Tunisia hosts COMESA Week as exports to the bloc rise 50 percent in six years

Tunisia closed the third edition of COMESA Week on Monday 30 June, capping two days of talks in Tunis that brought together policymakers, business chiefs and the heads of Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) institutions under the banner of digital trade as the route to deeper African integration.

The centrepiece of the week was the COMESA Institutions Awareness Forum, held under the theme "Expanding Intra-African Horizons: Digital Innovation as a Driver for Inclusive and Sustainable Access to COMESA Markets." It brought together the heads and chief executives of COMESA institutions, representatives of regional and international organisations, policymakers, business leaders, professional associations and private sector stakeholders to deepen dialogue on advancing regional trade and economic integration through digital transformation.

Exports up 50 percent in six years

Tunisia's Minister of Trade and Export Development, Samir Abid, used the opening session on 29 June to present the most detailed picture yet of Tunisia's trade with the bloc. Exports to COMESA markets rose 50.2 percent between 2019 and 2025, from 1.9 billion dinars to around 2.86 billion dinars, having peaked at more than 3 billion dinars in 2023.

Imports from COMESA member states also rose, climbing around 39 percent over the same period, from 1.69 billion dinars in 2019 to more than 2.06 billion dinars in 2025.

Abid said digital innovation now sits at the heart of Africa's trade agenda, driving tariff liberalisation, the removal of long-standing trade barriers and the modernisation of commercial systems, and that these efforts complement the objectives of both COMESA and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), drawing Tunisian enterprises more deeply into regional and continental value chains.

He called on the private sector, financial institutions, business organisations, innovation hubs and specialised COMESA institutions including the COMESA Business Council and the Federation of National Associations of Women in Business (COMFWB) to keep fostering investment, innovation and enterprise development across the region.

Digital transformation at the centre

COMESA Secretary General Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe said this year's theme captured the urgent need for Africa to harness digital technologies to bridge development gaps, strengthen regional competitiveness and build a more inclusive and sustainable economic future.

Kapwepwe said the forum was part of COMESA's broader effort to bring the regional bloc closer to its citizens and raise awareness of the opportunities that regional integration offers, and commended Tunisia for its economic transformation, adding that the country's location at the crossroads of Africa and Europe, its dynamic private sector and its commitment to digital development made it an ideal host.

The forum brought together regional policymakers, business leaders and chief executives to find ways of cutting cross-border transaction costs and boosting market access for small and medium-sized businesses through e-commerce and electronic payment systems.

A joint committee and a diplomatic dimension

Kapwepwe's visit to Tunisia ran from 29 June to 3 July, according to Tunisia's state news agency TAP. On the sidelines of COMESA Week, Tunisia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Mohamed Ali Nafti, received Kapwepwe in Tunis.

Talks covered initiatives to facilitate trade, promote the mobility of economic operators, develop digital commerce and support investment in clean energy and regional infrastructure. The two sides agreed to establish a joint committee to follow up on shared commitments and advance economic integration.

Kapwepwe also outlined the priorities of COMESA's new strategic plan for the 2026–2030 period, which is to be presented at the organisation's next summit in Zimbabwe.

Tunisia's position in the bloc

Tunisia has been a COMESA member since 2018 and has committed to supporting the African economic integration process and actively participating in the organisation's programmes and initiatives. COMESA is a regional economic community of 21 member states stretching from Tunisia to Eswatini.

Kapwepwe highlighted a shared determination among African countries to advance economic integration through programmes focused on agricultural modernisation, industrial strengthening, cross-border infrastructure development, sustainable resource use and the empowerment of women and youth, and called for stronger partnerships between member states, the private sector and development partners to achieve the goals of Agenda 2063.

The forum closed on 30 June with a set of recommendations including strengthened coordination between COMESA institutions and a push for broader financial inclusion across member states.