The implications of Digital trade on intra-African trade and sustainability: A Systematic Bibliometric Review

Abstract

Digital Trade is a critical area encompassed within The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a flagship project initiative established in 2018 as part of 13 projects of Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. Many processes have been adapted to enable technologies to increase productivity, value, and sustainable development. Such processes pertain to technologies used in different sectors of the industry. Digital Technologies, inclusive of emerging technologies, have significantly increased in recent years and are a prominent driver of the digital trade of goods and services. This is a great opportunity for intra-African trade as digital trade is a dynamic sector in the global economy and could be harnessed to further the sustainability of intra-African trade. This research investigates the effects of digital technologies as applied in intra-African trading. By using a bibliometric review of existing publications identified from 2018 to 2023, Network Visualization Maps Analysis uncovers the patterns in digital trade within intra-African trade focusing on Sub-Saharan trading partners. In addition, the research results discuss the main challenges and opportunities for research and practice in the field of study. Our findings provide an overview of the main themes related to digital technologies in intra-African trade. These results show the main themes analyzed on this topic and provide a basis for insights for future research.