Zambia urges action on trade barriers as inaugural AfCTA digital forum opens in Lusaka

President Hakainde Hichilema has called for urgent and practical action to dismantle trade barriers and unlock Africa’s economic potential through digital trade and investment.

Speaking during the official opening of the inaugural African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Digital Trade Forum in Lusaka on Thursday, President Hichilema said the era of rhetorics was over and Africa must now deliver results.

Held under the theme “Boosting Digital Trade to Accelerate AfCFTA Implementation”, the three-day forum at the Kenneth Kaunda International Conference Centre has brought together policymakers, entrepreneurs, and digital innovators to strategize on integrating technology into Africa’s trade systems.

Hichilema emphasized the need to eliminate bureaucratic inefficiencies and internal rigidities that hinder small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from thriving.

“Why must the same container be stopped at every border if we can already track it in real time?” he queried, calling for the urgent adoption of non-stop border systems powered by technology.

He warned against the rise of protectionism and urged African nations to foster unity through trade and investment, not ideology or conflict.

He also proposed the creation of actionable matrices to track and eliminate trade barriers and encourage stronger supply-demand linkages across African countries.

“For example, Uganda has a surplus of milk while Nigeria continues to import milk from outside the continent—this is a missed opportunity for intra-African trade,” Hichilema noted.

AfCFTA Secretary General Wamkele Mene echoed the President’s sentiments, highlighting Africa’s leadership in mobile money, its vibrant start-up scene, and the continent’s booming fintech sector, which is growing at 32% annually.

“Africa is leading in mobile money and boasts one of the fastest-growing fintech industries,” Mene said, expressing optimism about the continent’s digital future.

Meanwhile, Minister of Technology and Science, Felix Mutati, called for robust investment in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to connect rural areas to global markets and digitize public services.

“We must build and scale digital platforms that support innovation, e-commerce, digital identity, payments, and logistics,” Mutati said.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.