The 2025 inaugural AfCFTA digital trade forum was preceded by thought leadership masterclasses which kicked off with focus on unlocking Africa’s digital trade potential and laying the foundation for how the AfCFTA will drive inclusive growth across the continent through harmonised digital frameworks.
Sessions on E-commerce by Google Hustle Academy empowered entrepreneurs to build and scale online by exploring Digital Business Models in Music, Film & Tourism which was led by Zambia’s Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry & ZICB revealing how creatives can grow their potential.
During the masterclass in unlocking the AfCFTA protocol on Digital Trade, the AfCFTA secretariat highlighted the vast potential of digital trade covering all transactions in goods and services, whether delivered digitally or physically.
Through the Protocol on Digital Trade, the AfCFTA is enabling seamless market access across Africa’s $3.4 trillion GDP advancing cross-border data flows, digital payments, consumer protection, and harmonised regulation to fuel innovation and inclusive growth.
Industry experts from renowned institutions including Better Than Cash Alliance, ODI, ITC and UNDP, discussed several areas of digital trading including monetizing digital platforms, responsible digital payments for MSMEs, assessing the economic impact of the digital trade protocol and enabling SMEs to trade digitally across borders.
The thought-provoking conversations generated through the masterclasses were as part of efforts to build momentum towards a thriving digital single market in Africa.
The adoption of the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade and its constituent Annexes by the AU Assembly marks a significant milestone. This Protocol and its Annexes pave the way for a single African digital market, with harmonised rules, common principles, and standards that support digital trade.
It also ensures that African MSMEs, which comprise over 90% of the African market, with about 70% owned by women and youth, benefit from the AfCFTA. The Protocol and its Annexes open new doors for sustainable investment, technology transfer, and integration into the global digital market, underscoring its importance and the potential it holds for Africa.
