As global trade becomes increasingly digital, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which are backbone of economies worldwide risk being left behind. Reforms such as ePhytos in Ghana and Kenya have reduced clearance times from 72 hours to under 12, opened new export markets, and enabled compliance with stringent EU protocols. Yet progress made on deploying electronic customs tools in 40 African countries is undermined by significant gaps in interoperability, infrastructure, and trust which impact the bottom line for businesses - constraining their ability to compete, delaying shipments and increasing costs. For smallholder producers, exporters, and women-led enterprises in particular, these frictions translate to lost income, lost market share, and stagnant or a slump in growth.

Convened by TradeMark Africa, this session will make the case for strategic digital inclusion that aligns policy, technology, and financing innovations to ensure digital trade works for SMEs, not merely around them. This moves SMEs from merely “using tech” to actively leveraging technology for scale, entering new markets via the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and global value chains. The session will: (i) Establish a holistic view of digital inclusion, (ii) Shift the paradigm from "imposition" to "co-creation", (iii) Bring the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol closer to SMEs.