The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is working to connect national customs systems through continental digital platforms, seeking to reduce border delays and make preferential trade arrangements more consistent across African markets.
Chawki Jabbali, head of the AfCFTA Secretariat’s Customs Capacity Building and Training Division, said the challenge was no longer simply getting countries to digitise customs procedures but ensuring their systems could communicate and exchange information.
“The issue is not about digitalizing the procedures. It’s about interoperability and interconnection of systems,” Jabbali said in an interview on the AfCFTA Podcast.
The Secretariat is developing a continental platform for electronic certificates of origin that would connect existing national systems and help countries establish them where they do not yet exist. It is also working on digital transit procedures, drawing on experiences developed by Africa’s regional economic communities.
Certificates of origin are central to the agreement because they help customs authorities establish whether goods qualify for preferential tariff treatment under the AfCFTA. Customs administrations also implement provisions covering trade facilitation, customs cooperation and transit.
Without consistent procedures and reliable exchanges of information, traders can face uncertainty over documentation and eligibility for preferential treatment, undermining efforts to make cross-border commerce more efficient.
Jabbali said the Secretariat was working with the World Customs Organization to align technical standards, including for the digitalisation of certificates of origin. The cooperation includes reviewing technical work and validating data standards to avoid duplicating efforts and to support compatibility with established international customs practices.
The challenge is complicated by differences in the systems countries already use. Some administrations have digital platforms, but their systems may not be interoperable with those of neighbouring countries.
Jabbali said governments recognised the importance of digitalisation in reducing delays and potential corruption, although implementation can encounter resistance from officials concerned that automating paperwork could affect their jobs.
He argued that governments should consider the wider economic effects of modernising customs operations, while acknowledging that some individuals could be negatively affected by the transition.
Funding is another constraint. The Secretariat is exploring ways to coordinate with existing institutions and build on regional experience rather than finance every intervention independently.
The broader objective is to turn the AfCFTA’s legal commitments into workable border procedures. Connecting systems, aligning documentation requirements and building customs officials’ understanding of the agreement are central to whether businesses can use the continental market more effectively.
