The Diary of African Businesspeople Unable to Attend Events in Neighbouring States due to Red Tape

Moving around Africa is not for the faint of heart. Red tape and byzantine visa requirements put off all but the most committed travellers. That’s if you can find the necessary information. Many embassies lack functional or up-to-date websites. Simplifying travel is important if the continent is serious about building deeper internal trade and cultural ties. It is not just people who find it hard to move between countries. Intra-African trade made up only 15 percent of the continent’s trade in 2023, according to the African Export–Import Bank, at $192bn.

FT