The Africa Trade Gateway (ATG), a landmark digital ecosystem designed to transform intra-African trade, has launched its national adoption awareness initiative in Rwanda, marking a key step toward deepening the continent’s economic integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
A collaboration between the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the AfCFTA Secretariat, the Africa Trade Gateway serves as a one-stop digital trade ecosystem aimed at making the AfCFTA’s vision a practical reality. The platform enables businesses to find trusted partners, secure financing, process cross-border payments, and access new markets with confidence.
By connecting buyers, sellers, financial institutions, and logistics providers across Africa, the ATG seeks to create a seamless digital infrastructure that will expand intra-African trade, promote economic integration, and create jobs.
“The Africa Trade Gateway represents more than technology; it symbolizes Africa’s readiness to define its own digital destiny,” said Alexis Kabayiza, Chief Technical Advisor at Rwanda’s Ministry of Trade and Industry. “As we deepen our integration under the AfCFTA, let us ensure that digital trade becomes a cornerstone of industrialisation, inclusion, and resilience. Rwanda stands ready to play its part as a committed partner, a digital innovator, and a champion of continental cooperation.”
The Kigali event brought together key figures in trade and finance, including senior government officials, representatives of the Private Sector Federation, Rwanda Bankers Association, banking executives, diplomats, importers and exporters, entrepreneurs, industry associations, Real Sources Africa (the AfCFTA Trading Company), and delegates from Afreximbank.
Mr. Emeka Onyia, Director of Digital Banking at Afreximbank, described the initiative as a defining moment for Africa’s economic future.
“The Africa Trade Gateway is a game-changer for African trade. It is the boldest economic project of our time, Africa’s gateway to transformation. Intra-African trade still accounts for less than 15% of our total trade which demonstrates that we simply don’t trade enough with ourselves. This is the perfect place to take the Africa Trade Gateway to the next level, from concept to community, from potential to impact.”
Other speakers underscored the significance of the ATG as a foundation for the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol, positioning it as a transformative tool for the continent’s economic evolution.
“The ATG represents far more than a system, it is the gateway to Africa’s next economic era. Africa’s trade future is digital, integration is achievable, and the Africa Trade Gateway is the highway that will get us there,” said Felix Kabara Chege, CEO of Real Sources Africa.
With Rwanda’s launch, the ATG has taken a decisive step toward realizing the AfCFTA’s vision of a single, integrated African market. Through its innovative digital solutions and collaborative framework, the platform is set to redefine how Africa trades, paving the way for greater connectivity, inclusivity, and shared prosperity across the continent.
