September 2007 Stage 1: Completed, only Arab Maghreb Union members and Sahrawi Republic not participating. Somalia is participating, but no practical implementation yet. Stage 2: Steady progress, nothing factual to check. Stage 3: 1 Members not yet participating: DR Congo (in talks to join), Eritrea, Ethiopia, Seychelles (in talks to join), Swaziland (on derogation until SACU gives permission for Swaziland to join the FTA), Uganda (to join very soon) 2 Members not yet participating: Angola, DR Congo, Seychelles Stage 4: In March 2018, 49 African countries signed the African Continental Free Trade Agreement paving the way for a continent-wide free trade area. The continental free trade area became operational in July 2019, after 22 ratifications. As of 2021, 34 signataries have effectively become parties of the treaty. Stage 5: no progress yet Stage 6: no progress yet Overall progress 1 not all members participating yet 2 telecommunications, transport and energy - proposed 3 sensitive goods to be covered from 2012 African Free Trade Zone The African Free Trade Zone (AFTZ) was announced on Wednesday October 22, 2008 by the heads of Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the East African Community (EAC). In May 2012 the idea was extended to also include ECOWAS, ECCAS and AMU. See also African Economic Outlook Economy of Africa Economy of the African Union References Sources A single African currency in our time? African leaders agree to form single market African Union Official Website South African webpage on RECs Pan-African Perspective African Union Economy of the African Union Regional Economic Communities of the African Union Special economic zones Trade blocs 1991 in economics