The queen concept, which was under the theme: 'Beyond Beauty, Fostering Trade," is aimed at ensuring that many young African ladies are empowered to trade seamlessly with other ladies on the African continent.

Mr Siita Sofo Hissan, the President, AfCFTA Young Entrepreneurs Federation (AYEF), speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), stated that Ghana has won the bid to host over 20 young entrepreneurial ladies from some selected countries on the African continent.

Mr Hissan noted that the main event would commence in July 2024, adding that it would go a long way to empower young women to venture into entrepreneurship and trade with other ladies from other African countries.

According to the AYEF president, most of the informal trades in Africa were done by women, stressing that it was time to formalise such trades and to adequately equip African women with the needed skills to trade effectively amongst themselves on the continent and even beyond.

He said that the African Trade Queen pageant would not only showcase the beauty of the participants but would also look beyond the physical and intellectual beauty of the women, saying it would showcase the various business prospects on the continent, which would in turn propel development and make the future very bright for African young women entrepreneurs.

He said the event would economically empower the ladies and therefore called on the major stakeholders within the trading and tourism industries to support the event and make Africa economically viable for all as far as trade was concerned.