AfCFTA digital trade forum empowers African entrepreneurs

The 2025 inaugural African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Digital Trade & Services Forum marked a significant milestone in Africa’s economic development journey.

Preceding the forum, thought leadership masterclasses were held to lay the foundation for how the AfCFTA will drive inclusive growth across the continent through harmonized digital frameworks.

The masterclasses, which focused on unlocking Africa’s digital trade potential, empowered entrepreneurs to build and scale online businesses.

Sessions on e-commerce, led by Google Hustle Academy, explored digital business models in music, film, and tourism, revealing how creatives can grow their potential.

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 harmonized 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 Micro, Small and. Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), assessing the economic impact of the digital trade protocol, and enabling SMEs to trade digitally across borders.

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 harmonized rules, common principles, and standards that support digital trade.

The protocol is expected to benefit African MSMEs, which comprise over 90% of the African market, with about 70% owned by women and youth. It opens new doors for sustainable investment, technology transfer, and integration into the global digital market, underscoring its importance and the potential it holds for Africa.

The thought-provoking conversations generated through the masterclasses were part of efforts to build momentum towards a thriving digital single market in Africa. As the continent continues to evolve, the AfCFTA Digital Trade & Services Forum is poised to play a critical role in shaping Africa’s economic future.