COMESA Launches Digital Payment Platform to Cut Trade Costs

2 DAYS AGO·UPDATED 2 DAYS AGO

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Above: William Ruto during the COMESA summit in Antananarivo, Madagascar, on Oct. 18, 2016. Image copyright: Henitsoa Rafalia/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

The Spin

Narrative A

COMESA's digital payments system signals a breakthrough for African economic integration, reducing barriers and enabling seamless trade in local currencies. The platform empowers small businesses, strengthens financial inclusion, and lessens dependency on foreign exchange. By promoting efficiency and regional cooperation, it lays the foundation for a more connected, resilient, and self-reliant Africa driven by innovation and shared prosperity.

Herald Online BusinessLIVE

Narrative B

COMESA's new digital payments system is praised as a milestone for African trade integration, yet its benefits may remain unevenly distributed. Wealthier member states and large corporations are better equipped to implement and profit from the platform, while smaller economies and rural sectors struggle with poor connectivity, weak cybersecurity, and opaque governance. Without equitable infrastructure and oversight, this initiative could entrench dominance rather than deliver inclusion.

The East African Daily News

Narrative C

COMESA's digital payment vision risks amplifying digital colonialism rather than fostering regional integration and economic sovereignty. By relying on external tech infrastructure and cloud systems largely owned abroad, African data sovereignty remains compromised. Without transparent governance and regional digital autonomy, integration may strengthen dependence — turning the bloc's digital leap into another layer of external control over Africa's economic future.

The Africa Report Biometric Update