The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and Quest Ghana Limited have signed a definitive joint venture agreement to establish a $5.17 billion AfCFTA Digital Trade Corridor aimed at strengthening digital infrastructure and accelerating intra-African commerce.

The Republic of Seychelles will provide sovereign support for the initiative, while the joint venture will be headquartered in Victoria, the country’s capital.

The project is expected to provide the digital infrastructure required to support intra-African trade through the development of a digital African Minerals and Commodities Exchange, a digital marketplace and a continental cross-border interoperable payment system.

The agreement comes as stakeholders seek to deepen Africa’s digital transformation and unlock opportunities under the AfCFTA, with an ambition to increase intra-African trade from about $200 billion to $500 billion and beyond.

The signing followed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reached by the parties in March this year and Cabinet approval granted by the Government of Seychelles in July, paving the way for implementation of the project.

Under the joint venture, the partners will design, develop and operate the digital trade infrastructure for the corridor, including a digital marketplace, cross-border interoperable payment systems, logistics services, as well as trading, tracking and settlement platforms for minerals and commodities across Africa.

Quest Ghana Limited put the value of the project at $5.17 billion.

The AfCFTA Digital Trade Corridor is expected to support the continental bloc’s broader ambition of building a single, integrated African market of more than 1.4 billion people by addressing barriers that have historically constrained trade among African countries.

It is also designed to accelerate access to digital technologies required for modern commerce, including cloud services and next-generation trade infrastructure.

Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, said digital infrastructure would play a critical role in accelerating trade across the continent.

“Trade is the engine of Africa’s prosperity, and digital infrastructure is the track on which that engine must run. Digital infrastructure will enable accelerated intra-Africa trade,” he said.

He said the partnership with Quest reflected the Secretariat’s conviction that seamless, secure and interoperable digital infrastructure would empower African businesses, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises, as well as young people and women traders, to conduct business more easily across the continent.

Mene also expressed appreciation to the Government of Seychelles for agreeing to host and support the venture.

Seychelles’ Minister of Finance, Economic Planning, Trade and Investment, Pierre Laporte, said the Seychelles Government moved to secure Cabinet approval for the initiative because of its potential to transform the way African countries trade.

He noted that Seychelles has historically served as a bridge between markets and is honoured to host an initiative expected to connect African economies through modern and trusted digital infrastructure.

According to him, the project represents an investment in Africa’s shared prosperity and the broader vision of building a truly integrated continental market.

He added that hosting the AfCFTA Digital Trade Corridor reflects Seychelles’ ambition to contribute to boosting intra-African trade and demonstrates the role smaller African nations could play in promoting socio-economic prosperity across the continent.