Tunisia has done everything to open itself to the continent. It joined COMESA in July 2018 and ratified the AfCFTA, of which it has been a state party since November 27, 2020. It also has bilateral agreements with Libya, Morocco, Egypt, and Algeria. In the order books, however, Africa accounts for only 10.8% of Tunisian exports in 2025, far behind the European Union.
And what if the bottleneck is neither tariff nor regulatory, but human? Neither the sector, nor the size, nor seniority distinguishes the companies present in Africa from those that are absent. An invisible capital, however, makes the difference: the African experience of those who lead them.
This reading stems from the Barometer of Tunisian companies’ internationalization in Africa, published in September 2026 by IACE with the support of the QAWAFEL project, funded by AFD and implemented by Expertise France. It is based on a survey conducted among 1,000 companies.
A vast continent, a neighboring market
North African countries absorb 81.5% of Tunisian exports to the continent. Sub-Saharan Africa is retreating: its share fell from 22.7% in 2023 to 18.5% in 2025, accounting for less than 2% of total exports.
The trade deficit with Africa reaches 2,447 million dinars. The entry into force of AfCFTA has therefore not shifted the country’s trade gravity center. It coincided with a relative retreat toward sub-Saharan Africa.
A pool waiting for its trigger
Nearly one in four (24.7%) meets the characteristics associated with exporting, but only 16% are present in Africa. The most strategic figure lies elsewhere: 12.7% of companies combine strong potential with absence from the continent. Nearly half of them (47.2%) already export to other markets. The know-how exists; it remains to redirect it.
Conversely, 68% of companies do not sell outside Tunisia. For 75.9% of them, this choice stems from their business model, foremost among which a domestic market deemed sufficient. This audience is not a priority target. Promotion would benefit from focusing its efforts on exporters already seasoned.
The leader, the primary asset for exporting
