AfCFTAMuch attention has been devoted to the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on January 1, 2021. As the CEO of the pan-African provider of industrial ecosystems, I am convinced about the gains that can be achieved by uniting a market of 1.2 billion people. I am not the only one with high expectations. For the past two years, experts have bandied about a lot of ambitious figures. I may be optimistic, but I am no less realistic. The “political” launch of the AfCFTA is a positive starting point. Now, the real challenge is to ensure that its impact materialises at scale and in a timely manner. Unless we focus on three key areas, the AfCFTA is doomed to failure. The key to the success of the AfCFTA is industrialization. Countries need to focus on developing local industries to transform and export high-value products.