Accelerating intra-Africa trade

In a bid to explore the impact of trade digitalization on intra-African trade, CNBC Africa's Derricka Mohanje sat down with Mulualem Syoum, the CEO of AeTrade Group, on the sidelines of the Rwanda-Zimbabwe Business Forum in Kigali. The AeTrade Group, a continental initiative strategically partnered with the African Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area, aims to facilitate digital trade across the continent. Syoum highlighted the group's focus on supporting small businesses, youth, and women in leveraging digital platforms for trade. The CEO praised Rwanda's proactive policy initiatives that create an enabling environment for businesses to prepare for the digital trade era, emphasizing the need for Africa to be ready for the imminent digital transformation of global trade. The ongoing Rwanda-Zimbabwe Business Forum, a platform aimed at enhancing trade collaboration, was lauded by Syoum as a springboard for boosting intra-Africa trade. He commended the leadership of both governments in fostering an environment conducive to cross-border trade. The CEO noted that businesses from the two countries had already begun exchanging and engaging, setting a positive trajectory for the future of trade relations.