Digitalisation has reshaped the trade landscape across the
world, and Africa has growing ambitions to tap into the
opportunities offered by digital trade. In February 2024, the draft
Digital Trade Protocol (DTP)1 of the African Continental
Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was agreed on. This article is the first
in a series of two articles analysing the DTP and its implications
for trade between Mauritius and Africa. This first article focuses
on those provisions of the DTP which relate to Market Access and
Non-Discrimination, Facilitating Digital Trade and Data
Governance.
While there is no universally accepted definition of digital
trade, the DTP defines digital trade as "digitally enabled
transactions of trade in goods and services that can either be
digitally or physically delivered, and that involve natural and
juridical persons." Furthermore, a digital product is defined
as "an electronic programme, text, video, image, sound
recording, or any other product that is
