Mr. Wamkele Keabetswe Mene has been reappointed as Secretary-General of the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU).

His re-election for another four-year term took place during the AU's 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The AU expressed its confidence in Mr. Mene by reappointing him, highlighting its pride in working with him towards achieving the goals outlined in the "Africa we want," as part of the AU's Agenda 2063.

As the first Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat since 2020, Mr. Mene has been instrumental in overseeing and facilitating the implementation of the largest free trade area by membership in the world.

To date, 47 countries have ratified and deposited their instruments of ratification for the free trade agreement.

In efforts to expedite the implementation of the trade agreement, the Secretariat introduced the Guided Trade Initiative (GTI), enabling Ghana and seven other nations to meet trade requirements.

The GTI serves as a pilot phase aimed at accelerating the implementation of the AfCFTA by assessing the institutional, legal, and trade policy environment for intra-continental trade.

Collaborating with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the Secretariat also launched the Pan-African Payment and Settlements System (PAPPS) to simplify transactions across the continent.

Additionally, negotiations for 88.3% of the Rules of Origin, a critical framework for determining goods eligible for preferential tariff treatment under the AfCFTA, have been completed.

Prior to his role as Secretary-General, Mr. Mene served as Chief Director of Africa Economic Relations at the Department of Trade and Industry, South Africa. He played a key role as a negotiator in the AfCFTA and Tripartite FTA negotiations.

He also held positions such as Director for International Trade and Investment Law at the Department of Trade and Industry and represented South Africa at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland, where he was elected Chairman of the WTO's Committee on International Trade in Financial Services.

Mr. Mene holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law from Rhodes University, a master's degree in international studies and diplomacy from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, and a Master of Laws (LL.M) degree in Banking Law and Financial Regulations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.