Digital readiness and business performance of Rwandan women entrepreneurs in cross-border trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)

this study aims to examine the digital readiness of rwandan women entrepreneurs andits effect on business performance within the context of afcFta. the study employeda mixed-methods approach, including a cross-sectional survey on 94 rwandan womenentrepreneurs in cross-border trade across various sectors at key border points,complemented by interviews with stakeholders from several government and tradeorganizations. the findings reveal a moderate awareness and usage of digital resourcesamong women entrepreneurs, coupled with insufficient investment in new technologies.Key gaps exist in skills, confidence, and digital literacy essential for business operations.Most women entrepreneurs do not own websites and rarely utilize online tools fortransactions or logistics. awareness of the afcFta goals and regulations is limited,resulting in low participation in digital trade and a poor understanding of trade laws.the study highlights the need for digital readiness and awareness in enhancing businessperformance of women doing cross-border trade under afcFta framework. the studyused cross-section data and rwanda women doing cross-border trade hence making itdifficult for replication. therefore, future studies would use longitudinal study with largesamples from all border posts and also should examine the gendered nature of digitalreadiness and entrepreneurial performance in rwanda.

KEYWORDS: Women entrepreneurship; AfCFTA; digital entrepreneurship; trade;business performance