AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol

A New Dawn for Fintech in Africa: Consideration for the Fintech Annex of the Protocol on Digital Trade

The inclusion of Fintech in the Protocol on Digital Trade and the requirement to develop the Fintech Annex represent a significant milestone for Fintech on the continent. Documents like the Fintech Annex take time to develop and are not revised as frequently as domestic frameworks. Therefore, it is crucial that stakeholders involved in negotiating the Fintech Annex strive to produce a document that will stand the test of time and facilitate measurable results. This piece has attempted to highlight some key considerations for developing the Fintech Annex. However, what has been covered is merely the tip of the iceberg. There are many other issues to consider. Experts and scholars in the field of Fintech are encouraged to urgently publish on this topic to support the efforts of the actual negotiators of the Fintech Annex.

Afronomicslaw Academic Forum Guest Lecture Series: Latest on the U.S. Fight Over 'Digital Trade': Implications for the AfCFTA Digital Protocol

April 2, 2025

 

Please join us for this virtual conversation on April 6, 2024.

Registration link here.

Guest Speakers:

Lori Wallach, Director, Rethink Trade Program at the American Economic Liberties Project

Daniel Rangel, Research Director, Rethink Trade Program at the American Economic Liberties Project

The AfCFTA’s Digital Trade Rules are Not Fit for Africa

African heads of state are slated to meet this weekend for the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union and they could be prompted to make an unforced error that could weigh heavily in the continent’s plans to promote digital industrialization and the bridging of the digital divide.