Mo Ibrahim: Africa loses $5bn in currency conversion costs yearly

AfCFTA meeting

African delegates during an African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) meeting in Kigali, Rwanda on March 21, 2018. 

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

Trade among African countries is facing additional challenges related to the high cost of currency conversion, further delaying the full implementation of the continent’s free market, a new report says.

The Mo Ibrahim Foundation, in a report titled ‘Africa on the Move: Boosting Mobility and Connectivity,’ says currency conversions alone are costing the continent $5 billion every year.