Africa's trade future starts here. ADAPT is building the digital infrastructure that makes cross-border commerce between countries faster, cheaper, and more inclusive.
Join the initiative to benefit from the revolutionary transformation of African trade.
The African Continental Free Trade Area is one of the most ambitious economic projects in the world. ADAPT is the digital infrastructure that turns that vision into reality, integrating identity, data, and payments to connect markets, reduce barriers, and unlock Africa’s full economic potential.
Led by the AfCFTA Secretariat in partnership with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, the World Economic Forum, and the IOTA Foundation, ADAPT is an open-source platform designed to support a wider digital-trade ecosystem, making it easier for governments, businesses, and financial institutions across the continent to trade with each other.
54markets
Member states
AfCFTA signatories currently in scope for the trade-document standard.
$3.4T
GDP
Participating nations combined.
$450B
Unlocked
With full implementation by 2035.
ADAPT exists to remove these barriers. Built on the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol — the first continent-wide, legally binding digital trade framework in the world, and the legal foundation that makes our work possible.
ADAPT supports countries to implement trusted digital trade infrastructure, delivering economic and operational benefits across the continent.
Digital processes reduce border clearance times from up to 14 days to under 3 days, cutting costs and delays in transport and admin.
Trusted data exchange improves supply chain visibility and reduces fraud risk across the continent.
Simplified processes open up regional trade to more businesses, with 500,000+ smaller businesses projected to gain access for the first time.
Digital identity and verified credentials improve transaction security and reduce fraud and identity risk across borders.
Digital payment infrastructure cuts cross-border fees from 6–9% to below 3% and unlocks $15 billion in trade finance.
Interoperable digital infrastructure could unlock over $70 billion in additional annual trade by 2035.
ADAPT brings together governments, international organisations, and technology partners around a single mission: open digital infrastructure that works for all of Africa.
ADAPT's vision is to combine open-source technologies – including blockchain, IoT, cloud computing, and AI – with policy support and implementation expertise to help countries:
ADAPT works closely with governments and regional institutions to ensure solutions are aligned with national priorities and systems and scalable across the continent.
Governments, agencies, and businesses across Africa are invited to shape and adopt this infrastructure together.
Implement trusted digital trade infrastructure with technical and policy support from the AfCFTA Secretariat.
Connect to a continent-wide verification network and exchange trade data securely with peer agencies.
Move goods across African borders with verifiable documents and lower compliance overheads.
Register your interest and we'll be in touch with the team coordinating the next phase.
ADAPT is beginning implementation with an initial group of countries working closely with the AfCFTA Secretariat.
These countries will serve as early adopters, helping demonstrate how digital infrastructure can enhance trade efficiency and cross-border collaboration. Lessons from these implementations will inform the broader rollout of ADAPT across Africa.