The Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, H.E. Wamkele Mene, has called for urgent and coordinated action to ensure that Africa’s projected US$710 billion digital economy by 2035 becomes a reality.
Mr Mene said the continent could not afford to treat the projection as a mere economic forecast, stressing that governments, businesses and other stakeholders must begin taking concrete steps to build the infrastructure and systems needed to support Africa’s digital transformation.
He made the remarks at the Joint Venture Agreement Signing Ceremony between the AfCFTA Secretariat and Quewst Ghana, held at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra.
According to Mr Mene, the initiative represents an important step towards strengthening Africa’s digital infrastructure and positioning the continent to compete effectively in the global digital economy.
He noted that more than US$5.1 billion in private-sector investment had been mobilised with the support of the Government of Seychelles, describing the development as evidence of growing African commitment to investing in the continent’s digital future.
“We see Africa taking the initiative, and we see Africans investing in the digital economy of our continent and our individual countries,” Mr Mene said.
He explained that such investments would help establish the digital infrastructure required to support businesses, entrepreneurs and other participants in Africa’s rapidly developing digital economy.
Private sector key to digital transformation
Mr Mene stressed that governments alone could not drive Africa’s digital transformation, urging small and medium-sized enterprises, young entrepreneurs and large corporations to play an active role in building and benefiting from the emerging digital economy.
He said Africa needed to move beyond ambitious projections and translate its digital aspirations into measurable outcomes.
“The projection of a digital economy of over US$710 billion must become a reality by 2035,” he said.
Mr Mene added that Africa needed to build a shared digital economy that would allow businesses and entrepreneurs across the continent to participate, expand and prosper.
“That realization and that projection, it starts today. We have to act today to make sure that it becomes a reality and not just a positive projection,” he stressed.
AfCFTA corridor
Mr Mene also underscored the importance of the free movement of goods, services and capital in achieving Africa’s economic sovereignty and shared prosperity.
He said the establishment of an AfCFTA trade corridor would provide a transparent, efficient and inclusive platform for trade and connect a continental market of more than 1.4 billion people.
He described the initiative as the product of years of consultations, discussions and engagements across African countries, adding that its success would depend on sustained collaboration among governments, businesses and other stakeholders.
“We are not here because we want to take our position or place in the future, but because we want to build the future now,” Mr Mene said.
According to him, Africa’s future requires an economic system in which goods, services and capital can move more freely across national borders.
He therefore described the proposed trade corridor as more than a conventional trade arrangement, arguing that it was essential to Africa’s ambition of achieving economic sovereignty and shared prosperity.
Focus on ordinary Africans
Mr Mene emphasised that the benefits of the initiative must extend beyond multinational corporations and large manufacturers.
“This is not just for multinationals and manufacturers, but for small businesses, informal traders, farmers and the marginalised. This is truly for all of Africa,” he said.
He further reflected on Africa’s longstanding position in the global trading system, noting that the continent had historically exported raw materials, including minerals and timber, while significant human capital had also been lost through the migration of skilled Africans.
He said the AfCFTA initiative offered an opportunity to change that pattern by creating an integrated African market capable of generating greater value within the continent.
Mr Mene said the extensive consultations undertaken across African countries since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding demonstrated the commitment of stakeholders to building a more integrated and inclusive continental trading system.
He said the AfCFTA trade corridor formed part of broader efforts to transform Africa’s trading architecture, unlock opportunities for businesses and communities, and place Africans at the centre of the continent’s economic future.
