The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), through its African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) and the African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP), with financial support from the Government of Japan and in collaboration with TradeMark Africa (TMA) and partners like Google, is launching a capacity-building initiative. This program aims to empower government stakeholders and private sector actors, including women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), to leverage digital technologies for intra-African trade. The effort arrives amid the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) is initiating the program via its African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) and the African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP), backed by funding from the Government of Japan. It involves collaboration with TradeMark Africa (TMA) and partnerships with Google and others to build capacities in digital trade. The focus is on enabling government officials and private sector participants, especially women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), to use digital tools for trade within Africa.
This launch coincides with key progress in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which stands as the world's largest free trade zone by number of members, encompassing more than 1.4 billion people and a combined GDP of nearly USD 3 trillion. While digital technologies hold great promise for transformation, Africa grapples with ongoing structural hurdles that hinder businesses from capitalizing on new trade prospects. These include deficiencies in digital infrastructure, lack of regulatory alignment, shortages in digital skills, and limited access to financing. Such issues are especially acute for women-led enterprises, which encounter significant obstacles to digital inclusion.
The initiative plays a crucial role in helping African businesses overcome these barriers and engage more fully in continental trade opportunities. By addressing digital access challenges for women-led MSMEs, it supports broader economic integration under the AfCFTA framework.