Title: The AfCFTA and Export Manufacturing in Africa in the Context of Regional and Global Value Chains
The perpetuation of the colonial legacy – a development model which ensured that African countries remain exclusively producers and exporters of raw materials to the metropolis in exchange for finished goods has resulted in excessive exposure to adverse terms of trade shocks. In a world characterised by zero-sum game where trade is dominated by manufactured goods, over-reliance on the exports of primary commodities and natural resources has contributed to most African economies finding themselves at the lower end of global value chains.