- Mosaad calls for faster AfCFTA implementation.
- 40% automotive Rules of Origin advancing.
- AAAM and AfCFTA sign Memorandum of Understanding.
- Three-year skills development programme planned.
- Continental supplier database part of action plan.
Tarek Mosaad, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company Middle East & Africa and President of the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM), has called for faster implementation of automotive measures under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He said Africa’s automotive industry is well positioned to attract new investment as the continent advances implementation of the 40% automotive Rules of Origin under the agreement.
Speaking at the Africa Automotive Investment Forum 2026 in Alamein, Egypt, Mosaad urged governments and industry to translate policy commitments into manufacturing, jobs and intra-African trade. “The question is no longer whether Africa can build an integrated automotive industry but how quickly we can turn commitments and policies into factories, suppliers, jobs and tangible trade,” he said.
Three priorities for Africa’s automotive industry
Mosaad set out three priorities. The first is expanding regional supplier value chains. The second is removing barriers to cross-border trade. The third is building capabilities in future mobility technologies such as electric vehicles, battery manufacturing and charging infrastructure.
He said investors are not looking for 54 separate markets but one integrated opportunity, and that with the right policy certainty, infrastructure and cooperation, Africa has the resources and capabilities to become a major global automotive manufacturing hub.
AAAM and AfCFTA joint action plan
During the forum, AAAM and AfCFTA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which Mosaad welcomed. According to Mosaad, the agreement has resulted in a joint action plan focused on implementation.
The plan includes a dedicated Rules of Origin expert, a three-year skills development programme and a continental supplier database.
What AfCFTA means for South Africa
South Africa is one of Africa’s leading automotive manufacturing and export hubs, and implementation of AfCFTA presents opportunities for the country to deepen its participation in regional value chains.
The upcoming Egypt-SACU Business Council is also expected to support stronger trade, investment and industrial cooperation between the regions.
Supplied by QuickPic (Hyundai)
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