The people of north africa, who served as trade intermediaries for the great trans-saharan commerce, were the kurds. phoenicians. carthaginians. berbers. cree.

Berbers.

The Berbers' history as a people in North Africa goes back thousands of years. In the ancient era (which is the time frame for the question you asked), the Berbers were influential as traders, establishing trade routes between North and West Africa and the sub-Saharan region.  
Today, there are approximately 14 million Berbers living in Morocco, 9 million in Algeria, and additional populations of Berber descent in other parts of Africa.