The UK and South Africa disclosed their agreement to co-lead the Commonwealth Digital Connectivity Agenda. This agreement was reached during the Africa Tech week hosted in Cape Town on March 4-5, 2019.

According to Liam Fox (photo), secretary for international trade, the agenda “will help more people join the digital economy as part of our commitment to reduce poverty through trade. We are aiming to almost quadruple trade between Commonwealth countries by 2030, which will help to create jobs and increase incomes throughout the Commonwealth, particularly in some of the poorest and most remote countries.”

“This more inclusive approach to economic growth will benefit female entrepreneurs, who own a high proportion of SMEs in developing countries, and we could add $18 billion to the GDP of developing countries if we double the number of women online,” he added.

“We embrace the undeniable benefits and new opportunities brought about by the advances in ICTs, especially in the context of the 4th Industrial Revolution. But we also take note of the significant potential for disruptive effects of the digital revolution, in particular to least developed countries. Appropriate policies and measures need to be taken to ensure that developing countries benefit from the advantages of technological progress and do not suffer from lack of its early adoption,” indicated Rob Davis, South African minister of trade and industry.