African businesses gain insights on AI-driven global trade

More than 100 African entrepreneurs and exporters joined a hybrid webinar to explore how artificial intelligence and digital trade can open doors for small businesses to reach international markets.

The event was hosted by the International Trade Centre (ITC) in June 2026 with an in-person audience in Changsha, China. Digital trade experts and entrepreneurs shared practical experiences on using AI, e-commerce, and digital tools to connect with buyers worldwide.

Opening the session, James Howe, Head of Digital, Markets and Connectivity at ITC, highlighted how digital trade is lowering barriers to international business so that smaller enterprises can reach customers far beyond their domestic markets.

Nasri Ma, Business Manager for the Middle East and Africa at Alibaba.com, showed practical examples of how AI is being applied in cross-border trade. He explained how businesses can identify market opportunities, improve communication with buyers, and strengthen their international presence.

The webinar also featured entrepreneurs supported through the African Digital Innovation Accelerator. Irene Simon Ivambi, Chief Executive Officer of Tanzania-based Mrembo Naturals Limited, described how the programme helped her establish an online storefront on Alibaba.com, showcasing organic products including baobab oil and cocoa butter to international buyers. Within weeks, the company was receiving inquiries from China, Europe and the Middle East.

‘Before joining the programme, preparing quotations and following up with international buyers required significant manual effort. With AI-powered tools, we can now respond faster, communicate more effectively across markets and focus on growing our business,’ said Ivambi.

AI-powered tools on the platform helped her team automate quotation generation, manage buyer inquiries, and communicate across languages – freeing time to focus on growth. Mrembo Naturals further expanded its reach by exhibiting at the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Changsha, where its products sold out within hours.

Michael Tiemo Nyoni, Managing Director of Pelvea Company Limited, a Tanzanian agribusiness exporter, said the Accelerator helped his company secure coffee export orders from buyers in Albania and the United Arab Emirates. That creating new opportunities for thousands of smallholder farmers in its supply chain.

The webinar, titled ‘How AI Empowers B2B Cross-Border Business’, forms part of the African Digital Innovation Accelerator, a two-year initiative implemented by ITC and funded by the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund through the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA). It aims to support 100 small businesses from 25 African countries with the knowledge, digital tools, and market access needed to succeed in global e-commerce.