The Inconvenient Truth : Continental cloak or national apron? The case for ‘Made In Africa’

By Professor Douglas Boateng

“Made in South Africa. Made in Nigeria. Made in Kenya. Made in Ghana. But why does the label stop at national loyalty when our heritage is continental? There are no labels like ‘Made in Chicago’, ‘Made in Shanghai’, or ‘Made in Mumbai’; only ‘Made in America’, ‘Made in China’, and ‘Made in India’. Why, then, do we fragment our identity? Why not adopt ‘Made in Africa’ with a subsidiary stamp indicating the specific country: Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, etc.? A unified African label would do more than identify goods, it would dismantle internal borders and realise the vision of the AfCFTA.”

This question opens a portal into a broader, sobering reality. Beneath national pride lies a fractured continental identity that continues to undermine our shared destiny. Africa, shaped by shared ancestry and aspiration, remains ensnared in colonial-era barriers and protectionist mindsets. Instead of a unified continental chorus, we present discordant solos dreaming together, yet trading apart.

Invisible borders: geography, not the barrier

Africa’s most formidable barrier is not infrastructure; it is mindset. We champion unity on global stages, but our officials treat continental neighbours with suspicion. Remarkably, a container from Hamburg clears customs faster than one from Lagos. Europe prospers by harmonising standards; African customs posts all too often resemble toll booths for bureaucratic egos.

All 54 nations share the same continental landmass, yet they function as 54 distinct economic entities. From Ghana, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire to Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia; from Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria to South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia; with Cameroon, DRC, and Chad situated centrally, policy creates geographical fragmentation. Tariffs, bureaucratic procedures, and conflicting standards hinder the free circulation of goods, which remain trapped despite the apparent freedom of movement.

Spiritually interconnected yet practically divided, these nations face significant challenges in industrialisation. Is it feasible to pursue industrial development when each country approaches collaboration with the caution of heirs at a will reading, visible yet mistrusted? Every border permit, inspection, and delay becomes a ritual of suspicion that stifles our collective economic growth.

‘Made in Africa’ – more than just a label, it’s a mindset

‘Made in Africa’ must evolve from label to belief, symbolising shared resources, supply chains, and standards. India does not brand products ‘Made in Mumbai’; China does not use ‘Made in Guangdong’. Their unity is systemic. Africa must replicate this approach. The irony is profound: we export cocoa while importing chocolate, cultivate tomatoes solely to import paste, and harvest pineapples while consuming imported juice. Despite their abundance across the continent, we remain dependent on imported processed goods; this is not globalisation, but neglect.

Over sixty-eight years after its first independence, Africa still imports more than 80percent of its pharmaceuticals and over 70percent of packaged medicines. During COVID-19, many nations queued for vaccines manufactured abroad; our potential choked by regulatory fragmentation.

We hold 60percent of the world’s uncultivated arable land, yet in 2019, Africa imported $43 billion in food.  A Kenyan tractor barred from Nigeria or Ghanaian pharmaceuticals requiring re-registration in Zambia are not trade measures; they are industrial shackles. Ministries in silos, agencies in competition, and trade bodies working in parallel; when each runs solo, the continent loses the relay.

A T-shirt made in Morocco should celebrate pan-African craftsmanship; a smartphone assembled in Rwanda ought to rival global brands. Yet we doubt each other’s integrity and import confidence painted on plastic. Until we wear our own label, Africa will remain cloaked in foreign barcodes.

The choir of Europe sings from one sheet – Africa must compose its own

In the EU, a car made in Germany flows freely to Portugal. A vaccine approved in France is sold in Greece. This is not luck, it is trust, systems, and collective discipline. Africa must craft its own version, rooted in regional supply chains, local beneficiation, and shared prosperity. Let us not simply copy Europe, but adapt their lessons to our context. There are sparks: intra-African trade is on the rise. PAPSS is simplifying payments. Ghana’s MIIF is investing in value addition. Rwanda is quietly assembling smart devices. But these sparks need fuel, not applause. Africa needs not just summits, but summits that summit into outcomes.

AfCFTA – a flag without wind and without ‘Made In Africa’

AfCFTA stands as Africa’s boldest economic pact since the EU. Still, ambition without harmonisation is music without melody. Where customs operate as cash desks, smuggling inhibits legal trade, not due to criminality, but because legitimacy is obstructed. Prosperity cannot stem from tariffs; it blossoms through regulation that encourages flow.

In 2023, intra-African trade grew by 7.2percent to reach US$192 billion, now accounting for 15percent of Africa’s total trade, up from 13.6percent the previous year. Southern Africa led the charge, contributing 41.4percent of that growth. While notable, this remains modest compared to Europe’s 70percent and Asia’s 55percent.

AfCFTA-enabling technologies are emerging. PAPSS, the Pan-African Payments and Settlement System, now connects 150 banks across 15 countries, reducing cross-border transaction costs from 10–30percent to just 1percent, unlocking US$5 billion in liquidity annually.

You cannot tax your way into prosperity. You scale. You trade. You transform

Tariffs should be tools of strategy, not desperation. Regulation should be enablers, not roadblocks. Development requires frictionless movement, not endless paperwork. These are glimmers of hope but they require systems, not applause. The continent needs harmonised regulations, shared infrastructure, aligned standards, and above all, collective resolve.

When a permit becomes a wall, progress becomes a myth

A battery plant in the DRC should source lithium from Zimbabwe, not Australia. A Ghanaian fruit processor should find its first customer in Togo, not Italy. African integration must stop being a panel discussion and start being a purchase order. From textiles to tech, from cassava to kingklip, our comparative advantage lies in unity. Not just unity in speeches, but unity in systems. Procurement frameworks, logistics corridors, and industrial parks must be synchronised across borders. These aren’t pipe dreams; they are realistic scenarios when ‘Made in Africa’ transcends rhetoric to become policy, principle, and pride.

Leadership beyond borders – continental thinking, local action. A clarion call to soul-search

This will take more than diplomacy. It requires leaders who see the whole continent as their constituency. Leaders who understand that protectionism breeds poverty and that shared growth builds security. It also requires visionary boardroom-governed directors and executives who think beyond quarterly results and measure success in generational progress. Public service must move from managing today to shaping tomorrow. The private sector must shift from chasing margins to building legacies. Investors must partner not just for profits, but for posterity. Leadership must become the bridge between what is and what must be.

The time to awaken is now

Let action speak louder than promises, with quiet conviction and bold, decisive steps. Africa’s renewal demands a transformation of mindset:

From ethnic insularity to continental integrity: Our greatest bonds are not defined by colonial borders, but by tribal loyalties. Prosperity is not a sprint; it’s a collective marathon.

From foreign fetish to homegrown confidence: We import what we already grow, mine, and craft. Admiring foreign goods isn’t sophistication; it’s self-doubt. Let’s trust and consume our own excellence.

From speeches to systems: We abound in ambitious speeches but lack implementation. It’s time to move from applause to outcomes; port by port, corridor by corridor.

From excuses to execution: Blaming history won’t build highways. Pointing fingers won’t fill warehouses. Excuses lull us into complacency. Africa must choose to act, not tomorrow, but today.

An African words of wisdom (Nyansakasa) to inspire – when spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion

This is a clarion call for every African leader, entrepreneur, consumer, investor to reflect: will we wear our continental cloak, woven by unity and ambition? Or remain half-dressed beneath foreign labels? ‘Made in Africa’ is not an emotional ideal. It is an economic imperative. It should be the headline on our exports and the heartbeat of our policies. Let us move:

From ‘brand tribalism and nationalism’ to brand Pan-Africanism and unapologetically promote ‘Made in Africa’ with a subsidiary stamp indicating the specific country: Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, etc

From admiration of imports to cultivation of confidence

From quoting Nkrumah and similar-minded visionaries to implementing their aspirations

From regional and national excuses to continental execution

And above all, let us stop the tragic comedy of importing toothpicks, as well as orange, cranberry, pineapple, watermelon, and coconut juices, while our groves rot in the sun. Let us end the absurdity of exporting raw shea only to import shea butter at ten times the price.

Let us choose identity over imitation. Let us be the architects of our own brand. Let our ports echo with African names and our shelves reflect our agricultural bounty. Because the inconvenient truth is this: until ‘Made in Africa’ becomes our collective seal, AfCFTA will remain our most brilliant idea, never fully unpacked. Africa’s opportunity is now. Let us not squander it.

>>>the writer is a globally celebrated thought leader, Chartered Director, industrial engineer, supply chain management expert, and social entrepreneur known for his transformative contributions to industrialisation, procurement, and strategic sourcing in developing nations.

As Africa’s first Professor Extraordinaire for Supply Chain Governance and Industrialization, he has advised governments, businesses, and policymakers, driving sustainability and growth. During his tenure as Chairman of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) and Labadi Beach Hotel, he led these institutions to global recognition for innovation and operational excellence. He is also the past chairman of the Public Procurement Authority.

A prolific author of over 90 publications, he is the creator of NyansaKasa (Words of Wisdom), a thought-provoking platform with over one million daily readers. Through his visionary leadership, Professor Boateng continues to inspire ethical governance, innovation, and youth empowerment, driving Africa toward a sustainable and inclusive future.