Publié le: 28 février 2024 Cette année a été marquée par de nouveaux départs. En janvier, lors d'une cérémonie présidée par le secrétaire général de la Zone de libre-échange continentale africaine (ZLECA), Son Excellence Wamkele Mene, TradeMark East Africa est devenue TradeMark Africa (TMA). Ce changement reflète les résultats obtenus par TMA dans la Corne de l'Afrique, en Afrique australe et en Afrique de l'Ouest (où TMA a désormais ouvert un bureau permanent à Accra) et continuera à se développer géographiquement ; mais il est également important de noter que le continent se rassemble avec un nouvel élan politique pour stimuler le commerce intra-africain dans toute la région, une ambition que TMA s'engage fermement à soutenir. Il s'agit d'un des volets de la nouvelle stratégie que TMA a élaborée cette année pour les sept prochaines années. Notre stratégie 3, qui va de juillet 2023 à juin 2030, vise à mettre en place un commerce durable et inclusif pour l'Afrique. Nous y parviendrons en mettant l'accent sur six portefeuilles:    La stratégie 3 s'appuie sur l'expérience significative et la crédibilité de TMA dans la réalisation de résultats pour les clients du secteur public et privé au cours de la dernière décennie et demie. À titre d'exemple, notre soutien au guichet unique électronique ougandais a permis de réduire le temps de dédouanement de 79 % depuis 2014 et de diviser par deux le coût de la certification. Parallèlement, l'autorité fiscale tanzanienne et les commerçants de bétail (le pays possède le deuxième plus...

This has been a year of new beginnings. In January, in a ceremony presided over by the Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), His Excellency Wamkele Mene, TradeMark East Africa became TradeMark Africa (TMA). This move reflects TMA’s success in delivering results in the Horn of Africa, Southern Africa and West Africa (where TMA has now opened a full office, in Accra) and will continue to grow geographically; but importantly also, the continent is coming together with a renewed political momentum to drive intra-African trade across the region, an ambition that TMA is firmly committed to supporting. This is one strand of the new seven-year strategy that TMA developed this year. Our Strategy 3 spanning July 2023 to June 2030, aims to Build Sustainable and Inclusive Trade for Africa. We will achieve this through focusing on six portfolios: Strategy 3 builds on TMA’s significant track record and credibility in delivering results for clients in Government and the private sector over the last decade and a half. For example, our support for the Uganda electronic single window has reduced clearance time by 79% since 2014, and halved the cost of certification. Meanwhile, both the Tanzania Revenue Authority and livestock traders (the country contains the second highest volume of livestock in Africa) have benefited from the automation of licences, permits and trading certificates, meaning that it now takes just one hour to issue a livestock permit that used to take up to two weeks. And in Somaliland, a...

It is a privilege to witness the growth of TradeMark Africa (TMA) as it reimagines and reshapes trade dynamics across Africa. TMA’s transformative approach and successful outcomes have firmly established it as an effective vehicle for donor investment in trade development; consequently, donor confidence has remained steady over the years. TMA’s dedication to overcoming challenges – seen in its trade development successes in frontier environments, its power to convene governments to support a singular trade agenda within economic blocks, its innovative approach during COVID-19, and its ability to deliver tangible results in complex environments – has deepened our confidence and pride in being part of the trade development journey. TMA’s mission remains important, not just for donors, but also for governments, regional economic communities, the private sector, civil society organisations, and like-minded development agencies in Africa and beyond. In the past year, TMA’s strategic expansion into new territories, particularly West Africa, has not only marked a significant milestone in its operational footprint, but also demonstrated its ability to adapt and thrive in diverse environments.  This has been propelled by a strong governance system, with dynamic engagement from the Board and Council of Donors, both of which have served to harmonise and propel the organisation forward. TMA has consistently demonstrated its capacity to bridge critical infrastructure gaps and enhance digital trade capabilities, thereby cementing its role as a key player in Africa’s trade narrative over the next decade. The robustness of its approach going forward lies in its ability to align...

In the past year, TradeMark Africa made significant strides in enhancing trade in our 14 countries of operation. Our journey, marked by the opening of our new office in Accra, Ghana, symbolises more than geographic expansion; it represents our evolution into a pan-African entity, dedicated to fostering trade and development through improvement of physical and digital infrastructure, notably on the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor. While we celebrate our achievements, we acknowledge the challenges faced globally in the past year – with geopolitical tensions evolving, and economic upheavals that have disrupted global supply chains. Yet, these adversities have not deterred us; rather, they have reinforced the centrality of trade in our collective recovery and progress. It is time for countries, regional economic communities, and development partners to build a unified front for fruitful trade engagements. Our alignment with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) principles, building on the strength of the Regional Economic Communities across the continent, underscores our commitment to transforming Africa’s trade landscape. Our initiatives, deeply rooted in the principles of creating one African market and boosting Africa’s income from trade, aim to bridge infrastructure gaps and catalyse growth. We believe in the power of trade to unite nations, leveraging their unique strengths for shared prosperity. Our ambitious Strategy 3 Plan (2023-2030) outlines our roadmap to elevate intra-African trade and Africa’s global trade presence and builds on past experiences. We witnessed transformative impacts from our first two strategies (2010-2023): the dramatic reduction in border crossing times, by over 70% in...

In 2019, TradeMark Africa and the IOTA Foundation partnered to change trade processes by removing bottlenecks associated with paperwork, lack of access to information and slow approvals. Under the Trade Logistics Information Pipeline (TLIP) programme, TMA and IOTA set out to develop and implement an electronic exchange of trade information across borders, aiming to reduce transaction costs and time. In 2022-2023, the system’s piloting stage was completed, showcasing the scalability of the technology. The piloting stage, involving 10 exporters and 76 consignments, was characterised by the deployment of TLIP infrastructure to capture relevant documentation, to include invoices, packing lists, bills of laden, declarations and health certificates.  All documentation related to coffee, tea, flowers, frozen fish and canned food trade flows. The TLIP infrastructure is integrated with the Government of Kenya’s Single Window Information for Trade platform, known as KenTrade, which provides access to international trade administration documentation. For example, TLIP will fetch original export declaration certificates from the KenTrade system, avoiding the need to both duplicate entering of information and to store multiple copies of records. UK government border agencies, through access provided to the infrastructure, view and interrogate supply chain documentation up to three weeks ahead of consignment arrival, allowing for agencies to begin relevant risk assessments.  TLIP enables border agencies to have timely access to original supply chain data and to export declarations and licences directly from the source, better informing clearance decisions. Traders benefit from greater predictability of access to customs facilities while crossing borders, which in-turn...

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...

Amid concerns over Ethiopia's geopolitical situation and its quest for sea access, significant progress in the development of the Berbera-Addis Transit Corridor presents a promising avenue towards fostering regional stability and economic growth. Central to these efforts is the collaboration spearheaded by Trade Catalyst Africa (TCA) and TradeMark Africa (TMA) focusing on transforming the Tog Wajaale border, a key choke point on the corridor, into an operational One-Stop Border Post (OSBP). This transformation will improve border facilities and streamline trade procedures, which will potentially boost trade volumes on the Corridor by up to 30%, says Trade Catalyst Africa CEO, Duncan Onyango. Ethiopia, the world's most populous landlocked country, heavily relies on Djibouti for over 90% of its international trade. Recent comments by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed about Ethiopia's need for sea access, combined with historical disputes over the Eritrean Red Sea port of Assab, have raised concerns about potential conflict. However, Ethiopia's commitment to peaceful development, as reiterated by Mr. Abiy, is reflected in the concerted efforts to establish multiple trade routes through development, and a case in point here is the Berbera Corridor. The Berbera Port, significantly upgraded by international partners like Dubai Port World, is a viable additional route for Ethiopia's trade. This development is crucial in diversifying Ethiopia trade routes in a stable and sustainable manner, with projections indicating the potential to manage up to 30% of the country's trade volumes. Resolving issues at Tog Wajaale, a crucial border in this Corridor is integral to leveraging this development fully. Angus Miller, Regional Advisor for the Horn of Africa at TradeMark Africa, underscores the...

The East African Community (EAC) is set to launch a regional bond to enhance trade facilitation in the region and provide a cheaper and more efficient solution for the business community. This was revealed during a meeting between the EAC Secretariat and stakeholders to discuss the procedures and benefits of the regional bond in comparison to the COMESA Regional Customs Transit Guarantee (RCTG) and to get feedback from the stakeholders. Kagriel Kino, a representative from the Secretariat said the regional bond will serve as a substitute for the member nations and not a replacement for the COMESA RCTG bond which is currently being used. “We became aware of the shortcomings of the COMESA RCTG bond and have developed a cheaper and more efficient solution for the business community in order to guarantee that bond issuers in each of the EAC partner states have access to a larger pool of liquidity in a single market,” he noted. The EAC regional bond intends to reduce the costs of bonds, guarantees, and collaterals charged by sureties, as well as the costs of bonds and guarantees charged by insurance and customs clearing agents. This is in addition to the reduction of delays at border posts, the simplification of the clearing process, the provision of business opportunities to all citizens of member states, and the minimization of revenue leakages. The system will also be interfaced with the National Customs System to provide a timely update on transit entry declarations. In his remarks, Abel Kagumire, Commissioner of...

Finland's Development Policy Committee visited the Port of Mombasa on 1 November 2023, where they were hosted by the Kenya Ports Authority‘s Managing Director Captain William Ruto to witness our joint trade facilitation projects. The delegation, including Finnish MPs, civil society actors and government representatives, led by Finland Deputy Head of Mission to Kenya and TMA's Council Chair Otto Kivinen, saw how our partnership to improve the ports’ digital and physical infrastructure and build capacities has reduced cargo evacuation time. Finland’s investment in a modern cruise ship terminal at the port, in partnership with the Government of Kenya, is a beacon of economic opportunity, is a major boost to the coastal region’s  tourism industry. And guess what, the port is eagerly awaiting a cruise call on Saturday, 4 November, promising a ripple effect of economic gains in Lamu and Mombasa. Some of our other results include truck turnaround time at the Port of Mombasa dropping from 7.2 to 3.5 days, fuelling a 5.7% annual growth in cargo throughput from 2016 to 2020. Select One Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) across East Africa have reduced truck crossing times by an average of 70%, saving traders time and money. For over a decade, Finland has been a pivotal partner in TMA's journey, providing essential EUR 26.9 million in core funding. This steadfast support has fuelled innovation, sustainability and amplified our impact in driving prosperity through trade. Together, we have empowered businesses across TMA countries of operation, cultivating a more dynamic trade environment and catalysing cross-border...

The Government of Kenya's commitment to fast-track the construction of the Homa Bay Pier and other trade facilitation initiatives along the shores of Lake Victoria is expected to spur regional trade by reducing the time and costs of doing business. During his recent 4-day visit to the Nyanza region, Kenya's President, William Ruto, launched several infrastructure and logistics projects, including commissioning of the newly built MV Uhuru II cargo ship at the Kisumu Shipyard, construction of the Homa Bay pier, and several roads slated for an upgrade to bitumen standards. These projects are proof of the productive partnerships between the Kenyan government and its development partners, aimed at enhancing digital and physical infrastructure, thereby boosting efficiency in trade and transport sectors. The pier, a structure extending from the shoreline into the lake, will facilitate the loading and unloading of cargo from ships. It is part of a series of efforts to enhance the connectivity of Kisumu in Kenya to Entebbe and Jinja in Uganda, and Mwanza in Tanzania via the lake, deepening trade and transport across the three countries and generating thousands of direct and indirect jobs. The construction of the pier is scheduled for completion in six months and is fully funded by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA). The design and supervision works are funded by Denmark through TradeMark Africa. Civil works entail the rehabilitation of the causeway and jetty head, the construction of standard buildings, including a waiting lounge and attendant amenities, a cargo warehouse, a perimeter fence,...