Johannesburg, South Africa – The launch of a new direct flight route between Johannesburg and Abidjan, Ivory Coast, is proving to be a boon for economic ties between the two African nations.
Air Cote d’Ivoire, a major West African carrier, began operating the route in June 2022. Since then, there has been a steady rise in both passenger and cargo traffic, according to the Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA).
“The airline has enjoyed an impressive load factor, averaging 80% throughout 2023,” the GTA reported. This translates to roughly 1,000 passengers per month, with many being businesspeople in the oil, gas, and mining sectors.
Barba Gaoganediwe-Matshogo, spokesperson for the GTA, highlights the significance of this route for the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). “Johannesburg serves as a crucial hub for African business travel and networking,” he explains. “This increased connectivity strengthens the AfCFTA, which aims to accelerate regional economic development by offering access to a vast market of 1.7 billion people and a rapidly growing continental GDP.”
Gaoganediwe-Matshogo emphasizes Africa’s promising economic future. “The African Development Bank forecasts the continent to remain the second-fastest growing region globally, after Asia,” he says. “Eleven of the world’s 20 fastest-growing economies are expected to be African in 2024.”
The spokesperson points to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent launch of a Preferential Trade Area under the AfCFTA as another positive step. This initiative emphasizes fostering “African champions” in key sectors like finance, retail, and telecommunications, while also promoting tourism within Africa.
“Improved travel, logistics, and freight infrastructure are essential for further growth,” Gaoganediwe adds. He highlights the potential for even greater trade between South Africa’s Gauteng province and Ivory Coast, considering South Africa’s exports to Ivory Coast have grown at a rate of nearly 6% annually over the past 27 years.
“This route is demonstrably strengthening economic ties between South Africa and Ivory Coast, the economic powerhouse of West Africa,” Gaoganediwe-Matshogo concludes.
