Despite the potential of digitalisation in achieving regional integration, Africa experiences relatively slow adoption. Delays in clearing goods at countries’ borders and ports impede their timely and cost-efficient movement across the continent. Sub-Saharan Africa ranks lower in the border logistic index than the rest of the world. Import and export goods get delayed at borders due to administrative burdens and paperwork. One way to mitigate these challenges is by digitalising custom operations and clearance for efficiency and timeliness.
Over the last ten years, digitalisation has become a driver of economy and innovation in the financial and telecommunication sectors in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and Egypt. There is enormous potential in leveraging digitalisation to scale up the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and address barriers to trade across the continent. The free movement of goods and persons across borders is critical to the success of the AfCFTA….
Source: Leadership Newspaper