Building Global Africa – By TEMWA GONDWE

If the global community of people of African descent was fashioned into an integrated economy, it would present an unparalleled opportunity for deepening trade, mobilizing investment, and creating shared prosperity. All that has been lacking is a vision, and the political will to pursue it.

CAIRO – Were he still alive, Frantz Fanon, the revolutionary Pan-African thinker and son of Martinique, would have celebrated his centenary this July. Hence the poignant symbolism that many of us felt when we gathered this September in Algiers – the land where Fanon joined the struggle for liberation – to mark Global Africa Diaspora Day at the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025).

As a young man, Fanon left the Caribbean to stand shoulder to shoulder with Africans in the fight against colonial domination. His core message was that Africans must stick together, regardless of where they may be now, and irrespective of their personal beliefs, color, gender, or political persuasion. It is a message that remains as urgent today as it was in the 1950s. After all, people of African descent continue to face marginalization, suspicion, and systemic inequities in countries around the world. Despite our significant numbers and immense contributions to civilization, we remain divided and too often defined by narratives not of our own making. Fanon’s life reminds us that unity is possible where there is a will.

Today, the challenge before us is not just political or cultural; it is economic. To address it, we must transform the global African community, both on the continent and throughout the diaspora. We must tap into our shared ancestry, identity, and destiny to become a cohesive, self-reliant world-spanning economic powerhouse.

This is the essence of “Global Africa” – a modern variant of Pan-Africanism rooted not only in shared identity, but also in markets, capital, and ownership. Africans everywhere need to be empowered to control the value chains and institutions that shape our destiny, and this is best done by building resilient cross-regional ties.

Ours is a story of untapped potential. Global Africa comprises approximately two billion people, with a combined GDP (in purchasing power parity terms) of around $12 trillion, making it one of the world’s largest untapped economic blocs. If we could become an integrated economy, we could unlock unparalleled opportunities for internal trade, investment, and shared prosperity.

Yet for too long, this potential has remained latent. Our fragmentation, fostered by centuries of colonial divide-and-rule strategies, has kept us from leveraging our collective strength. If we could only muster that strength now, we could achieve economic sovereignty, inaugurating a new era of Pan-Africanism.

Consider the world of sport. People of African descent dominate sprinting, football, endurance running, and other athletic competitions. Yet the economic rewards for this excellence often accrue to others. Our communities provide the sweat, while others reap the profit. And the same pattern is repeated across industries – from commodities and manufacturing to music and film. The challenge is not a lack of talent or creativity; it is the absence of control over markets and distribution.

If Global Africa is to move from rhetoric to reality, we must institutionalize it. To that end, a recently proposed Global Africa Commission would seek to establish the governance, networks, and financial instruments that will give coherence and longevity to our shared economic vision, while amplifying our common voice and influence globally. It would also help formalize efforts to advance a shared trade, cultural, educational, and creative agenda.

In addition to leaning on our economic ties, we must also harness Africans’ soft power. A proposed Global Africa Athletics Championship series, as well as an expanded Unity Cup that celebrates Afro-Caribbean ties, are not just sporting events. They are strategic levers for economic integration, vehicles for promoting new industries, branding, and commercial opportunities that will return value to our athletes and communities. Crucially, each will strengthen ties and create more opportunities for African youth.

The message from IATF2025 in Algiers was unambiguous: the era of fragmentation must end. The future of Global Africa depends on our determination to produce within our communities, trade with each other, and take pride in consuming what we produce. Only we can shape a solid, secure future rooted in unity, sovereignty, and a shared recognition of our global cosmopolitan identity. To succeed, we must mobilize investment, leverage remittance-based financing, promote skills and knowledge exchanges, support the development of cultural industries, and accelerate cross-border integration.

The IATF is a testament to this vision – a space where Africa and its diaspora can connect, transact, and build shared wealth. The biennial fair – Africa’s premier trade and investment event – continues to play a critical role in enhancing access to information on trade and investment opportunities across Global Africa. We need to capitalize on the benefits of fully owned, interconnected African value chains. The foundation has been laid, and the next step is to continue building. It is up to us to harness our economic potential, and to make Global Africa not just a dream conceived by our forebears, but a reality for generations to come.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Temwa Gondwe is Director of Creatives and Diaspora at the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).