Fueling Sustainable Digital Future for Intra-African Trade: Using Mobile Money Interoperability to Increase the Trade Prospects of the African Continental Free Trade Area

Globally, finance is the lifeblood of any trade activity. As such, active economic agents require the necessary banking infrastructures to gain access to convenient and affordable finance for trade. However, most regions of Africa lack the adequate infrastructure to offer access to suitable finance for trade. Digital interoperability creates a remote settlement and clearing hub between the mobile wallets of mobile money subscribers and banks that strike a balance to meet instant demand and supply of money for trade. This enables the traders to gain access to appropriate finance to drive trade prospects of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).