Kenya is stepping up efforts to establish itself as Africa’s leading digital trade hub, with Nairobi set to host the Digital Trade Congress (DTC) 2026 on August 28, as the continent moves to implement the African Continental Free Trade Area’s Digital Trade Protocol.
More than 200 policymakers, business leaders, investors, technology innovators and development partners are expected to attend the congress, held under the theme “From local to global: scaling cross-border trade.”
The event is being organised by Teki in partnership with Germany’s development agency GIZ, through its Pan-African E-commerce Initiative, which is serving as anchor sponsor. Organisers said the partnership aims to help small and medium-sized enterprises, women-led businesses and young entrepreneurs take part more fully in cross-border commerce.
The congress will include executive dialogues, investment forums, innovation showcases and business-to-business sessions, with discussions expected to cover cross-border logistics, digital payments, fintech, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, consumer protection and regulatory harmonisation.
A key highlight will be the launch of the Kenya Ecommerce Alliance, a public-private platform bringing together government, industry and development partners to strengthen the country’s digital commerce ecosystem. The event has also secured backing from e-commerce platform Twiva and advisory firm WYLDE International, with e-commerce associations from Germany, South Africa, Uganda and Kenya expected to take part.
The AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol under discussion aims to set common continental rules covering digital identity, electronic transactions, consumer protection, cybersecurity and cross-border data flows.
