Mozambique and Zimbabwe move to formalise joint border management at Forbes–Machipanda
Mozambique and Zimbabwe have taken steps to better coordinated and predictable cross-border trade following a bilateral meeting to advance the establishment of a Joint Border Committee (JBC) at the Forbes–Machipanda crossing, a key gateway on the Beira Corridor. The two-day meeting, held in Mutare, Zimbabwe, on 19-20 March 2026, brought together about 70 delegates from […]
Building Standards Systems to Enable Market Access and Value Capture in the DRC
Over four months, TradeMark Africa, with funding from the UK, delivered reforms to strengthen standards systems and trade competitiveness in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Standards Partnership Project focused on closing gaps in compliance, institutional coordination, and market readiness -areas that have constrained the country’s ability to compete and capture value in regional and […]
Africa Losing Billions as Trade Barriers Persist Despite Major Gains
The case for Africa as a global trade powerhouse is no longer in doubt. What remains unresolved is how quickly the continent’s leaders will act to remove barriers holding back growth. According to the East African Business Council (2023) report, East Africa loses an estimated $9–10 billion a year to non-tariff barriers, restrictions that continue […]
Kazungula OSBP begins 24-hour operations April 1
Preparations to transition the Kazungula One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) to 24-hour operations are underway, with full implementation scheduled for April 1. Addressing the Chobe District Development Committee recently, Kazungula Bridge Authority (KBA) executive director, Mr Mukela Muyonda confirmed that the authority had fast-tracked the rollout, following a directive from Presidents Duma Boko and Hakainde Hichilema […]
Ghana-Togo ministers target faster trade at Akanu–Noepe border
Ghana and Togo have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cross-border trade and improving operations at the Akanu – Noepe Joint Border Post, following a high-level ministerial meeting and handing-over ceremony. The meeting, supported by TradeMark Africa, brought together senior government officials, members of the National Trade Facilitation Committees, and representatives of border management agencies from […]
The Middle East crisis: A stress test for African trade resilience
The escalating Middle East crisis is emerging as a major stress test for Africa’s trade resilience, disrupting supply chains across the continent while also creating a potential opening for key ports in East and Southern Africa to capture more maritime traffic. With shipping once again diverting around the Cape of Good Hope amid the strategic […]
East Africa sets 2026 deadline to scrap trade barriers, but past disputes raise doubts
The decision, reached at the bloc’s 25th Ordinary Summit in Arusha on March 7, underscores efforts to remove longstanding obstacles that continue to slow the movement of goods across member states. Non-tariff barriers, ranging from bureaucratic delays and inconsistent standards to restrictive licensing regimes, have long raised the cost of doing business within the region. […]
Non-tariff barriers could hurt East Africa’s integration gains
For more than a decade, East Africa has steadily built one of the most compelling regional integration stories on the continent. Governments, working with development partners, have made significant investments in One-Stop Border Posts, and digital customs systems have replaced much of the physical paperwork that once slowed trade. This enables goods to be cleared […]
How compliance with good agricultural practices is transforming Kenya’s mango industry
When Rose took early retirement more than 30 years ago, she did not set out to join Kenya’s export economy. She simply wanted to make her farm work, because for a long time, it did not. The challenge was growing mangoes in a way that consistently met market expectations, and getting them to market before […]
President Hakainde Hichilema inaugurates upgraded Nakonde border post
Nakonde, Zambia, 19 March 2026: President Hakainde Hichilema on Thursday inaugurated the upgraded Nakonde One Stop Border Post on Zambia’s border with Tanzania, as Zambia seeks to reduce delays and lower the cost of moving goods along one of its busiest trade routes. The $12 million upgrade is expected to cut cargo clearance times by […]