The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa has called on its 21 member states to accelerate digital adoption as a means of driving inclusive economic growth, strengthening intra-African trade and advancing regional value chains. The appeal was made by COMESA Secretary General Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe at the 46th Intergovernmental Committee meeting convened this week in Lusaka, Zambia.
With a population exceeding 680 million people and a combined GDP estimated at 1 trillion US dollars, COMESA remains the largest regional economic organisation on the African continent. Kapwepwe underscored that the bloc is strategically positioned to take a leading role in reshaping African trade dynamics by embracing digital transformation across key sectors.
Speaking at the opening of the two-day session, Kapwepwe stated that digital technologies have the potential to address long-standing structural constraints that have historically inhibited regional integration. She remarked that, “Digital transformation stands as our greatest catalyst for accelerating progress across all sectors,” noting that digital infrastructure, secure payment systems and e-commerce platforms could serve as pillars for economic resilience and improved connectivity.
The theme of the session, “Leveraging Digitalisation to Deepen Regional Value Chains for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth”, speaks to a continental vision that seeks to break away from extractive and externally dependent trade models. Emphasis was placed on utilising digital tools not only to bolster competitiveness but to humanise and empower small and medium enterprises that form the backbone of many economies within the bloc.
Kapwepwe pointed to the ongoing COMESA Digital Acceleration Programme, supported by the World Bank with an investment of 2.2 billion US dollars. This initiative aims to connect 180 million individuals and deliver vital digital services to 100 million people by the year 2030. Such ambitions represent a significant step towards continental digital inclusion and are intended to ensure that no member state is left behind in the global shift towards digital economies. Further details on this multilateral collaboration are available through World Bank documentation.
Another key initiative mentioned was the COMESA Digital Retail Payment Platform. This infrastructure is designed to facilitate secure and paperless cross-border payments, reflecting efforts to support the expansion of e-commerce and reduce transactional friction in intra-African trade. The platform contributes to a broader continental strategy aligning with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Zambia’s Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Chipoka Mulenga, echoed the Secretary General’s sentiments. He called on member states to consider how digital innovation can redefine the region’s economic future, especially in light of global disruptions which have laid bare the fragility of legacy trade systems. Minister Mulenga stressed the importance of harnessing digital tools to empower informal and small-scale traders who are often marginalised within formal policy frameworks.
While sectors such as agriculture, agro-processing and tourism continue to anchor most economies within the bloc, the Secretary General cautioned against technological inertia. She urged governments and stakeholders to invest in frontier technologies and foster innovation that supports homegrown solutions. The goal, she said, is to build interconnected ecosystems that not only link producers and consumers across borders but also reflect the values and aspirations of African societies.
This call for digital acceleration comes at a pivotal moment in the continent’s development trajectory. Rather than following external paradigms, COMESA’s leadership presents a vision that foregrounds regional solidarity, infrastructural sovereignty and an Africa-centred development philosophy. It signals a departure from viewing digital development as a peripheral concern, framing it instead as central to economic transformation and inclusive growth.
COMESA’s drive to enhance digital adoption recognises that technological infrastructure is not an end in itself but a means to cultivate a more equitable and sustainable regional economy. As member states prepare for the upcoming Council of Ministers meeting, the discussion will likely shape how these digital initiatives are implemented across diverse political and economic contexts.
This evolving narrative from COMESA challenges conventional portrayals of African economies as passive recipients of technology. Instead, it illustrates an emerging confidence in the continent’s ability to define its own development logic. In this framework, digitalisation is not merely a tool for efficiency but a transformative force for social and economic justice.
