Nyiti urges Tanzanian women to seize AfCFTA opportunities

Dar es Salaam. A successful businesswoman, Ms Happiness Nyiti has encouraged Tanzanian women to explore opportunities provided by the African Free Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Ms Nyiti made the call on Thursday, March 7, 2024, during an exclusive interview with The Citizen, ahead of International Women's Day (IWD), which is celebrated annually on March 8.

She is the director of Aja Tanzania Limited Company and the proprietor of two businesses, one of which is Tanzania Sisal Fibre Company Limited, which is based in Morogoro and engages in the sale of sisal fibres for use in organic home construction.

During the interview, Ms Nyiti said AfCFTA has numerous opportunities, noting that what is required is the women's preparedness to engage and build a shared framework.

This foundation would empower them to navigate international business procedures with confidence, leveraging their understanding of relevant laws and available opportunities.

"President Samia Suluhu Hassan has made outstanding efforts to open up opportunities in various countries, including in the AfCFTA. The challenge remains for women to actively engage in businesses,” said Ms Nyiti.

She said that for women to benefit from the AfCFTA, they are supposed to produce quality products that meet international standards and that the products should be available in the market at the right time at a competitive price.

"Tanzanian women are fortunate to have Dr. Ashatu Kijaji, minister of Industry and Trade, serving as the chairperson of the AfCFTA ministerial Committee. This dual role underscores Tanzania's commitment to empowering women in leadership positions and amplifies their voice in shaping regional trade policies and initiatives," she said.

She said since the business environment is good, women should wake up and engage in businesses to raise individual incomes and contribute significantly to the national income.

Furthermore, Ms Nyiti elaborated on the diverse value chains, highlighting the sisal sub-sector as an example.

She said that within this sector, activities such as processing, sorting, and fibre arrangement offer significant employment opportunities for women.

According to her, Tanzania boasts a wealth of resources that are not readily available in other countries.

This creates huge opportunities in the areas of agriculture, minerals, forestry, the arts, and innovation, hinting that women could engage in trading products from these subsectors.

She said not only do the women have the opportunity to trade their products within AfCFTA, but they can also import products from those countries, noting that the move widens the opportunity for them to grow their enterprises.

“Women play a pivotal role as the cornerstone of AfCFTA's success, facilitating the active involvement of young people in business endeavours. This inclusive approach not only fosters entrepreneurship but also generates employment opportunities for graduates,” she said.

"Women should join and work in groups to overcome the challenge of limited capital and produce quality products that will meet market demands,” added Ms Nyiti.

Speaking during a recent event, AfCFTA secretariat Secretary General Wamkele Mene said several instruments have been put together to allow people to start trading through the continental market.

He said they include the AfCFTA-guided initiative, adjustment fund, e-tariff book, the rules of origin manual, the intra-African trade manual, the automobile fund, the Pan-African Payments and Settlement Systems (PASS), and dispute settlement mechanisms, among others.

“We have designed all these tools and mechanisms to ensure that legitimate business transactions thrive on the continent. Indeed, AfCFTA offers Tanzania new markets for its agricultural products. Access to the market will stimulate production, and strengthen the value chain of agricultural products involving smallholder farmers of sunflowers, cloves, cotton, spices, fruits, and vegetables,” he said.

Additionally, he said the AfCFTA will help to increase the productivity and quality of Tanzanian products and services due to increased competition and thus lead to a decrease in the price of commodities.

AfCFTA is the world’s largest free trade area, bringing together the 55 countries that are members of the African Union (AU) and eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs).

The overall AfCFTA mandate is to create a single continental market with a population of about 1.3 billion people and a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of approximately $3.4 trillion.