Africa’s digital trade landscape holds immense promise for driving economic growth. In the first half of 2025, UNCTAD reported that Africa stood out as the only developing region to record overall trade growth, with exports increasing by 5% year-on-year. Even more telling was the rise of intra-African trade, which surged by 16%, signalling that regional value chains are beginning to take root and that African businesses are increasingly finding markets within the continent itself. This resilience comes against a backdrop of global uncertainty, where supply chain disruptions, tariff disputes and slowing demand have challenged other regions. Africa’s ability to grow trade in this environment speaks to the strength of its economies, the energy of its entrepreneurs, and the potential of regional integration.
However, Africa’s growth can only be sustained if it builds the digital foundations for trade. Physical infrastructure gaps, fragmented regulations, and uneven access to technology still limit businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, from participating fully in cross-border commerce.
It is evident that the continent’s next great leap will depend not just on roads, ports and power, but on the ability to connect people, systems and markets through digital platforms. Investing in these foundations is how Africa can turn short-term trade gains into long-term resilience and inclusive prosperity.
From Intent to Implementation
There is a crucial need to harmonise digital trade regulations across Africa. Fragmented policies, outdated customs practices, and unclear data governance laws increase the cost and complexity of cross-border trade. Although 48 African Union member states have ratified the AfCFTA, actual trading under its framework remains limited. Only a fraction of these countries have begun applying tariff preferences, which highlights the need to accelerate full implementation.
Although internet penetration has increased to about 50% continent-wide, with over 600 million people now online, disparities remain. While countries like South Africa, Morocco, and Seychelles boast access rates exceeding 75%, nations in sub-Saharan Africa still lag with figures as low as 15%. This digital divide has a significant impact on how countries engage in trade, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises that rely on infrastructure to reach broader markets.
A clear plan is needed to close the digital infrastructure gap. This includes targeted investment in technology, policy reforms, and the adoption of innovative solutions. These efforts must be backed by national governments, the private sector, and regional institutions, like the African Union. Policy reform should focus on modernising trade laws, strengthening data protection, and creating frameworks that facilitate secure, efficient trade across African borders. At the same time, aligning reforms with the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement gives African countries a tested roadmap for making trade faster and more predictable.
Beyond infrastructure, regulations and policy, people must remain central to progress. Digital literacy is still low in many areas. In 2025, over 50% of jobs in several African countries require ICT skills, yet access to training remains limited.Building local capacity, especially among the youth, is essential.
Technology as a Game-Changer
Technology offers Africa an opportunity to leapfrog legacy constraints. Traditional barriers such as congested ports, inefficient border crossings, and paper-based procedures can be addressed by digitising Customs clearance, adopting Single Windows, and deploying Port Community Systems. These platforms reduce red tape, cut opportunities for corruption, and accelerate the movement of goods. Moving away from paper-based systems also helps reduce bureaucracy and delays.
Digital payment systems are another critical area. Platforms like mobile money and integrated e-payment solutions are enabling entrepreneurs to settle transactions quickly, securely, and transparently. For governments, they improve revenue collection; for SMEs, they open access to global markets that once seemed out of reach. The rise of fintech in East and West Africa shows that when digital tools align with local needs, they unlock entirely new layers of trade.
Public-Private Collaboration
Building Africa’s digital foundations is not the work of governments alone. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) can also play a part in overcoming digital challenges by expanding fibre-optic networks, improving port logistics, modernising Customs systems, and scaling renewable power to fuel data centres. Successful PPPs are already evident across Africa. In transportation, partnerships have helped build and operate roads, ports, and airports, improving trade logistics and connectivity.
Other areas of collaboration include improving digital infrastructure, promoting regional cooperation, enhancing regulatory frameworks and digital literacy, and building strong cybersecurity measures to protect digital systems.
These partnerships are also essential for capacity building, training customs officers, supporting SMEs, and improving digital literacy. Without strong collaboration, even the best technology risks becoming underused.
Success Stories
At Webb Fontaine, we believe technology is key to breaking through conventional trade barriers. Our work covering countries from Ethiopia and Nigeria to Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Niger shows how digital systems can modernize trade environments. We support Customs authorities in securing revenues, expediting clearance, and cutting bureaucratic delays through AI-powered platforms like Webb Customs and Webb ACI. Our e-payment solution, Paylican, centralises government payment procedures to ensure prompt, efficient revenue collection.
However, digital systems also rely on physical infrastructure. Without internet, electricity, or equipment, implementing a digital customs platform is ineffective. That’s why we go beyond software, and work with government partners to meet needs such as data centres, backup systems, user terminals, or network access.
Africa has a chance to overcome previous trade restrictions thanks to digital technology. Governments can improve transparency, cut down on inefficiencies, and expedite cross-border transactions by implementing digital platforms. This opens access to broader markets for businesses and creates pathways for citizens to participate more fully in local economies. Realising this potential, however, requires policy reforms, investments, and collaboration to build a resilient and inclusive trade future for the continent.
Originally published in African Leadership Magazine, September 2025