- Experts at the IOTA East Africa Web3 Innovation Summit urged the urgent adoption of digitised trade systems to overcome outdated paper-based processes and fragmented data.
- They emphasized that technologies like IOTA’s TWIN and TLIP can boost trust, efficiency, and unlock trillions in global trade potential, positioning Africa as a key player in digital commerce.
At the IOTA East Africa Web3 Innovation Summit held in Nairobi, trade experts, technologists, and policymakers came together with one unified message: Africa must urgently transition to digitised trade systems. Outdated paper-based processes, fragmented data flows, and a lack of trust in trade documentation are not just inconveniences — they are major roadblocks to Africa’s full participation in global commerce.
Dominik Schiener, Co-Founder and Chair of the IOTA Foundation, highlighted the need for trust-driven digital infrastructure. “The internet has connected us, but it hasn’t built trust into how we share data,” Schiener said. With IOTA’s technologies like TWIN (Trade and Logistics Information Network) and TLIP (Trade Logistics Information Pipeline), trade stakeholders can access verified, real-time data that is secure and cost-effective, with Kenya poised to lead the innovation charge.
Manual Trade Processes Are Costing the World Trillions
TradeMark Africa’s Digital Trade Director, Erick Sirali, revealed the staggering inefficiency still baked into global trade: 4 billion paper documents are currently in circulation, many of which are only considered valid if physically signed. “There are no universally accepted digital standards. But digitisation could unlock over $10 trillion in global trade value,” he stressed.
Fragmentation Is Trade’s Silent Killer
Antony Magayu, Product Leader at the IOTA Foundation, underscored the chaos caused by fragmented supply chains and poor data integrity. “About 80% of supply chain data today is unreliable,” he stated. IOTA’s TWIN aims to change that by providing a unified, trustworthy infrastructure where customs, freight companies, businesses, and governments can seamlessly share verified information.
From Delays to Inclusion: What Digital Trade Can Solve
Summit participants outlined the serious challenges digital systems can address, including customs delays, unverifiable documents, and the high compliance costs that shut out small businesses from international trade. The consensus? Trade must become interoperable, transparent, and inclusive.
A Digital Future for African Trade
As Africa positions itself for greater participation in global trade, the summit’s message from Nairobi was unmistakable: digitising trade is not a luxury. It’s a necessity — one that could reshape the continent’s economic destiny.