Africa on the GRAJ protocol. One fee. 195 countries. Join the protocol.
Fifty-four countries, eight regional trade blocs and no single answer to any question. What follows is the part that is actually shared: how payment reaches you, what a customs union changes, and why the continent is a set of markets rather than a market.
AfCFTA is a free-trade agreement across most of the continent, not a customs union with one external tariff. Goods moving between member states can qualify for reduced duty, but only with proof of origin, and the rules of origin differ by product category. Treating "Africa" as a destination is the fastest way to a shipment stuck at a border.
Card penetration is low in most of the continent and mobile money is dominant in several markets. A checkout that only accepts cards is a checkout most of your buyers cannot use. Wholesale is usually settled by bank transfer, which is slower and needs the invoice to carry everything the receiving bank asks for.
Pre-shipment inspection, certificates of conformity and product-specific standards marks are required in many markets and are checked at the port rather than waived. The document you did not know about is discovered when the container is already there and demurrage is running.
The protocol records the order, the parties, the terms and the settlement, and its fee is the same 5% here as anywhere. It does not clear customs and does not compute African tax — the tax engine covers the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe today, and says so rather than guessing at a rate.