Rwanda will host the continental headquarters of Sokokuu, an e-commerce platform aimed at enhancing the role of Africa’s small and medium enterprises in inter and intra-African trade.

This emerged following a meeting of President Paul Kagame and former Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, who is the Patron for The Africa Electronic Trade Group and Mulualem Syoum, the Group’s CEO & Board Chair.

The Africa Electronic Trade Group is developing a comprehensive e-commerce platform, Sokokuu, to enhance the role of Africa’s small and medium enterprises in inter and intra-African trade.

Rwanda will host the Group’s continental headquarters working closely with regional offices.

SOKOKUU loosely translates to Common Market or Central Market.

The platform is a result of a collaboration between the African Union Commission and continental, regional and national bodies in the public and private sectors to digitally enable the implementation of the AfCFTA, thus enhancing Intra-African Trade, SME development and Industrial Development.

The AeTrade Group targets the creation of 600,000 SMEs in 4 years.

The African e-Trade Group is a social enterprise initiated by a group of African, multi-stakeholder and multi-talented professionals and entrepreneurs.

The A-eTrade Group works to empower the African digital economy. This work focuses on a trading platform and capabilities that boost intra-African and inter-African trade.