One of the difficulties in selling made in Africa goods across several countries on the continent is in meeting the many different product quality standards and certifications demanded by various members of the AfCFTA single market. Harmonisation of those standards is direly needed and efforts to achieve this are now underway reports TOMA IMIRHE
For decades, African producers have faced a familiar paradox: abundant talent, resources, and product innovation, yet persistent obstacles in turning these into continent-wide market success. Central among these challenges is the fragmented landscape of product and service quality certifications, a maze of national and regional standards that stands between African businesses and the 1.3-billion-person market promised by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
AfCFTA’s launch in January 2021 marked a bold attempt to unify markets across 54 member states, eliminate tariffs, and create a truly continental economic space. But successful trade under AfCFTA depends as much on harmonised rules of quality as on tariff elimination. To access new markets — whether in Lagos, Kigali or Cairo — producers must demonstrate that their goods and services meet a patchwork of certification requirements across sovereign jurisdictions, a task that is proving costly, time-consuming and often bewildering.
A costly legacy of fragmented quality standards
Across Africa, quality standards and certification systems have evolved largely at the national or regional bloc level, shaped by historical trade patterns, colonial legacies and domestic regulatory priorities. In East Africa alone, the East African Community oversees a catalogue of over 1,500 standards — yet country-specific regimes remain predominant, creating inconsistencies.
Overlaying this are standards from international bodies such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which publishes over 23,000 standards used globally. African companies seeking international credibility often pursue ISO certification — yet the sheer number of standards, and varying local interpretations, adds another layer of complexity.
Enterprises must therefore navigate three often overlapping systems
The first is the national certification regime set by each country’s standards body where the enterprise is domiciled. The second is a regional standards and mutual recognition agreement — notably within economic blocs such as Economic Community of West African States, the East African Community or the Southern Africa Development Community. Then there are international or sector specific standards — such as those of the International Standards Organisation (ISO), Hazards Analyses Critical Control Pont (HACCP) for food safety, or industry-specific benchmarks.
For a Small or Medium sized Enterprise producing agricultural products, this can mean securing multiple tests, inspections and marks just to sell identical goods in neighbouring markets — even when the underlying product quality and safety are the same.
The consequences of this fragmented system are real and measurable. A persistent theme in trade intelligence is the burden on businesses who must secure a standards certificate for each destination market — sometimes with different technical documentation, testing procedures and inspectorates, depending on local rules.
UNDP-supported trade missions have revealed that many micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are unprepared for the diversity and stringency of regulatory demands encountered abroad, and that this compliance burden can eclipse other costs. “MSMEs must rise to the challenge of regional integration — with AfCFTA’s market of about 1.2 billion people, businesses must meet continental compliance standards to stay competitive,” says Dr Edward Ampratwum, Head of Governance and Inclusive Growth at United Nations Development Programme’s Ghana office.
Beyond administrative burdens, national systems themselves vary widely in maturity. A quality infrastructure index indicates that nearly 40% of AfCFTA member countries lack fully developed systems — leaving businesses in these countries without robust testing labs, accredited certifiers, or clear conformity procedures.
Harmonisation is on the horizon — but is not yet here
Recognising that the fragmentation of standards threatens AfCFTA’s potential, African policymakers and continental bodies are pursuing ambitious harmonisation initiatives.
At the continental level, the Pan-African Quality Infrastructure (PAQI) has been established to align standards, measurement, accreditation and conformity assessment across Africa, bringing together the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO), African Accreditation Cooperation (AFRAC), African Metrology System (AFRIMETS) and other partners to create consensus-based frameworks.
Within this framework, the ARSO Conformity Assessment Programme (ACAP) now promotes harmonised standards and mutual recognition arrangements, enabling certificates issued in one country to be accepted in others and also facilitating the acceptance of pan-continental certification marks such as EcoMark Africa and Made in Africa that signal compliance with agreed benchmarks. The programme also supports self-declaration of conformity options to lower costs and speed up market entry, especially for smaller firms.
These efforts are complemented by the Africa Quality Policy (AQP) and the African Union’s emerging African Technical Regulation Framework (ACTReF), which aim to converge technical regulations and conformity procedures in line with AfCFTA’s annexes on technical barriers to trade.
Yet, despite this progress, the road to full harmonisation remains long. While ARSO has developed dozens of harmonised standards in specific sectors, the majority of technical regulations are still implemented nationally and in inconsistent ways. Mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) — which allow certification results to be accepted across borders — are growing but have only been formalised among a small number of countries and rarely cover all product categories.
How Enterprises Are Navigating Challenges
In this complex environment, several African firms have found innovative ways to navigate the certification maze and leverage AfCFTA opportunities. Here are five such enterprises — working across various sectors — each offering lessons for others.
Karongi Tea Factory Ltd (Rwanda) is investing in quality systems early
Karongi Tea Factory in Rwanda has prioritised quality management as its gateway to regional markets. By aligning its processing and packaging operations with regional quality specifications and investing in quality control labs, Karongi has secured certificates recognised in neighbouring East African markets and accelerated export growth.
By working closely with standards boards and leveraging GIZ’s Alliance for Product Quality programmes, Karongi got hands-on support to understand certification requirements — an approach that other agro-processors can emulate.
Aja Limited (Tanzania) is leveraging national recognition tools
Aja Limited, a sisal exporter, has expanded trade within Africa using certification issued by the Tanzania Sisal Board that is accepted in some other African countries under mutual recognition arrangements. This demonstrates how firms can use national authorities with active regional ties as entry points into wider markets.
The company complements its quality investments with clear documentation and logistics partnerships — a reminder that certification success often depends on strong business systems, not just ticked boxes.
Upper Lesape Tigape Farm (Zimbabwe) uses a dual marking strategy
Upper Lesape Tigape Farm has adopted a dual marking approach, securing both its national certification mark and the African Quality Mark (AQM) under ARSO’s dual marking scheme. This has enabled the firm to attest to compliance domestically and continentally, reducing redundant testing and increasing buyers’ confidence across markets.
This strategy — where products carry a recognisable continental mark alongside national certification — is becoming more attractive for firms targeting multiple AfCFTA markets.
Nigeria’s Technology Startups are using digital compliance tools for services
Several Nigerian technology firms, particularly in fintech and digital services, have tackled quality requirements by integrating digital compliance and certification workflows directly into their product platforms. By aligning with ISO benchmarks — such as ISO/IEC 27001 for information security — and obtaining globally recognised certification, they have reduced barriers in markets across West and Southern Africa, where data protection and service-quality standards vary.
Although smaller firms still face uneven recognition of digital service certifications in some countries, international benchmarks give them portability and reputation advantages that regional marks are still developing.
Ascend Agro Commodities (Ghana) has developed strategic partnerships and MRAs
Ascend Agro Commodities, a Ghanaian food exporter, has strategically partnered with accredited certification bodies that participate in mutual recognition arrangements. By ensuring tests and inspections were conducted by laboratories whose results are recognised beyond Ghana’s borders, Ascend has cut certification costs by avoiding repeated testing in every target market.
Their leadership emphasises investing in capacity building and long-term partnerships with certifiers — a lesson increasingly validated by industry advocates.
What the Way Forward Looks Like
While these case studies highlight creative enterprise responses, systemic change is still needed for AfCFTA’s full promise to be realised.
Experts point to several priorities.
One is to accelerate mutual recognition agreements across all major sectors so as to ensure certificates issued in one country are widely accepted.
Another is to expand accredited laboratories and testing infrastructure especially in lower-capacity countries where firms struggle to obtain credible results.
A third is the digitization of certification and conformity processes to reduce paperwork, speed up approvals, and improve transparency.
Finally, MSME-focused support programmes are required, including training, financial incentives and information portals that explain compliance requirements for specific markets.
Regulators themselves are candid about the challenge. ARSO Secretary-General Hermogene Nsengimana has noted that harmonised marks like African Quality Mark are intended precisely to help firms “trade in other African countries without barriers” — but that awareness and capacity remain hurdles.
Though the journey continues, the momentum is unmistakable. Continental frameworks like PAQI and initiatives such as the African Quality Policy are bringing African nations closer to shared standards; and enterprises — from tea processors to tech innovators — are demonstrating that compliance is not just a hurdle but a gateway to scaling upwards.
For Africa’s private sector, the message is clear: meeting quality standards is no longer optional — it is the price of admission into the great pan-continental market that AfCFTA seeks to unleash.
