The chapter discusses how informal cross-border trade in Africa plays a role in the continent's economic integration efforts. The African Union aims to create a single African economic community by 2028, built on regional economic communities. Informal traders, who make up a large part of the economy in some African countries, need attention for trade agreements to succeed. Policies and reforms in the late 1980s and early 1990s have influenced the current economic conditions in sub-Saharan Africa.