Expanding Africa’s trade frontiers
Friday, June 12, 2026 | 0 Views |
Partnerships: Coke-Hamilton (left) met with senior government officials recently, including Trade and Entrepreneurship minister, Tiroeaone Ntsima PIC: ITC
The continent is pushing ahead with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), an ambitious agreement designed to create a single market for over than 1.4 billion people and unlock new opportunities for businesses across the continent.
At the centre of efforts to turn that vision into reality is the International Trade Centre (ITC), a joint agency of the United Nations and World Trade Organisation dedicated to helping small businesses access international markets. The agency is led by Pamela Coke-Hamilton, a veteran trade expert who has spent decades working on trade policy, market access and private sector development.
That sounds like good news. But the report also warns that this may simply be because our digital economy is still young, not because we are safe. As more people shop, bank and pay online, criminals will follow.We Batswana do not need a report to tell us that danger is real. Many of us have heard of or fallen victim to KYC scams. A caller impersonates your bank or mobile money provider. They say they need to “verify” your account. They ask...