ZANZIBAR, March 11, 2024: The Tanzania Women Chamber of Commerce (TWCC) and TradeMark Africa (TMA) have today united over 500 women in Zanzibar, for the Economic Empowerment of Women Conference. This significant convention coincided with the global celebration of International Women's Day, a testament to the commitment to advancing women's economic participation. Under the theme "Invest in Women for Sustainable Development," the conference spearheaded by TWCC and TMA aims to catalyse economic empowerment by providing women with invaluable insights into trade opportunities, fostering knowledge exchange, celebrating women leaders in business, and nurturing emerging talents through mentoring programmes. The guest of honour, Hon. Hemed Suleiman Abdulla, Second Vice President of Zanzibar underscored the government's commitment to women's empowerment. "Zanzibar is dedicated to ensuring women's full participation in economic activities," he affirmed, citing initiatives such as the establishment of the Institute for Economic Empowerment and the formulation of the Blue Economy Policy. Ms. Mwajuma Hamza, CEO of TWCC, emphasised the collaborative effort, stating, "In partnership with TradeMark Africa and other stakeholders, this conference serves as a critical platform to equip women with the tools and networks necessary to thrive in trade and commerce." TradeMark Africa, a champion of Aid-for-Trade initiatives since 2010, reaffirmed its commitment to women's economic empowerment with a substantial investment of over $3 million in Tanzania over the past seven years. Mr. Elibariki Shammy, Country Director of TMA, announced an additional investment of $1.5 million to support 12,000 women entrepreneurs across Zanzibar and the mainland. "TradeMark Africa's engagement extends...

ABU DHABI, February 27, 2024: In 2015, TradeMark Africa (TMA) presented the Trade Logistics Information Pipeline (TLIP) idea during the World Trade Organisation MC10 forum in Nairobi and in 2019, TMA and IOTA foundation partnered to build a secure and trustworthy international trade system that removed bottlenecks associated with paperwork, access to information and slow approvals, to reduce the time and costs taken to trade. With TMA funding of $4 million, IOTA developed TLIP, a system built on the distributed ledger technology providing a transparent and secure electronic exchange of trade information in international supply chains. TMA and IOTA have showcased the TLIP's proof of concept across various scenarios, highlighting its scalability and efficiency in documenting diverse trade flows. From the conducted pilots, this initiative has demonstrated outcomes such as an 80% decrease in trade costs and a reduction in cross-border processing times from 25 days to just one day. Traders benefit from greater predictability of access to customs facilities while crossing borders, which in-turn reduces their administration costs and effort. The average cross-border transaction requires the exchange of 36 documents and 240 copies involving up to 30 actors. TLIP received acclaim from government agencies and supply chain organisations for its ability to promote transparency, enhance data sharing and snowball cost savings. The infrastructure has already been used in Kenya and been tested in the UK. Building on this success, today at the WTO's 13th Ministerial Conference in Abu Dhabi, TMA is partnering with IOTA, the World Economic Forum, the...

Nairobi, 8 February: The Government of the Netherlands, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a significant boost to global trade development, has announced a $63 million funding to TradeMark Africa, a leading aid-for-trade organisation. This strategic investment will fuel TradeMark Africa's Strategy 3, covering the period till 2030, aimed at driving green, sustainable economic growth, fostering innovative trade practices, and promoting inclusive trade across Africa. This move underscores the Netherlands' commitment to enhancing economic opportunities, job creation and facilitating sustainable trade throughout the continent. Marchel Gerrmann, Ambassador for Business and Development Cooperation at Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: “TradeMark Africa will significantly contribute to a more inclusive and prosperous trade landscape for the African continent, benefitting both African and Dutch businesses." The Netherlands’ contribution will be invested in strengthening trade systems so that they benefit local exporters, foster economic growth, and create sustainable livelihoods across diverse sectors. This investment will be instrumental in improving market access for local products at the global level, in addition to bolstering initiatives that drive innovation, research, and development within the African market, enhancing competitiveness and green trading practices. As part of its Africa Strategy, the Netherlands contributes towards the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The AfCFTA is expected to boost intra-African trade over 30% by 2045 and is projected to provide an average extra 2.7% GDP boost across the continent. The AfCFTA could lift 30 million Africans out of poverty by 2035, offering market opportunities to both African...

Bungoma, February 01, 2024: The Canadian Government, through TradeMark Africa (TMA), has provided aflatoxin decontamination plants to the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depots in Bungoma and Nairobi. This will enhance food security by creating the capability to significantly reduce aflatoxin contamination in grains like maize. Aflatoxins are recognised by the World Health Organisation as highly toxic substances affecting grains, pose health risks to animals and humans, including cancer. Most countries implement strict regulations and monitoring to control their levels in food and feed products. Canada contributed CA$ 1.6million (about Ksh190 million) for the purchase and installation of these decontamination units, which will improve the safety and increase the trade of grain in Kenya and broader East Africa region. These state-of-the-art machines are designed to efficiently remove contaminants while preserving the nutritional value and integrity of the food. The two large-scale decontaminators, a first of their kind in commercial use in Africa, can eliminate up to 98% of aflatoxins in various food commodities, including grains, pulses, nuts. This development is a game-changer for the region, where maize is a primary food source for an estimated 300 million people. Western Kenya was deemed a strategic location to set them up, as the country’s grain basket, and because it plays a crucial role in regional grain trade, with significant inflows from neighbouring Uganda and Tanzania. Over 600,000 metric tons of maize are traded annually from Uganda to Kenya, and about 400,000 metric tons from Tanzania to Kenya. Ensuring that only grain...

Nairobi, Kenya, January 23, 2024 –The United States government, through USAID’s Economic Recovery and Reform Activity (ERRA) program delivered by TradeMark Africa (TMA) with funding from Feed the Future, has awarded a three-year grant worth US$2 million to the Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC). This funding will strengthen the competitiveness of export-oriented staple food value chains in East Africa. Through the five-year ERRA US$75 million program, USAID and TMA are driving transformative trade and investment reforms in the East and Horn of Africa to create jobs in the staple crops and textiles sectors, especially for women and youth. A core part of this is to increase the ability of grain producers to export both regionally and to the rest of the world. East Africa’s immense potential for food grain production and trade has been hindered by low production rates, poor post-harvest management, and climate pressures. These challenges contribute to the low competitiveness of its staples in regional markets, reduced cross-border trade, production deficits, and postharvest losses that threaten the region’s food security. This facility with EAGC will directly tackle these challenges, removing trade impediments and building grain exporters’ capacity in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda across export value chains such as Maize, Beans, Millet, Sorghum, and Rice. Speaking during the signing ceremony, TMA’s CEO, Mr. David Beer, revealed that the strategic collaboration with EAGC and USAID will boost grain exports within the region. “This includes spearheading innovative strategies such as Grain Business Hubs, or G-Hubs. These are operated by farmers, who...

Caption: EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Customs, Trade and Monetary Affairs, Ms. Annette Ssemuwemba speaking during the launch of EAC NTB App in Bujumbura Bujumbura, Burundi, 08 December 2023: In a groundbreaking development for regional trade, the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat today unveiled a new mobile application (App) dedicated to the elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) – the EAC NTBs App. This innovative App is set to revolutionise the region’s trading landscape by streamlining the reporting, monitoring, and resolution of impediments traders face as they conduct business across borders. The development of the EAC NTBs APP was funded by the Netherlands through TradeMark Africa (TMA). The EAC NTBs App, seamlessly blending SMS, email, and phone reporting methods, offers economic operators a one-stop solution for effectively reporting Non-Tariff Barriers to trade. By streamlining the NTB reporting process, the App will aid traders and producers in tackling obstacles that impede their trade efficiency and competitiveness. Additionally, it ensures transparency and quick resolution of issues by engaging technical and policy-level mechanisms, such as National Focal Points, the National Monitoring Committees (NMCs) and the Regional Monitoring Committee (RMC). Speaking during the launch of the App, EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Customs, Trade and Monetary Affairs, Ms. Annette Ssemuwemba said the EAC NTBs App marks a pivotal moment in creating a smooth trading environment across the EAC region. “We are dedicated to eradicating the barriers that impede economic growth, and integration. This innovative solution serves as a powerful tool to...

Caption: Principal Secretary, State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action Ms Anne Wangombe Nairobi, Kenya, 5 December 2023: A recent study by TradeMark Africa (TMA) reveals a startling statistic: 40% of women traders at East African border crossings have experienced harassment in the past year, - including sexual and verbal abuse - highlighting the pressing issue of gender-based violence (GBV) in trade. The study also underscores the correlation between unpaid care work, GBV and its implications for women’s participation in cross-border trade underpinning the critical need for sustainable solutions through partnerships. This alarming reality underscores the urgent need for action and was a focal point during a high-level stakeholder dialogue convened by TMA, following the 'UNiTE! Invest to Prevent Violence against Women & Girls’ campaign. The campaign advocates increased financial backing for preventive strategies and transforming societal norms to end violence against women and girls. The dialogue brought together policy makers, private sector entities, civil society representatives, development partners, and women in business. The stakeholders articulated commitments and called upon governments to move swiftly in adopting GBV-specific legislation, trans-regional collaboration, establishment of secure centres, data management at borders, and the integration of private sector and community empowerment in efforts to combat GBV. "While trade holds the promise of prosperity, inclusivity, and sustainability in Africa, the shadows of gender-based violence persists, impeding the empowerment of women in trade," said Principal Secretary, State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action Ms Anne Wangombe. “This dialogue stands not just as an advocacy platform but...

Djibouti, September 25th, 2023:  The European Union (EU) is partnering with the Republic of Djibouti and the African Alliance for e-commerce to organise the ongoing 9th edition of the International Single Window Conference taking place in Djibouti from September 25 to 26, 2023. This conference highlights some of the investment opportunities and ongoing developments throughout the African continent that will enhance the efficiency of trade globally. The EU is supporting efforts in the region that will boost regional economic integration and facilitate regional trade aligned with the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). A key action under this partnership is the EU support to the Horn of Africa Initiative’s strategy, collaborating with the governments of the Republic of Djibouti and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The EU has committed €32 million to a programme dedicated to “Promoting regional economic integration in the Horn of Africa through the development of the Djibouti corridor” implemented by Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the aid-for-trade organisation TradeMark Africa (TMA). The programme is aiming at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of one of the most active economic corridors in Africa while promoting inclusive trade. This is achieved through trade processes digitalisation in government agencies to shorten the time required to get trade documents and accelerate the transit of goods along the corridor – from the Port of Djibouti to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital. Electronic Single Windows and cargo tracking systems are examples of such digital interventions. To marshal strategic partnerships...

Djibouti, le 25 Septembre 2023: L'Union européenne (UE) est partenaire de la République de Djibouti et de l'Alliance africaine pour le commerce électronique pour organiser la 9ème édition de la Conférence internationale sur le guichet unique, qui se tiendra à Djibouti du 25 au 26 septembre 2023. Cette conférence internationale met en lumière les opportunités d'investissement et les développements en cours sur le continent africain qui permettront d'améliorer l'efficacité du commerce au niveau mondial. L'UE soutient les efforts déployés dans la région pour stimuler l'intégration économique régionale et faciliter le commerce régional, conformément aux objectifs de la zone de libre-échange continentale africaine (ZLECAF). Une action clé de ce partenariat est le soutien de l'UE à la stratégie économique et commerciale de l'Initiative pour la Corne de l'Afrique, en collaboration avec les gouvernements de la République de Djibouti et de la République fédérale démocratique d'Éthiopie. L'UE a engagé 32 millions d'euros dans le cadre du programme "Promouvoir l'intégration économique régionale dans la Corne de l'Afrique par le développement du corridor de Djibouti", mis en œuvre par l'Agence Française de Développement (AFD) et l'organisation d'aide au commerce TradeMark Africa (TMA). Le programme vise à améliorer l'efficacité de l'un des corridors économiques les plus actifs d'Afrique, le Corridor de Djibouti, tout en encourageant le commerce inclusif. Cet objectif est possible grâce à la numérisation des processus commerciaux dans les agences gouvernementales, afin de réduire le temps nécessaire à l'obtention des documents commerciaux et d'accélérer le transit des marchandises le long du corridor -...

Nairobi, 12 July 2023: The East African Community (EAC) has developed and unveiled an online tool to measure the performance of the twenty two (22) One Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) across the region.  The EAC Secretary General, Hon. (Dr) Peter Mathuki unveiled the One Stop Border Post Performance Measurement Tool at the just ended 14th African Union High Level Private Sector Forum taking place in Nairobi this week. He announced the tool is now ready for use and that Partner States and stakeholders will embark on data collection, sensitisation on use and full roll out. OSPBs are an important infrastructure at border crossing points and contribute to spur intra-regional trade by reducing the costs of doing business through reduction of time and costs taken to cross borders. Further, OSBPs eliminate multiplicity of documentation associated with two-stop border post bureaucracies. Lack of data to inform decision making on major aspects such as OSBP performance, human resources and state of physical and digital infrastructure has often slowed down collective action for optimal performance of existing OSBPs. The One Stop Border Post Performance Measurement Tool will involve a range of measurements including time spent on administrative procedures, reduction of transport cost, reduction of inventory cost and increase of revenue collection and trade.  Custom administrators in the EAC region will use the data in the measurement tool to assess OSBP performance and institute improvement strategies.  Specifically, the Tool has been developed to provide the necessary mechanism to measure the performance of OSBPs on six...