Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, digital services such as online education, virtual meeting rooms and online marketplaces have kept our economies running and helped us stay connected. Almost all of these services are underpinned by cross-border digital trade. Even if you meet colleagues from your own town in a video conference, consult a local doctor online, or follow a virtual class by a teacher in your neighbourhood, the companies providing the networks and platforms for these interactions are probably at least partly in another country.

Digital trade in services has not only become a lifeline during this outbreak, but also has the power to transform our world for the better in the long run. It could help us build a more resilient global economy, and create countless opportunities for people around the world in areas as diverse as healthcare and professional services. 

Embracing ICT is a pivotal aspect in this pandemic and in the future by SMEs. This could improve the supply chain. The digital economy encourages digital marketing and trading.

Through this, business people are able to sell goods and services, and making orders through internet. Just like the already existing companies such as Jumia, which operates online, SMEs can implement the same mechanism to avoid gatherings and other expenses like buying sanitiser and other detergents to protect their customers.

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