The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat Internship Program 2026 for young Africans.

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Application Deadline: August 7, 2026

Applications are now open for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat Internship Program. The African Continental Free Trade Area – AfCFTA is the world’s largest free trade area bringing together the 55 countries of the African Union (AU) and eight (8) Regional Economic Communities (RECs). The overall mandate of the AfCFTA is to create a single continental market with a population of about 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of approximately US$ 3.4 trillion.

The AfCFTA is one of the flagship projects of Agenda 2063 of the African Union (AU): The Africa We Want, the AU’s long-term development strategy for transforming the continent into a global powerhouse.

The internship program is designed to bring highly qualified and motivated students with diverse backgrounds into the Secretariat to work on projects linked to the Strategic Orientations of the Secretariat and to support the corporate functions of the Secretariat. Its main goal is to give successful candidates the opportunity to improve their analytical and technical skills in an international environment.

The program is primarily educational and aims to expose participants (interns) to the workings of the AfCFTA at an early stage and strengthen their personal and early professional skills. It will provide an avenue for participants to gain an exposure and some hands-on experience in various applicable fields, while learning in a multi-cultural environment.

Eligibility Requirements

• Be nationals of a Member State of the African Union and residing in Ghana.
• Final year students who are enrolled on full-time basis on a fully accredited degree program in a recognized public or private institution of higher learning in any of the following areas: Interpretaion and/or Translation.
• Full availability for a minimum of three months, being the duration of the program
• Proficiency in one of the AU official working languages (French, English, Portuguese, Arabic, Kiswahili and Spanish) and fluency in another AU language(s) is an added advantage.
• Applicants should possess a high level of quantitative and IT skills
• Must possess very good ICT skills and be familiar with Microsoft Office suite
• Applicants should be capable and willing to work in a multicultural and international team environment
• Applicants should be committed to upholding and adhering to the rules and values of the Institution for the duration of the program
• Female candidates are encouraged to apply

Available Opportunities

Ghana

• Internship Program: Customs Administration
• Internship Program: Human Resource Management.
• Internship Program: Procurement, Travel, Facility and Security
• Internship Program: Protocol Services and International Relations
• Internship Program: Finance, Accounting, and Internal Audit.
• Internship Program: IT, Digital Application, Digital Policy.
• Internship Program: International Public Policy, International Relations.
• Internship Program: Communication, Digital Communication, and Any Digital fields.
• Internship Program: Translator/Interpreter French, Portuguese, Arabic, Kiswahili, and Spanish
• Internship Program: Administrative and Program Assistant, Secretary, Records Assistant and Medical
• Internship Program: International Trade, International Trade Law, Law, Economics.
• Internship Program: Project/Program Management, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E).

Terms and Conditions
•    The AfCFTA Secretariat will have no financial obligation towards interns – travel arrangements and cost of accommodation and living expenses will be the responsibility of the interns. 
•    Interns will not be entitled to any compensation for travel. 
•    The internship will be authorized only once for six (6) months, renewable once for any candidate with the possibility to rotate to another department.
•    For each period, confirmation of interns will be done, solely based on business needs.

Application Procedure

• Application for admission to the AfCFTA Secretariat Internship Program are submitted online.
•  If you are a first-time user of our online registration system, you will need to register before you can log in.
• You are advised to provide as much relevant information as possible.
• Applicants must submit the following supporting documents with their online application:
• A motivation letter be addressed to the Administration and Human Resources Directorate of the Secretariat and  indicating what they expect to gain out of the internship program
• A copy of valid passport or  identity card
• Current curriculum vitae (CV)
• Upon successful submission of their application, applicants will receive an email confirmation that their application has been successfully received.

Selection process

The selection process consists of four main stages:

• Pre-screening: all applications are screened, and suitable candidates placed on a shortlist made available to AfCFTA Secretariat Directorates;
• Interview and/or Written Test: hiring teams may invite candidates to complete a telephone interview and/or written test;
• Offer letter: A candidate who is selected will receive an e-mail with an internship offer letter from AHRM Directorate.

References
Verifiable references may be required.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the African Union (AU) Internship Program