ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, 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 the financial support of the Government of Japan, and in collaboration with TradeMark Africa (TMA) and in partnership with Google and other partners, is launching a capacity-building initiative aimed at empowering government stakeholders and private sector actors , including women-led micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), to effectively leverage digital technologies to participate in intra-African trade.
The initiative comes at a pivotal moment in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the largest free trade area in the world in terms of membership, covering a market of over 1.4 billion people and a combined GDP of nearly USD 3 trillion. Despite the transformative potential of digital technologies, the continent continues to face structural challenges that limit the ability of businesses to fully benefit from emerging trade opportunities, including gaps in digital infrastructure, regulatory harmonization, digital skills, and access to finance. These constraints are particularly pronounced among women-led businesses, who face persistent barriers to digital inclusion.
The recent adoption of the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade and its Annexes provides a continental framework for advancing inclusive digital transformation, promoting innovation, and reducing trade costs. The capacity building initiative is fully aligned with the objectives of the Protocol, as it seeks to strengthen the institutional and technical capacities required for its effective implementation. By equipping government and private sector stakeholders with a practical understanding of how digital tools and platforms can enhance regional value chains and expand market access, the initiative contributes to translating the Protocol’s policy commitments into concrete, actionable outcomes across the continent.
Featuring a variety of SMES that have been carefully selected for their desire and potential in integration of digital tools for market expansion, the training will be delivered through a hybrid format in Addis Ababa between 25-27 November. The programme will also feature peer-to-peer exchanges, sharing of best practices, and engagement with regional and international partners active in the digital trade ecosystem.
Speaking on the importance of the initiative, Melaku Desta, Coordinator of the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) and Acting Director of the Regional Integration and Trade Division (RITD) at ECA underlined that strengthening the digital capability of small and medium-size enterprises is essential for realizing the inclusion promise of the AfCFTA: “Women- and youth-led enterprises are central to Africa’s growth; as such, enabling them to operate digitally and scale up under the AfCFTA is a policy priority and a development imperative.” Similar sentiments were expressed by Erick Sirali, TradeMark Africa’s Director of Digital Trade: “We are proud to co-host this workshop with UNECA as part of TradeMark Africa’s efforts to provide solutions that drive greater embrace of digitilisation by SMEs across Africa”.
Upon completion of the training, participants are expected to have enhanced understanding of policy frameworks, improved ability to integrate digital solutions in trade processes, and strengthened collaboration networks. The programme also seeks to lay the foundation for sustained capacity development through future online learning offerings hosted by ECA’s digital platforms.
By James Kisoo
