As US President Donald Trump doubles down on his ‘America First’ foreign policy, a countermovement is gaining traction in Africa: ‘Africa First’.Washington’s waning engagement with Africa is hardening resolve across the continent to pursue self-reliant strategies.
This follows recent policy moves by the administration of US President Donald Trump that include proposed travel restrictions targeting African nations, aid cuts and a diplomatic rift with South Africa.
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which allows 35 African nations duty-free US market access, also faces an uncertain future as its 2025 renewal stalls in Congress.
This uncertainty is exacerbated by diplomatic tensions.
In March, tensions flared further when Washington expelled South Africa’s top envoy to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, citing alleged hostility toward America and Trump.
Earlier, Trump sanctioned a 90-day halt on foreign aid including pressing breaks on the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the global fund to fight HIV/AIDS.
Analysts suggest this decision reflects broader shifts in US foreign policy, which increasingly prioritises domestic interests over international partnerships.
Adding to the unease is Trump’s past remarks, including his infamous reference to African nations as “shithole countries” during his first term.
These developments have prompted calls across Africa for a more self-reliant and unified approach.
Leaders and experts are encouraging the continent to use the shift as an opportunity to redefine priorities and reduce reliance on external powers, under the hashtag #AfricaFirst.
Moky Makura, executive director of Africa No Filter, a narrative-shifting non-profit, framed the geopolitical shift as an urgent call to action.
“This is a moment for us. This is the time that we can, as Africa, force ourselves to look inward,” she said. “If all these external doors are being shut, we have to realise we have everything we need. We just need to be deliberate about it.”
Makura envisions Africa as a self-sustaining “corporation”, optimising untapped sectors like tourism, agriculture, and manufacturing.
“Why can’t we manufacture things tailored for our market? Our labour is as cheap as China’s, but production is still outsourced,” she said, criticising the continent’s historical reliance on foreign aid and export-driven models.
Brand Africa data reveals that 80% of the continent’s most-admired brands are international, highlighting untapped opportunities for local brands to dominate.
Ronald Osumba, senior political advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, sees this as a moment for Africa to take charge. “As everyone looks inward, so must we. We have to grab agency now,” Osumba, a former deputy presidential aspirant in Kenya, said.
He argues that US disengagement, while disruptive, offers Africa a chance to redefine its growth trajectory through homegrown solutions and strategic collaborations.
“This shift underscores the need to foster partnerships aligned with Africa’s vision for self-reliance,” he wrote, urging leaders to prioritise regional trade pacts like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to cushion against external volatility.
“How leaders across the globe choose to respond to the shifting geopolitical landscape could determine whether this era enables progress or deepens existing inequalities.”
AfCFTA, operational since 2021, is emerging as the backbone of this strategy. World Bank projections indicate that the AfCFTA could boost Africa’s exports by 32% by 2035 and drive foreign direct investment growth of up to 159%, signalling a transformative shift in the continent’s trade and economic prospects.
The multilateral lender further estimates the pact could boost intra-continental trade from 17% to 40% of total trade.
Early examples of the pact in action include shipments between Ghana and Rwanda under AfCFTA rules, avoiding a 35% tariff.
Nigeria, historically protective of its markets, has also joined the trade agreement as it targets oil shipments across Africa.
By 2030, Africa’s consumer and business spending is projected to surpass $6.7 trillion, driven by a market of 1.7 billion people – assuming full participation in the agreement.
Meanwhile, efforts to ease visa restrictions are freeing up labour mobility. As of 2023, several African nations – including Rwanda, Kenya, and Ghana – offer visa-free entry or easier access to African passport holders.
Africa is moving toward greater integration as more states make progress in their freedom of travel policies, the latest edition of the African Visa Openness Index (AVOI) reveals.
Additionally, in August 2024, outgoing AU chair Moussa Faki Mahamat revealed that 26 African countries had committed to the establishment of the concept of a Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
Africa’s vast mineral wealth – over 90% of the world’s platinum, 80% of coltan, 70% of tantalum, 60% of cobalt, 46% of diamonds, 40% of gold, 12% of petroleum and 8% of natural gas reserves – has long been exported raw.
Efforts to process raw materials locally are now gaining traction across the continent. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which supplies over 70% of the world’s cobalt, is advancing plans to refine the mineral domestically, aiming to capture more value and create jobs.
Zimbabwe has banned the export of raw lithium to encourage local processing and develop a battery manufacturing industry, leveraging its significant reserves to tap into the global green energy market.
Zambia, rich in copper and cobalt, is partnering with international stakeholders to establish refining facilities, aligning with its strategy to diversify the economy and strengthen local value chains.
Between 2022 and the end of June 2024, Zambia received mining investment pledges exceeding $7 billion for new and expansion projects, according to the World Bank.
With 60% of the world’s solar potential and vast wind corridors, Africa is positioning itself as a green energy hub. Morocco’s Noor Ouarzazate solar complex, powering two million homes, and Kenya’s Lake Turkana Wind Farm, Africa’s largest, underscore this ambition.
Green hydrogen projects are multiplying: Namibia’s $10 billion Hyphen project, backed by EU and German funds, aims to export ammonia to Europe by 2027. Mauritania’s 50GW Nour initiative, developed with Chariot Energy, could make it a top global hydrogen supplier.
Reforms to streamline the business climate are underway. Nigeria’s 2023 Electricity Act allows states to generate and regulate power, breaking a federal monopoly.
Rwanda has reduced the time to start a business from 11 days to six hours via its online portal.
However, hurdles persist. The IMF notes that non-tariff barriers – poor roads and border delays, for example – still cost Africa billions annually. Political instability in the Sahel and liquidity crunches, with seven nations in debt distress, complicate progress.
Nevertheless, with external support diminishing, the focus is now shifting to the significant opportunities and outcomes that Africa can achieve on its own.
bird story agency
