Africa’s “Build Decade” Signals New Digital Infrastructure Era
Africa is entering a defining “build decade” that could reposition the continent as a central player in global trade, manufacturing and digital innovation, according to Dr. Yemi Kale, Chief Economist at the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).
Speaking at the Afreximbank Accelerator Programme Demo Day in Nairobi, Dr. Kale said global disruptions and structural shifts in the world economy, including geopolitical fragmentation, post-pandemic supply chain realignments and accelerating technological change are creating a unique window of opportunity for Africa to strengthen its role in global value chains.
“The future global economy is still being written, and Africa must not simply adapt to it but actively help shape it,” he said.
He noted that multinational corporations and governments are increasingly diversifying production and sourcing strategies following shocks from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and ongoing geopolitical tensions. This shift, he argued, is opening new opportunities for African countries to attract investment in manufacturing, logistics systems and digital infrastructure.
Dr. Kale pointed to Africa’s demographic expansion, rapid urbanization, rising mobile connectivity and vast reserves of critical minerals as key advantages in the global green-energy transition. However, he stressed that the continent still accounts for less than 3 percent of global trade, while intra-African trade remains below 15 percent.
“For the first time in decades, the world is simultaneously searching for new production hubs, new consumer markets, new digital ecosystems and new logistics corridors,” he said. “Importantly, Africa sits at the centre of that search.”
He emphasized that trade-technology companies are becoming essential “connective infrastructure” across African economies by addressing persistent challenges such as fragmented payment systems, high cross-border transaction costs, weak logistics coordination and limited trade finance access.
A key example, he said, is the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), launched by Afreximbank to enable cross-border payments in local currencies and reduce dependence on external currencies such as the US dollar and euro. He described PAPSS as “foundational financial infrastructure for continental integration.”
Dr. Kale also highlighted a shift in Africa’s startup ecosystem from consumer-focused digital services toward solutions tackling structural bottlenecks in logistics, healthcare, agriculture, customs systems and SME financing. He said this evolution reflects a broader transition toward productivity-driven growth powered by innovation and digital infrastructure.
He urged African governments to accelerate regulatory harmonization and invest in energy, broadband and digital systems to support the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), describing it as a “scale platform” with the potential to unify a market of over 1.4 billion people and a combined GDP exceeding $3 trillion.
“The next generation of globally significant African enterprises will be designed from inception for continental scale,” he said.
Dr. Kale added that Afreximbank is expanding beyond traditional trade finance into digital infrastructure, innovation ecosystems and payment systems, with its accelerator programme supporting startups focused on trade enablement, logistics, digital commerce and AI-driven supply chain solutions.
He concluded by urging entrepreneurs to see themselves as builders of a new economic architecture: “You are not merely building companies; you are helping build the architecture of Africa’s next economy.”
