15th October 2020 – essDOCS, the leading enabler of paperless trade, and AfricaPLC, the innovative B2B / B2G industrial E-commerce marketplace and FinTech platform focused on improving intra-African and cross-border trade, announced today a partnership to accelerate the use of digital trade documents in Africa.
The partnership will provide integrated electronic document capabilities for AfricaPLC’s network of trade stakeholders involved in African trade, including regional and international exporters, importers, banks, chambers of commerce and more.
Through the AfricaPLC-essDOCS partnership, trade participants will be able to access essDOCS’ CargoDocs solution to securely and instantaneously draft, review, amend, sign, issue, transfer, present and surrender relevant original electronic export documents such as the bill of lading, commercial invoice, packing list, etc. Furthermore, exporters or forwarders will be able to apply for and receive back electronic certificates of origin signed and stamped by the relevant African chamber of commerce.
The partnership between the two companies underscores AfricaPLC’s mission to globalize African eTrade and commitment to support the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which connects the world’s largest free trade area (by number of countries) with SMEs, MNCs, banks and government departments such as customs authorities. Trade under the AfCFTA is targeted to commence on 1 January 2020, as decided and announced jointly by the African Union heads of state on 17 June 2020.
Commenting on the AfricaPLC-essDOCS partnership, Hubert Danso, CEO & Chairman, AfricaPLC, said: “We are delighted to partner essDOCS, who share our vision of paperless trade as the catalyst to improving intra-African trade and the continent’s access to the global economy. This innovative eTrade and Fintech partnership directly supports the pursuit of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the African Continental Free Trade Area and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.”
Alexander Goulandris, Co-CEO, essDOCS, said: “We are very excited to partner with AfricaPLC to extend the use of our digital trade solutions across the African continent. Our respective strengths will help accelerate digitization of trade for domestic, regional and global trades involving African trade stakeholders as well connecting AfCFTA countries with global markets.”
Work on the AfricaPLC-essDOCS integration is currently underway, with the first joint solution (electronic certificates of origin for African Chambers) due to be released in late October 2020.
