AfCFTA Unveils Bold Plan to Empower Women, Youth and Digital Innovators Across Africa

By Pa Modou Cham

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has intensified efforts to position women, youth and digital innovators at the centre of Africa’s economic transformation, unveiling new initiatives aimed at expanding market access, simplifying cross-border trade and accelerating digital commerce across the continent.

The initiatives were highlighted during an AfCFTA media webinar, where officials, entrepreneurs and digital innovators shared practical examples of how the continental free trade agreement is already creating new business opportunities.

Leading the discussions, AfCFTA Secretariat Principal Officer for Women and Youth in Trade Gemma Mbegabolawe said women and young entrepreneurs remain the backbone of Africa’s economy but continue to face barriers including limited access to finance, complex customs procedures, poor infrastructure, non-tariff barriers and harassment at border posts.

She described the Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade as the first legal instrument of its kind globally, designed to ensure women and youth are fully integrated into Africa’s single market through inclusive policies, financial literacy, simplified trade procedures, protection against harassment, greater participation in digital trade and improved representation in trade decision-making.

Mbegabolawe revealed that the Secretariat is developing simplified trading guides in local African languages to help informal traders understand AfCFTA procedures and formalise their businesses. She also announced that AfCFTA Trading Companies have been established in several countries to aggregate goods from small businesses, significantly reducing logistics costs for cross-border traders.

The webinar also showcased businesses already benefiting from the agreement.

Kenyan digital innovator George Gichuhi, founder of a fintech platform supporting SMEs, said the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol is enabling African businesses to overcome one of the continent’s biggest obstacles, slow and expensive cross-border payments.

Gichuhi explained that his platform allows businesses to receive payments within hours instead of waiting up to 90 days, improving cash flow for SMEs trading across Africa. He said digital innovation is helping businesses move beyond domestic markets and tap into the AfCFTA’s 1.4-billion-person market while creating sustainable employment for young people.

Zimbabwean entrepreneur Lorraine Muzwidziwa, founder of Just Trade 365, shared how participating in the AfCFTA Digital Innovation Challenge transformed her business from a concept into a recognised digital trade facilitation platform. She said the platform is designed to simplify cross-border trade by connecting key trade stakeholders through digital solutions, making it easier for businesses to trade across African borders.

Earlier in the webinar, entrepreneur Happiness Nyiti demonstrated the real impact of the AfCFTA on African businesses. According to Mbegabolawe, Nyiti expanded her exports from just three countries to twenty and increased shipments from three containers to more than ten containers every month after trading under the AfCFTA framework.

Moderating the session, Samuel Agyeman urged journalists across the continent to shift their focus from policy discussions to reporting practical success stories that demonstrate how the AfCFTA is changing lives and creating business opportunities for African entrepreneurs. He said the experiences of SMEs and innovators provide tangible evidence that the agreement is delivering results on the ground.

The webinar comes ahead of the AfCFTA Digital Trade Forum, scheduled for 1–2 July in Lagos, Nigeria, where policymakers, innovators and businesses will explore how digital technologies can accelerate implementation of the continental free trade agreement and unlock greater opportunities for women, youth and SMEs across Africa.