The global
rise of digital trade has shifted economic inequalities, narrowing gaps in some
regions while exacerbating disparities between Africa and more digitally
advanced areas. The massive dominance of Big Techs in digital markets has
concentrated economic benefits among a few large players, often bypassing
local African firms. The AfricanContinental Free
TradeArea (AfCFTA) aims to enhance intra-African trade to foster economic
growth with its newly adopted AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade focusing on
integrating African digital markets. However, without careful regulation, this integration
risks deepening existing disparities. Given that Big Techs’ dominance is a key driver of these imbalances, I explore how
the AfCFTA’s Competition Protocol can be leveraged
to navigate them. The Competition Protocol, with its multilayered approach to
competition regulation, offers a framework for ensuring digital
trade fosters equitable economic development across Africa. It tackles anti-competitive
conduct in cases with a continental dimension, such as the abuse of economic dependence
by gatekeepers, mandates support for regional and national authorities through
technical assistance and capacity-building, and promotes cooperation and coordinated
enforcement between all three jurisdictional levels. While not a complete
solution, the Protocol represents a significant step toward ensuring Africa’s digital market integration promotes equitable development.