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.
