As Africa advances the implementation of the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade and the Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has launched the second edition of the AfCFTA Digital Innovation Challenge. The initiative aims to identify, nurture, and showcase innovative digital solutions, particularly those developed by women and young entrepreneurs, that support the implementation of these key protocols.
The inaugural edition demonstrated the program’s role in cultivating a new generation of African innovators whose solutions contribute to strengthening intra-African trade and advancing the vision of a seamless, inclusive, and integrated African Digital Market.
Eligibility Criteria
• Applicants may apply as individuals, teams, startups, or enterprises from an African Union Member State.
• The challenge is open to African innovators and entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 35.
• Applicants must demonstrate how their proposed digital solution addresses existing barriers to cross-border trade and contributes to the implementation of the AfCFTA.
• The proposed solution must be in the operational-to-scaling phase.
Participant Benefits
• Showcase your innovative solution as a contributor to the realization of a single African digital market.
• Gain mentorship, skills, and capacity-building support from relevant experts to help scale your solution.
• Access potential investment and partnership opportunities through platforms organized or co-hosted by the AfCFTA Secretariat and its partners.
• Network with key stakeholders across the digital trade ecosystem.
The AfCFTA Digital Innovation Challenge provides a valuable opportunity for young African innovators and entrepreneurs to contribute to the continent’s evolving digital trade landscape. Through mentorship, investment opportunities, partnerships, and networking, the program seeks to empower innovative solutions that can overcome cross-border trade barriers and support greater economic integration across Africa.