Times Of Swaziland: ESWATINI TO BENEFIT FROM E198m COMESA DIGITAL TRADE BOOST

ESWATINI TO BENEFIT FROM E198m COMESA DIGITAL TRADE BOOST
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Nhlanganiso Mkhonta on 19/03/2025 08:37:00


MBABANE – Eswatini is set to benefit from a €10 million (approximately E200
million) digital trade initiative under the Safe Digital Boost for Africa (SDBA)
Programme.
This is a European Union (EU)-funded project aimed at accelerating trade and
digitalisation in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
The programme seeks to establish a secure African single digital market by
enhancing e-commerce and e-payments infrastructure. It will complement the
ongoing digital financial inclusion (DFI) programme, which is being piloted in
eight COMESA countries.
The SDBA Programme will focus on harmonising legal and technical standards for
digital trade, strengthening infrastructure for e-commerce and e-payments and
rolling out a regional digital payments platform. These efforts aim to
facilitate smoother cross-border trade and improve financial accessibility for
businesses and individuals across COMESA member states, including Eswatini.
From March 4–6, 2025, the COMESA Secretariat, in collaboration with its
institutions—the COMESA Business Council (CBC) and COMESA Clearing House
(CCH)—hosted a scoping workshop in Nairobi, Kenya.
The event, supported by the EU Delegation of Zambia and COMESA and the Digital
for Development Hub (D4D), brought together key stakeholders, including
government ministries, central and commercial banks, mobile operators and
private sector representatives.
The workshop produced a roadmap to guide the design and implementation of the
SDBA Programme, ensuring alignment with regional priorities and expected
deliverables.