Fruit Fly Menace Targeted in Push to Open EU Market for Makueni Mangoes
Makueni, Kenya. 16 September 2025 – Makueni County has launched a major effort to reopen European Union markets for its mangoes, deploying 15,000 fruit fly traps to farmers across the county. The initiative, supported by TradeMark Africa (TMA) through the European Union-funded Business Environment and Export Enhancement Programme (EU-BEEEP), targets fruit fly infestation, the single […]
In new climate-linked trade rules, compliance and traceability that travels with goods opens markets and cuts emissions
A high-level panel, “Reforming Trade and Investment Frameworks to Support Economic and Climate Resilience in Africa”, at the Africa Climate Summit on 9 September 2025 delivered a clear message with far-reaching consequences for exporters, consumers and investors across the continent. If Africa aligns its rulebooks, builds trusted digital rails and mobilises capital at scale, the […]
Digital systems could cut barriers and costs in Africa’s fish trade
Africa’s fisheries stakeholders used a high-level dialogue at the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025) on 5 September 2025 to push for a shift from policy to practice on digital trade, arguing that better tools could unlock markets for women and youth and make the sector more resilient. Convened by the African Continental Free Trade Area […]
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 […]
Moving Africa’s high-potential value chains from policy ambition to action and market access
Can Africa become more self-sufficient by trading more with itself? What will it take to turn ambitious trade policies into food on people’s plates and income in their pockets? And how can young entrepreneurs benefit more from regional markets that too often remain beyond their reach? These questions were at the centre of discussions in […]
The Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, Myriam Montrat, has stressed the African Continental Free Trade Agreement’s (AfCFTA) capacity to enable economies to scale and position Africa as a more competitive player in global value chains.
However, she said its success depends on translating policy goals into tangible business support systems such as the needed concrete tools, financing, and market intelligence for entrepreneurs to seize cross-border opportunities. “AfCFTA provides a unique platform to now further reduce trade barriers and harmonise regulations. It also provides a platform to enable economies of scale […]
East Africa’s Open Borders – Gains Made but Gaps Remain
The East African Community (EAC) has made notable progress in easing the movement of people across borders, placing it alongside West Africa’s ECOWAS as a continental leader. Yet, according to Alan Hirsch, Senior Research Fellow at the New South Institute and Emeritus Professor at the University of Cape Town, “there is still a long way […]
Unlocking East Africa’s trade potential via green logistics
Kenya’s recent investments in transport infrastructure signal a strategic shift. The standard gauge railway (SGR), the Naivasha Inland Container Depot (ICD), and the introduction of reefer-enabled services have laid the groundwork for a more agile and climate-aligned logistics system. These developments have the potential to reshape East Africa’s role in global agricultural trade, particularly for […]
Southern African revenue authorities to interlink their customs systems to fast-track cross-border trade
Revenue authorities from Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have agreed on a plan to fast-track the implementation of an integrated customs-to-customs (C2C) data exchange in efforts to accelerate trade, increase revenue collection, and curb illicit cross-border flows. The officials renewed this commitment on 27 August 2025 in Lusaka, at the close of a three-day meeting […]