At the Digital Assets Summit Africa 2026 in Accra, Angela Akua Asante, Country Lead of the African Media Agency (AMA), called for a strategic communication push between Anglophone and Francophone nations to lift the continent’s trade and fintech growth.
Asante noted that while Africa is advancing in mobile money interoperability and cross‑border payment systems, gaps in information and communication still stall deeper regional integration. She highlighted that intra‑African trade accounts for only 15 to 18 per cent of the continent’s total trade, far below the levels seen in Europe, Asia and North America.
The Ghanaian leader pointed out that businesses and innovators struggle to access market data, regulatory guidance and investment opportunities across neighbouring countries. Limited information on market opportunities, complex trade regulations and restricted access to finance were cited as major barriers to regional trade growth.
She observed that Ghana, surrounded by Francophone neighbours, often operates within an Anglophone business ecosystem, missing collaboration and expansion opportunities across West Africa. “Strategic communication can bridge linguistic, cultural and regulatory divides,” Asante said, urging regulators to strengthen bilingual communication of major policy and regulatory frameworks to promote regional cooperation and investor confidence.
Ms Asante also encouraged fintech companies and startups to incorporate Francophone markets into their growth strategies from the outset. AMA is working through its media platforms and capacity‑building programmes to train journalists in emerging sectors such as fintech, digital assets and financial regulation, and to promote greater understanding between Anglophone and Francophone Africa.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to supporting governments, businesses and institutions to communicate effectively and expand across linguistic markets on the continent.
