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AfCFTA: ‘It has been a game changer’ – Groupe Filatex’s George Conde

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By Marshall Van Valen

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Posted on June 30, 2022 17:32

Groupe Filatex’s chief investment officer George Conde talks to The Africa Report about how the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is changing business on the continent. Filatex is based in Madagascar, and its activities are focused on energy, free zones, real estate and venture capital.

The Africa Report: Has the AfCFTA changed the way you do business since its launch?

George Conde: It has been a game changer for us in the sense that we went from being mainly focused on local development to seek strategic international partnerships that can help us access new competencies, innovation and lift our market development. We are also looking at expanding into mainland Africa.

What will it take for the AfCFTA to have an impact on your business?

Somehow, we already see the benefits. Despite the global crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, from the second quarter of 2021 we have seen an increased demand for industrial parks in Madagascar. Secondly, any effort to promote economic growth and development, through trade and industrialisation, increases CO2 emissions and simultaneously increases energy demand. Therefore, in consideration of the potential impacts of the AfCFTA

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