Tunisia’s Minister of Trade and Export Development, Samir Abid, says the future of African trade hinges entirely on the continent’s ability to modernise its trade systems and embrace smart digital infrastructure.
He was speaking at the opening of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Institutions Awareness Forum in Tunis, which serves as the centrepiece of the third annual COMESA Week. The high-level summit has brought together regional policymakers, business leaders, and Chief Executives to find ways of cutting cross-border transaction costs and boosting market access for small and medium-sized businesses through e-commerce and electronic payment systems. Minister Abid noted that trade between Tunisia and fellow COMESA member states grew significantly between 2019 and 2025, a momentum he hopes to maintain by aligning local reforms with the broader African Continental Free Trade Area.
COMESA Secretary General Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe backed the digital push, warning that technological transformation must not just benefit large corporations, but must actively work for women, youth, and smaller entrepreneurs who form the backbone of the regional economy.
–ChannelAfrica–
