Digital technology, key to integrating Africa’s economies

Mr. Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of the African Continental Free-Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, says digital technology and inclusive value chains are key to integrating Africa’s economies into a single dynamic market.

He said this at the regional workshop in support of the AfCFTA implementation, which was held in Accra. The workshop featured key events and deliberations on obstacles such as non-tariff barriers and technical barriers to trade on the African continent.

In a speech read on his behalf, he said Africa’s young population was increasingly connected to the rapidly growing digital and mobile access.

The Secretary-General informed that the rapidly growing digital economy created enormous opportunities in the e-commerce marketplace, where women- and youth-led cross-border businesses could tap into a consumer market projected to reach 2.5 trillion by 2030.

The workshop also addressed these challenges by providing MSMEs with practical insights and solutions to navigate the trade environment more effectively.

Mr. Mene said investment in digital infrastructure and technology could exponentially accelerate the objectives of the AfCFTA, fostering self-employment opportunities for Africa’s youth and boosting intra-Africa trade. He said the AfCFTA protocol on digital trade established the regulatory environment and legal framework necessary to further harness trade across the continent.

“It provides other AfCFTA protocols, such as those on investments, intellectual property, and competition policy, ensuring a cohesive approach to trade facilitation. Together, these protocols enable the development of a digital single market as envisioned by the AU Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa. By 2030, this unified digital space will bolster the physical free trade area, enhancing trade efficiency and inclusivity,” he said.

The Secretary-General noted that protocols on digital trade set the groundwork for articulating a common African position in negotiating favorable outcomes with global trade partners, ensuring that the continent’s economic interests were protected and advanced.

Mrs. Naa Densua Aryeetey, President of Ghana’s Gender Subcommittee, Women in Cross-Border Trade, said access to finance, security, and safety was a major limitation to intra-continental trade. She called for a conducive business regulatory environment for women to be able to play their role in the AfCFTA.

The President said although the Trade Facilitation Agreement under the AfCFTA framework was gender-neutral, there were measures that benefited women, but the women were not aware of them.

She noted that trade facilitation measures, such as consultation with traders and giving them the opportunity to comment on trade-related regulations, were very important.

Mr. Mamadou Biteye, Executive Secretary of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), said bridging the intra-African market would foster economic growth and create opportunities within the continent.

He urged trade ministries across Africa to implement the needed policies to complement efforts by the AfCFTA secretariat to enhance capacity for trade facilitation and create an ecosystem where innovation can thrive.

The Executive Secretary said the AfCFTA was not only a trade facilitation programme but also a platform for transformative change on the African continent.

Watch some videos from the Special Voting below: