Tanzania’s Horticulture Moves Up the Value Chain from Farm to Global Buyer
In Tanzania’s Southern Corridor, avocado growers are recording higher export volumes, better prices, and stronger market linkages. Over 10,000 farmers have been connected directly to 24 off-takers, avoiding losses to middlemen and securing more predictable incomes. Certification to international standards such as GLOBALG.A.P has opened access to high-value markets in Europe and Asia, with rejection […]
Cutting feed costs to unlock sustainable fisheries growth
Feed remains the biggest cost driver in Africa’s fisheries production, accounting for an estimated 60–70% of total outlays. A two-day (4–5 September 2025) meeting in Nairobi set out a practical plan to bring those costs down while lifting output and standards across the value chain. The engagement was part of the Women and Youth Economic […]
Tony Blair Institute provides African leaders a roadmap to accelerate the world’s largest free trade area
27 August 2025 – The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) has released a new paper The AfCFTA Imperative: From Vision to Impact providing Africa’s leadership with an actionable roadmap to implement the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and drive economic transformation. The paper builds on TBI’s previous publication Africa First: A New […]
East Africa’s newly unveiled regional customs bond to facilitate smooth trade in East Africa
Uganda’s Minister of State for EAC Affairs, Rt. Hon. James Magode Ikuya with EAC SG, Hon. Veronica Nduva launching the EAC Bond The East African Community (EAC) has taken a major step towards streamlining regional trade with the launch of the EAC Customs Bond, a mechanism designed to reduce the cost of doing business and […]
Rwanda’s newly minted private meat inspectors on the frontlines to boost food safety, create jobs for youth
Annick Dusengimana (centre) and other participants during the graduation ceremony Kigali, Rwanda – On 27 June 2025, thirty-five young Rwandans were certified as private meat inspectors after completing an intensive six-month training programme. This initiative was specifically designed to enhance food safety standards and create valuable employment opportunities within Rwanda’s expanding meat industry. Their certification […]
How better logistics could unlock Kenya’s full potential in horticultural exports
By the time a crate of French beans meant for export leaves a farm in Kirinyaga County in Kenya, it has passed multiple sanitary and phytosanitary checks. The farmer has done everything required to meet the expectations of the destination market. But despite these efforts, unforeseen risks often come after the farm gate. Somewhere between […]
Study proposes solutions to trade barriers holding back Kenya’s fresh produce exports
Kenya’s exports of fresh fruits and vegetables continue to face a host of trade barriers that undermine their competitiveness in major international markets, according to a new study. Commissioned as part of the European Union-funded Business Environment Enhancement and Export Promotion (BEEEP) Programme that is implemented by TradeMark Africa, the report identifies both tariff and […]
Zambia Outlines Key Transport Projects at Central Corridor Ministers’ Meeting
At the 14th Ordinary Meeting of the Inter-State Council of Ministers for the Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency, held on 18 June 2025 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Zambia reaffirmed its commitment to regional transport development and integration. Led by Minister of Transport and Logistics, Hon. Museba Frank Tayali, the Zambian delegation outlined key […]
Public-private pacts key catalyst for East Africa’s trade future
In East Africa, collaboration between public and private sector actors is proving to be a powerful force in shaping inclusive economic development.While traditional Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are often associated with infrastructure financing, a quieter, more transformative form of collaboration is unfolding—one rooted in shared purpose, mutual benefit, and inclusive growth.As governments work to create enabling […]
East Africa should seize the trade moment in changing global order
At this year’s GTR East Africa 2025 Conference in Nairobi, I participated in a timely panel discussion under the theme “Trade Growth and Infrastructure Investment: East Africa’s Opportunity to Thrive in the New World Order.” The conversation could not have come at a more critical moment. The global economy is in transition. Long-standing trade assumptions […]