AfCFTA PAGE: Domestication of the AfCFTA protocol on digital trade boosted

The AfCFTA Secretariat in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Tunisia has launched a five-day Capacity Building and Technical Support workshop to advance the domestication of the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade.

Adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in February 2024, the Protocol on Digital Trade, together with its eight Annexes endorsed in February 2025, addresses critical areas such as market access for digital products, trade facilitation, data governance, digital inclusion, and emerging technologies.

Its effective implementation is expected to accelerate the growth of Africa’s digital economy, currently valued at US$180 billion (5.2% of GDP) and projected to reach USD 712 billion (8.5% of GDP) by 2050.

This workshop in Tunisia forms part of the AfCFTA support programme to facilitate domestication of the instrument across African Union Member States. Activities include capacity building on its provisions, a regulatory gap analysis comparing national frameworks with continental standards, and the development of a national action plan for alignment with agreed requirements.

The initiative also goes a long way to strengthen national capacity and thus, align Tunisia’s legal framework with continental digital trade standards towards continued advancements in its digital ecosystem.

Gilberto Antonio, Chief Technical Advisor at the AfCFTA Secretariat in a speech at the opening of the workshop, revealed that Tunisia is one of the most advanced African countries in terms of digital transformation. Tunisias’s dynamic ecosystem, driven by skilled talent, innovative start-ups, robust infrastructure, and strong institutions positions her as a strategic player in the continental rollout of the digital trade.

“Tunisia offers a fertile ground to launch the detailed presentation of the Protocol on Digital Trade and its Annexes, as well as to conduct the regulatory gap analysis between the national legal framework and the Protocol. This exercise will serve as a model to be extended to other countries across the continent.”

In a statement delivered by the Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Trade and Export Development of Tunisia, Ms. Lamia Abroug on behalf of the Minister, Samir Obeid, highlighted the importance of the 5-day capacity building and technical assistance workshop by the AfCFTA Secretariat as an opportune moment to reconcile Tunisia’s national regulatory frameworks and the AfCFTA digital Trade Protocol.

“This workshop represents a valuable technical opportunity, providing a high-level strategic platform to objectively assess the degree of alignment between our national regulatory framework on digital trade and the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade and its Annexes, a key component of Tunisia’s participation in the AfCFTA.”

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