AfCFTA: ECA, African Sports Unified collaborate on leveraging sports trade

It will investigate opportunities in sports manufacturing and understand how the AfCFTA can create opportunities for the continent’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

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 expected to participate in the event.

The main speakers are Ugo Udezue, Chief Executive Officer of pan-African sports merchandising company AFA Sports and Charlie Appleton, Chair of ball manufacturer, Alive and Kicking Kenya.

Leading sports companies on the continent are also scheduled to participate. They include Mr. Price Sport of South Africa, Enda Sportswear of Kenya, the Metl Group of Tanzania, and SMEs like Shadow Ball of South Africa, and Core Active Wear of Kenya.

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 US$2.5 trillion.

The bloc has immense opportunities for increasing intra-regional trade, enhancing production, promoting economies of scale, creating jobs, raising incomes and improving the standard of living of the African people.