Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei, emphasized the importance of embracing protocols focusing on women and youth in trade, along with digital trade, to foster employment opportunities in Africa.

Addressing the 13th AfCFTA Council of Ministers Meeting in Durban, South Africa, Asiamah-Adjei highlighted Ghana's belief that these protocols, once adopted, will empower women and youth entrepreneurs, create skillful job opportunities, and contribute to overall economic development across the continent.

Key participants in the meeting included Wamkele Mene, the Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Ebrahim Patel, the Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition of South Africa, as well as various trade ministers, diplomatic representatives, business leaders, and media from across Africa.

The launch ceremony is anticipated to mark a historic milestone, serving as a vital tool in facilitating meaningful trade on the African continent. This includes the shipment of South African products to AfCFTA states participating in the Global Trading Initiative (GTI), such as Ghana, Egypt, Rwanda, and Tunisia.

The primary objectives of the meetings are to showcase South Africa's trade under AfCFTA, demonstrate how African businesses can leverage liberalized trade preferences, and underscore the readiness of member states' governments and the secretariat to support the private sector.

The overarching message of the event aims to illustrate that companies can engage in trade under AfCFTA to expand their markets within a legally binding framework.

NAY/NOQ