Africa e-commerce agenda addresses sustainable development

The International Trade Centre (ITC) and the World Economic Forum published the Africa E-commerce Agenda which sets out an action plan for the achievement of e-commerce on the African continent. The agenda highlights that ‘e-commerce can become the driving force behind sustainable development’ in Africa and estimates that three million jobs will be created by the online market by 2025. The report underscores that additional action on sustainable development goal (SDG) 9.c, i.e., improving connectivity, affordability, and accessibility to the Internet is necessary in order to realise the full potential of e-commerce on the African continent. 

The report also emphasises the important role digital technology is playing in women’s empowerment given that ‘women entrepreneurs increasingly use digital tools to drive businesses’.