To advance digital trade and regional integration, North African policy makers need to focus on infrastructure, skills, digital platforms and policies

Rabat, 23 June 2026 (ECA) - The ECA Office for North Africa held a webinar series on Digital Transformation and Trade in North Africa on Tuesday, 23 June 2026.

The webinar series explored how digital transformation can advance trade integration in the subregion and highlighted key priorities for North African policy makers to ensure their countries make the most of digital opportunities for trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Speakers from the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the World Trade Organization (WTO), Côte d'Azur University and Mohammed V University in Rabat discussed policy strategies and shared insights on harnessing digitalisation for trade. [Previous version: "UN Economic commission for Africa"; "digitalization"]

Experts stressed the importance of focusing on four main areas: (1) key physical infrastructure for digital trade, such as electricity, fibre-optic cables and cell towers; (2) digital inclusion and skills for engaging in trade, such as financial inclusion to participate in online trade, business digital literacy, practical training to buy and sell online, and technical colleges; (3) online platform development for an inclusive digital ecosystem, including private and public digital platforms that allow SMEs to access markets, online trade and payment systems; and (4) national and international policies supporting inclusive digital trade, such as the WTO Agreement on Electronic Commerce, national data and consumer protection regulations, and cybersecurity regulations.

Overall, Africa's digital economy is expected to reach $712 billion by 2050, making digital tools and e-commerce essential for market access and value chain integration. The AfCFTA Digital Protocol, signed in February 2024, aims to facilitate regional integration through digitalisation by enabling continent-wide digital trade through improved market access, the digitalisation of trade facilitation processes, data governance, cybersecurity and digital trade inclusion.

Although North Africa is currently the least integrated subregion in Africa, it has better average internet access than the rest of the continent and therefore has strong potential to harness digitalisation for inclusive trade in support of economic development and growth under the AfCFTA.

However, internet access in North Africa remains below potential and uneven from one country to another: while high-income countries enjoy an average internet access rate of 94 percent, North Africa's average stands at 67 percent, with rates as low as 19 percent in Sudan and 46 percent in Mauritania. Similarly, while high-income countries rank on average at 92.5 on the ICT Development Index (IDI), North Africa ranks at 79.6, with countries such as Mauritania at 58.

Furthermore, in North Africa, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for 80 to 90 percent of formal businesses. Inclusive policies supporting SME digitalisation and engagement in digital trade are therefore crucial for the subregion to make the most of regional integration within the framework of the AfCFTA and its Digital Protocol.

Click here to watch the webinar series on the ECA YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BooBNtMlG4