Covid 19 has been described as an existential crisis testing Africa’s social, economic, and political resilience. The coronavirus was first detected in 2019 and still persists three years later with several covid variants, one more dangerous than the other.

The limitation of the free movement of persons and goods within African countries inhibits informal, micro, small, and medium enterprises from fully participating in intra-Africa trade as promoted by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA

To meet the demands for online marketplaces in this era of globalized economy, private and public entities in Africa must adapt and implement the various aspects of e-commerce markets within their own context.

The pandemic has shown us just how important it is to help small businesses in developing countries not just survive, but thrive,” Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of the International Trade Center. COVID-19 and its lockdown restrictions significantly impacted Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) worldwide.

Electricity access has been identified as a significant problem across sub-Saharan Africa. A World Bank report notes that Africa has a 43 percent access rate to electricity, compared to a global access rate of 87 percent. The high cost and limited availability of power has increased the operating cost of small businesses, making operations expensive, and lowering these firms’ competitive ability

The ability to go digital became a matter of the utmost importance as it was seen all over the world especially in advanced nations. Many MSMEs who demonstrated their ability to change their business model survived, while many others could not stay afloat. Digitalization could help MSMEs increase their revenue and customer base, transact at a distance, and improve operational efficiencies.