At a high-powered meeting involving the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the McDan Group, the leaders of the two entities - Wamkele Keabetswe Mene and Daniel McKorley plotted and strategised on the concrete implementation and rollout of the trading regime established under the AfCFTA.

The new African trade deal focuses on the removal of tariffs and other structural barriers to trade in Africa and this requires key interventions in identifiable areas of the regime.

The McDan Group has an established track record of managing complex supply chain systems across the continent, and its experience and capacity would inevitably come in handy for the AfCFTA.

On the other hand, the Secretariat has been working and frantically seeking ways of involving active and capable players to help deliver on the promise of the AfCFTA.

Thus, critical issues such as deploying important technology platforms designed to provide syndicated networks and data systems for the smooth implementation of the AfCFTA, integrating infrastructure, building appropriate supply chain networks together with allied support service offices, engaged the attention of the two entities in their deliberations.

In the last five years, the McDan Group has been systematically expanding its operations and acquiring notable businesses and assets and this has been recognised by the AfCFTA in terms of its planned prospects in forging a partnership for strategic leverage.

This collaborative initiative falls in sync with the Secretary General’s vision of enabling significant African to players drive the implementation of the AfCFTA and the McDan Group’s exponential growth and cross-continental focus provides a viable template for the partnership contemplated.