The agriculture sector in South Sudan accounts for 15 percent of GDP and employs 80 percent of the population. The National Economic Diversification Agenda in South Sudan seeks to take advantage of opportunities that would allow producers and traders to scale up production, to improve the agriculture value chain, and to take advantage of emerging regional markets—as offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The AfCFTA aims to connect 1.3 billion people across 55 countries, thus providing market access opportunities for products made in South Sudan and inputs to support structural transformation through value addition.

To understand the potential contribution of AfCFTA to all actors within South Sudan’s economy, an assessment was conducted to determine the opportunities and challenges of AfCFTA to strengthen agriculture value chains and build stronger AfCFTA linkages in South Sudan. This final report on Strengthening Agricultural Value Chain and AfCFTA Linkages in South Sudan: Opportunities and Challenges is a joint publication of the Government of South Sudan through the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the UNDP.

It is expected that this report and the associated Policy Brief will foster participation of the private sector, especially women and youth-led MSMEs, on AfCFTA and value chains. The study’s recommendations inform areas of capacity building initiatives for policymakers, private sector, MSMEs, and vulnerable youth and women on AfCFTA and South Sudan’s seven most valuable agricultural value chains: shea nut, gum arabic, natural honey, sesame, groundnut, soya bean, and fish.