The success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is contingent upon the continent's commitment to embracing industrialization and prioritizing the enhancement of productive capacities. Busi Mabuza, the Global Chair of the Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) Business Council, has emphasized this point.

Additionally, Mabuza underscores the vital importance of collaboration and cooperation among nations to unlock their economic potential. Furthermore, she highlights the value of fostering partnerships and alliances as a means to open up new opportunities for investment and mutual growth.

“We cannot afford to fail in unlocking the opportunity of industrialising the African continent. It is important that we move away from extractive relationships that the continent had in the past to where our partners come and help us industrialise.“This is because with the kind of youthful population we have – with recent reports suggesting that our population could be 1.4 billion, most of whom are young people; we need to build industrial capacity, especially if we are going to make AfCFTA a reality. To make it a reality, we need a regional value chain; we need infrastructure to enable logistics, the transportation of goods and ease of providing services,” she told the B&FT in an exclusive interview.“Most especially, we need to unlock the energy opportunity in a manner that enables a sustainable future for us,” she added.

However, Madam Mabuza considers the presence of the BRICS bloc to be a strategic chance for the continent to use mutual benefit for prosperity.

“We would like to partner with African businesses so that we engage with BRICS nations on the opportunities Africa offers – especially in light of the AfCFTA. With one voice, we need to ensure that what we are asking of the BRICS nations and what we are offering them is aligned from our side as an African continent…we had better stand up and ensure we are engaging with them to ensure mutually beneficial outcomes,” she said.

She added challenged African leaders and the continent's business community to quit being bound by ideologies and strive toward achieving national prosperity.

“This is our time; we are inviting the West or the East to come and partner with us. But what I have experienced with the partnership that South Africa has enjoyed with the BRICS nations, for the past 10 years, is that the countries operate from a position of not wanting to impose their ideology, their ideas or their way of doing things on South Africa, but rather they are there to listen to us and partner for mutual benefit. So, it is important for us as a continent to be there at the table,” she said.