East Africa works to make cross-border online shopping easier to trust
Member states met in Dar es Salaam to push the EAC's e-commerce strategy and prepare for the AfCFTA's digital trade rules. Trade inside the bloc has grown twelvefold since 2005.
Dar es Salaam — East African Community member states met in Dar es Salaam from 13 to 15 October to speed up the bloc's work on e-commerce and digital trade, the EAC said.
The meeting of the Regional E-Commerce Engagement Platform reviewed progress on the EAC E-Commerce Strategy and prepared for the African Continental Free Trade Area's protocol on digital trade.
The priorities
- Better data to track how e-commerce is growing, through an updated monitoring tool.
- Building consumer trust: harmonising consumer protection rules, strengthening online dispute resolution and deepening dialogue with business.
- Joint work on digital infrastructure, logistics, cybersecurity, online marketplaces and payment systems.
The work is backed by the Eastern Africa Regional Digital Integration Project (EARDIP), financed by the World Bank, which aims to build a single regional digital market.
Why it matters
Trade within the EAC rose from $1.6 billion in 2005 to $19.65 billion in 2025. Gordon Kalema, EARDIP's project manager, said that growth shows the potential for digital trade to deepen integration and open new markets for East African businesses.
Chris Matsiko of Uganda's trade ministry, who chaired the meeting, said e-commerce could help small businesses reach regional and global markets, but that gaps in infrastructure, regulation, payments, skills and consumer protection must be tackled together.
Source: East African Community, 16 October 2026.
