Digital trade, encompassing the exchange of goods, services, and information through digital channels, is viewed as a catalyst for innovation and inclusive economic development. Though, the share of African trade in global digital trade appears to be on the low side, the growth in digitally delivered services is recently growing fast relative to trade in goods and non-digitally delivered services. Digital trade represents an important engine of growth and development for the African continent. 

This contributed volume is motivated by a shared perspective that digital trade can offer significant opportunities for African countries to boost growth, create better jobs, and reduce poverty. The book first distinguishes itself by providing an in-depth and comprehensive examination of the complex dynamics of digital trade in Africa, setting itself apart by probing into the driving forces propelling its growth along with the obstacles that limit the expansion of digital trade in the region. Second this book innovates by linking regional integration efforts in Africa to digital trade. It focuses on how collective efforts within different regional groups across the continent can be harnessed to boost digital trade in Africa.

Third, one of the key differentiators of the book lies in its thorough analysis of the regulatory frameworks governing digital trade across African nations. The existing policies and regulatory challenges are discussed across specific countries and group of countries. Lastly, the book links digital trade to the broader socio-economic environment by exploring the nexus between digital trade and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa. By aligning the principles of digital trade with specific SDGs ranging from poverty alleviation and quality education to gender equality and industry innovation, the book provides a comprehensive understanding of how digital trade can be harnessed as a tool for sustainable development across the African continent. It systematically examines how digital trade can be a driving force in achieving these global sustainability benchmarks. 

Verena Tandrayen-Ragoobur is an Associate Professor in Economics at the University of Mauritius. She heads the Pole of Research Excellence in Applied Social and Economic Research Analysis and is the co-chair of the WTO Chairs Programme at the University of Mauritius. She has an MSc in Economics and International Economics from the University of Nottingham, UK and a PhD in Economics from the University of Mauritius. She was also a Commonwealth Scholar on the Split-Doctoral Scholarship tenable at the University of Nottingham. Her research areas are in development economics, labour economics, international economics, poverty and gender issues. She has published in international peer-reviewed journals and is involved in several consultancy projects with Ministries, public institutions and international organisations.

Boopen Seetanah is Professor at the University of Mauritius (UoM) with research interest in tourism and transport, international trade and finance and development economics. He is currently the Dean of Faculty of LAw and Management at the UoM, the Co Chair of the WTO Chair (UoM) and the Director of Research at the International Centre for Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality (ICSTH). Boopen is an associate editor of a couple of impact factored journal and an editorial board member and a reviewer for numerous high rated journals. He has been consulting with the government and also numerous international organizations including the UNEP, UNDP, UNECA, WTO,UNCTAD, IISD, World Bank, ADB, ILO and RMCE amongst others.

Varsha Mooneeram-Chadee is senior lecturer at the Department of Law of the Faculty of Law and Management of the University of Mauritius with more than 10 years of experience in academia. She holds an LLB (Hons) from the University of Mauritius and an LLM in International Trade Law from the Northumbria University. She is currently reading for her PhD which is focused on the regulatory framework of e-commerce. Her fields of expertise include International Trade Law,International Economic Law and Financial Laws. Her research, consultancy and publication are mainly in those areas.