Africa’s digital economy could be worth $721 billion by 2050, the secretary general of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, told participants in Gitex Africa in Marrakech.
The projection, cited from estimates by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), reflects accelerating growth in fintech, mobile internet usage and startup ecosystems across Africa, Mene said.
“The digital economy is becoming a central pillar of African integration,” he said, outlining how the AfCFTA is moving from policy design to implementation.
The AfCFTA aspires to create a market of 1.4 billion people with a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion, providing the scale necessary for continent‑wide digital trade.
A key step consists in the adoption in February 2025 by the African Union of a digital trade protocol under the AfCFTA framework, he said, adding that the protocol aimed at harmonising regulations, facilitating digital transactions and reducing regulatory fragmentation among member states.
In this respect, he urged the setting up of interoperable payment systems, public digital infrastructure and private‑sector participation, particularly to ease cross‑border transactions in financial services and digital platforms.
However, infrastructure gaps remain significant. Africa accounts for less than 2% of global data‑centre capacity, Mene said, adding that more than 700 data centres would be required by 2035 to support future demand.
Morocco therefore stands as an important operational anchor for the AfCFTA’s digital ambitions, pointing to progress in digitalisation, job creation and cross‑border cooperation, he said.
