AfCFTA launches 2025 Digital Innovation Challenge to empower African MSMEs.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has launched the 2025 Digital Innovation Challenge in Trade, empowering young Africans to create digital solutions that tackle cross-border trade barriers faced by entrepreneurs.

A post on the AfCFTA website underlined that the groundbreaking competition is key to driving intra-African trade and unlocking opportunities for African Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MMEs) by tapping into the potential of digital technologies.

“The challenge invites African innovators and entrepreneurs aged 18 to 35, including individuals, teams, startups, and enterprises, to submit their digital solutions that tackle challenges faced by MSMEs in cross-border trade. All eligible solutions will be considered whether in the ideation and prototype phase or already in operational and scaling stages,” reads the post.

The AfCFTA, an agreement established by the African Union (AU) in 2018 to create a single continental market for goods and services across Africa, aims to enhance intra-African trade by reducing tariffs and eliminating trade barriers. 

It has widely been received, with 54 of the 55 African countries having already ratified it.

The AU trade organisation has made digital innovation central to its goal of creating a single market of over 1.3 billion people who reside in Africa, with a combined GDP of over $3.4 trillion.

Building on its founding objectives, the AfCFTA2025 Digital Innovation Challenge has encouraged aspiring young African innovators to focus on key areas that can transform trade across the continent.

“These include market intelligence and e-commerce platforms, digital logistics solutions, cross-border professional services, fintech innovations, trade and investment facilitation tools, and digital training and mentorship programs for MSMEs,” further reads the post.

It believes that by developing solutions in these critical areas, participants can help streamline the complexities of trade, enhance market access, and foster economic integration across Africa.

Applications that opened on March 26 will close on April 18. The top 10 finalists will pitch their solutions at the 2025 AfCFTA Digital Trade Forum in Ghana in May, where five winners will be chosen. 

The winners will gain access to funding, mentorship, and key partnerships to scale their solutions across the continent.