A new Afrobarometer report has revealed a striking paradox in African public opinion: while support for free trade is growing across the continent, awareness of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) - the flagship agreement designed to boost intra-African commerce - remains remarkably low.

The findings are contained in the 2026 African Insights flagship report titled "Beyond Borders: Citizen Perspectives on a Shifting Global Order," which draws on nationally representative surveys conducted across 38 African countries in 2024/2025.

According to the report, only 13% of Africans have heard of the AfCFTA, despite it being one of the most ambitious economic integration initiatives in history. Awareness ranges from highs of about one-quarter of respondents in Guinea-Bissau (27%), Gabon (26%), and Cabo Verde (24%) to mere handfuls in Tunisia (5%) and Mauritania (4%).

Even in Ghana, one of the first countries to ratify the agreement and home to the AfCFTA Secretariat, only 17% of citizens are aware of it.

At the same time, support for the principle of free trade has surged significantly. More than six in 10 Africans (62%) now agree that it is "better for our economy if the government makes it easier for [our country] to trade with other countries to create economic opportunities," compared to just one in three (34%) who would limit trade to protect local producers.

This represents a substantial shift from just five years ago when only a slim majority (51%) held this view.

Support for free trade is a majority position in 32 of the 38 surveyed countries, with Central Africa (65%), West Africa (65%), and Southern Africa (64%) all exhibiting strong support collectively. Liberia (86%), Eswatini (85%), and Chad (79%) recorded the highest levels of support.

However, the report also found that Africans prefer to trade globally rather than limit themselves to the continent or subregion. Two-thirds (66%) say their governments should expand trading relationships globally, compared to minorities who favour prioritising the continent (20%) or the subregion (8%).

"Despite being one of the most ambitious economic-integration projects in history, the AfCFTA remains largely unknown to ordinary Africans," the report states. "Awareness is heavily skewed toward the better-educated and regular news consumers, suggesting a disconnect between elite-level policy ambition and public reach."

The report warns that African governments should not assume popular support for the AfCFTA will follow automatically. "They will need to invest in targeted public education and domestic communication strategies that clearly explain how intra-African trade serves as a stepping stone to broader global economic competitiveness - or risk pursuing a landmark agreement without the public mandate needed to sustain it."

The 2026 African Insights report is the third in Afrobarometer's annual flagship series, examining citizen attitudes on trade, migration, great-power competition, global voice, and climate change across the continent.