s cultural wealth and creative energy, the forum could help create millions of jobs, promote regional unity, and enhance Africa’s position in the global creative economy.
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