Trade between the East African Community (EAC) and the rest of Africa is gathering pace, but new report, “Examining the Trade Patterns Between the EAC, ECOWAS and SADC” by TradeMark Africa, shows that growth remains concentrated in a handful of commodities, countries and corridors.

EAC trade with Africa reached an estimated $9.5 billion in the first quarter of 2025, up 53.9% from the same period in 2024, and accounted for 27.5% of the bloc’s global trade. The figures strengthen the case for Africa as an increasingly important market for East African businesses.

The fastest growth came from trade with West Africa. EAC–ECOWAS trade rose from approximately $431 million in 2016 to $1.4 billion in 2024. Yet the headline masks a deep imbalance. Imports from West Africa drove most of the increase, with gold accounting for 91% of them in 2024. East African exports remained modest and were led mainly by coconut, sisal products and tea.

Trade with Southern Africa is much larger, reaching approximately $16.6 billion in 2024. However, SADC’s share of the EAC’s global trade fell from about 25% in 2018 to 13% in 2024. Copper and precious metals comprised more than half of EAC exports to the region, highlighting limited movement into higher-value production. An estimated $1.5 billion of East Africa’s export potential to Southern Africa remains untapped.

Realising this potential will require far more effort than trade agreements. Harmonised standards, interconnected customs systems, efficient border posts, fewer checkpoints and faster resolution of non-tariff barriers are some of the issues that need to be dealt with. Africa’s trade is growing; the next test is making it broader, more balanced and more valuable.