Addressing Strategies for Accelerating Sustainable Development and Trade Integration after COVID-19: Agenda 2063
Tshedza Tshivhasa Sikhwari 
& Stewart Lee Kugara
Issue: Vol.6 No.6 Article 13 pp. 831 – 842
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256613 | Published online 13th May, 2025
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily put the world on hold while also proactively changing global politics. Africa was less affected by COVID-19; however, its effects were felt more severely. Resultantly, COVID-19 posed a challenge to African leaders in terms of how to get Africa back on track, even though African economic growth had been sluggish for some years. Before COVID-19, progress in sustainable development and trade integration had been slow. Against this backdrop, the paper sought to present strategies for accelerating sustainable development and trade integration in Africa in the post-COVID-19 era. The study comprised objectives that assess COVID-19’s impact on sustainable development and trade integration, and the insights acquired are carefully gathered to better understand Africa’s post-COVID-19 recovery strategy. The research adopted a qualitative methodology, combining desk-based research with interviews, and offered recommendations to align Africa’s recovery efforts with the long-term objectives of Agenda 2063. The study’s findings suggest that politicians should be truthful in addressing concerns of trade integration and sustainable development and that honesty and integrity should be regarded as essential characteristics in any African economy. The study recommends policymakers form public-private partnerships to encourage entrepreneurship and provide targeted support to small firms. The study contributes to existing knowledge and policy frameworks in post-COVID-19 initiatives for accelerating Africa’s sustainable development and trade integration, in line with Agenda 2063, through policy changes, digital transformation, and equitable economic recovery.
Keywords: Sustainable Development, Trade Integration, COVID-19, AU Agenda 2063, Africa.
Aikins, E R. “Corruption in Africa Deepens the Wounds of COVID-19.” Institute for Security Studies 19 (2022).
Amadi, Alolote. “A Cross-Sectional Snapshot of the Insider View of Highway Infrastructure Delivery in the Developing World.” International Journal of Construction Management 19, no. 6 (2019): 472–91.
Anyango Okoth, Eva Maria, and Mark Odhiambo Odaga. “Leveraging Existing Approaches and Tools to Secure Climate Justice in Africa.” Carbon & Climate Law Review 15, no. 2 (2021): 129–38. https://doi.org/10.21552/cclr/2021/2/4.
Asongu, Simplice A, Thales P Yapatake Kossele, and Joseph Nnanna. “Not All That Glitters Is Gold: Political Stability and Trade in Sub-Saharan Africa.” Crime, Law and Social Change 75, no. 5 (2021): 469–85.
Barbier, Edward B, and Joanne C Burgess. “Sustainability and Development after COVID-19.” World Development 135 (2020): 105082.
Bekkers, E., A. Keck, R. Koopman, and C. Nee. “‘Methodology for the WTO Trade Forecast of April 8 2020.’ .” World Trade Organization , 2020.
Boujnah, Hiba. “Health Diplomacy in Africa-Opportunities Post-COVID-19.” Pan African Medical Journal 43, no. 1 (2022).
Calleja, Rachael, Beata Cichocka, Mikaela Gavas, and Samuel Pleeck. “Global Development Paradigm for a World in Crisis.” Center for Global Development, 2022.
Carbaugh, Robert. Contemporary Economics: An Applications Approach. Routledge, 2024.
Cooray, Arusha, Nabamita Dutta, and Sushanta Mallick. “Trade Openness and Labor Force Participation in Africa: The Role of Political Institutions.” Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society 56, no. 2 (2017): 319–50.
Ebobiss, Alain. “Improving Infrastructure in Africa: Creating Long-Term Resilience through Investment,” 2021.
Edobor Arimoro, Augustine. “Private Sector Investment in Infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa Post-COVID-19: The Role of Law.” Public Works Management & Policy 27, no. 2 (2022): 108–26.
Fatoki, Olawale Olufunso. “Covid-19 and South Africa’s Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises: Challenges and Recommendations,” 2021.
Gammadigbe, Vigninou. “Is Regional Trade Integration a Growth and Convergence Engine in Africa?,” 2021.
Ghosh, Jayati. “Beyond the Millenium Development Goals: A Southern Perspective on a Global New Deal.” Journal of International Development 27, no. 3 (2015): 320–29.
González-Bustamante, Bastián. “Evolution and Early Government Responses to COVID-19 in South America.” World Development 137 (2021): 105180.
Horner, Rory. “Towards a New Paradigm of Global Development? Beyond the Limits of International Development.” Progress in Human Geography 44, no. 3 (2020): 415–36.
Horner, Rory, and David Hulme. “Converging Divergence? Unpacking the New Geography of 21st Century Global Development,” 2017.
Hoy, Chris, and Andy Sumner. “Global Poverty and Inequality: Is There New Capacity for Redistribution in Developing Countries?” Journal of Globalization and Development 7, no. 1 (2016): 117–57.
Jebril, Nadia. “World Health Organization Declared a Pandemic Public Health Menace: A Systematic Review of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 ‘COVID-19,’” 2020.
Kodali, Prakash Babu. “Achieving Universal Health Coverage in Low-and Middle-Income Countries: Challenges for Policy Post-Pandemic and Beyond.” Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 2023, 607–21.
Kumar, Sanjiv, Neeta Kumar, and Saxena Vivekadhish. “Millennium Development Goals (MDGS) to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS): Addressing Unfinished Agenda and Strengthening Sustainable Development and Partnership.” Indian Journal of Community Medicine 41, no. 1 (2016): 1. https://doi.org/10.4103/0970-0218.170955.
Lim, Albert Theriono. “Ethical Leadership in the Eyes of Gen Z: A Literature Review.” FIRM Journal of Management Studies 9, no. 1 (2024): 83–96.
Motadi, Masa Sylvester. “Effects of Green Policies on Sustainability of Local Economies in Africa.” International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy (2687-2293) 6, no. 2 (2024): 179–93.
Munezhi, Martha, and Nazik Hammad. “Ethical Health Leadership: Lessons from Low-and Middle-Income Countries during COVID-19.” In Healthcare Management Forum, 34:62–67. SAGE Publications Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA, 2021.
Njie, Haddy. “Do the Objectives of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 Aspirations Harmonize with a Pan-African and African Renaissance Vision?–A Critical Review.,” 2019.
OGBETA, Kingsley Oghenekevwe, Abubakar FARUK, and Felix Oyejide Omotosho. “Covid-19 Shocks and Post Pandemic Recovery in the Gambia.” Covenant Journal of Business and Social Sciences, 2023.
Okoth, Eva Maria Anyango, Mark Odhiambo Odaga, Samantha Atukunda K Mwesigwa, Peter Davis Mutesasira, Jonathan Klaaren, Uzuazo Etemire, Lydia A Omuko-Jung, and Kim Bouwer. “Leveraging Existing Approaches and Tools to Secure Climate Justice in Africa 129,” n.d.
Oulmane, Nassim, Mustapha Sadni Jallab, and Patrice Zidouemba. “The African Continental Free Trade Area in a Covid-19 Time: Macroeconomic and Sectoral Impacts,” 2020.
Petrone, Francesco. “Why We Need a Multilateralism That Works and What Is the Role of the BRICS: Lessons from the Recent Covid-19 Pandemic.” BRICS Journal of Economics 4, no.1(2023):35–51.
Shi, Longyu, Linwei Han, Fengmei Yang, and Lijie Gao. “The Evolution of Sustainable Development Theory: Types, Goals, and Research Prospects.” Sustainability 11, no. 24 (2019): 7158.
Sibanda, Omphemetse S. “Transforming Challenges into Opportunities: A Reflection on the Effects of Covid-19 on African Trade.” Africa Insight 52, no. 4 (2023): 85–95.
Swedberg, Richard. Max Weber and the Idea of Economic Sociology. Princeton University Press, 2018.
Tayo, Teniola, and Michael Odijie. “The AfcFTA Protocol on Trade in Goods.” In The Quest for Unity, 337–54. Routledge, n.d.
“The Role of Trade Facilitation in Addressing Non-Tariff Barriers in the African Continental Free Trade Area,” 2021.
Tomislav, Klarin. “The Concept of Sustainable Development: From Its Beginning to the Contemporary Issues.” Zagreb International Review of Economics & Business 21, no. 1 (2018): 67–94.
Uddin, Md Akther, Md Hakim Ali, and Mansur Masih. “Political Stability and Growth: An Application of Dynamic GMM and Quantile Regression.” Economic Modelling 64 (2017): 610–25.
Union, African. “Agenda2063 Report of the Commission on the African Union Agenda 2063 The Africa We Want in 2063,” 2015.
———. “Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024 (STISA-2024).” Science & Technology African Union Commission, Ed, 2014.
Vhumbunu, Clayton Hazvinei, and Joseph Rukema Rudigi. “Eliminating Non-Tariff Barriers in the African Continental Free Trade Area: Lessons and Experiences from African Regional Economic Communities.” Journal of African Foreign Affairs 8, no. 2 (2021).
WCED, Special Working Session. “World Commission on Environment and Development.” Our Common Future 17, no. 1 (1987): 1–91.
White, Lyal, Liezl Rees, Heinrich Volmink, and N Hahn. “The Economic Impact of COVID-19 and Prospects for a Post-Pandemic Economic Recovery in Africa,” 2021.
Zemigala, Marcin. “Tendencies in Research on Sustainable Development in Management Sciences.” Journal of Cleaner Production 218 (2019): 796–809.
Zidouemba, Patrice Rélouendé, and Mustapha Sadni Jallab. “The African Continental Free Trade Area and the Trade Facilitation Agreement: Some Regional Macroeconomic Impacts.” International Journal of Trade and Global Markets 14, no. 3 (2021): 325–37.
Dr Tshedza Tshivhasa Sikhwari is a researcher and lecturer specializing in international politics, African development, and diplomacy. He holds a PhD in International Politics from the University of Limpopo and has experience in teaching, research, and community engagement across various academic and civil society institutions.
Dr Stewart Lee Kugara is a legal scholar, advocate, and interdisciplinary researcher with expertise in African studies, indigenous law, and intellectual property. He holds a PhD in African Studies, LLM, and LLB from the University of Venda. Dr Kugara currently serves as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Limpopo and is an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa.
Sikhwari, Tshedza Tshivhasa , and Stewart Lee Kugara. “Addressing Strategies for Accelerating Sustainable Development and Trade Integration after COVID-19: Agenda 2063,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 6, no.6 (2025): 831-842. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256613
© 2025 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
