Rwanda’s SOUK Farms marks milestone with inaugural 24-tonne avocado shipment to the EU
Rwanda began on a high with SOUK Farms, a Value-added Initiative to Boost Employment (VIBE) programme participant, dispatching its inaugural consignment of Hass avocados to the European Union (EU) on 4 September 2025. Weighing in at 24 tonnes, the shipment travelled from Kigali via the Mombasa–Rotterdam Sea route, marking the company’s transition to full capacity […]
Rwanda’s meat sector receives a boost as young inspectors step up to the plate on standards enforcement
When 29-year-old veterinary graduate Ernest Ngabonziza completed his six-month training as a private meat inspector (PMI) in June 2025, he walked away with a certificate and a vision for both sustainable employment and a chance to build something bigger in his life. Prior to this, he was practicing as a veterinary officer for seven years […]
How a Kenyan Cooperative is Turning Compliance into a Catalyst for Rural Prosperity
Murang’a County, a significant avocado-producing region in Kenya, contributes 40% of the national output, valued at over $3.5 million. Most homes in the area have small orchards, which have become crucial for rural livelihoods. While cities like Madrid and Stockholm offer lucrative markets for avocados, Murang’a farmers, like others in Kenya, face barriers to entry. […]
Faith and farming drive a Tanzanian export success story
Beneath the scorching sun, Pastor Clement Manyata, the CEO of Fresh Field, walks through rows of lush green fields, watching as workers carefully harvest fresh vegetables. Nearby, crates are stacked in neat aisles, ready for export. Such a sight once felt like an impossible dream. Today, Fresh Field Manyatta exports vegetables, including bitter gourd (bitter […]
Juiced up for success – How a Rwandan entrepreneur is turning fruit into fortune
Hawa Chloe Niyigena, Whiz Upp Founder, turned a small fruit-processing business into a cross-border success. Cross-border trade in Africa is rarely about just having a good product. For most small businesses, the real hurdle is compliance, meeting multiple national and regional standards that determine whether, for example, a fruit puree clears customs or gets turned […]
Tanzanian women traders find a digital lifeline and expand their businesses through iSOKO
Getruda Mushi CEO of Muge Africart holding on of her products. In Tanzania, where informal trade is widespread and access to markets and finance remains patchy, digital tools are beginning to reshape how small businesses operate. Platforms like iSOKO, a digital platform developed by TMA with support from Global Affairs Canada, help bridge the gap, […]
Cooperatives catalyse safer and more profitable trade for women at the Kenya-Uganda border
Asmin Abdalla shares a moment with Mariam Mbaabu, chair of Busia Women Cross-Border Traders Cooperative. As the sun rises over Busia, the bustling border town between Kenya and Uganda comes to life. Traders haggle over prices, trucks roll through customs, and the scent of fresh fish fills the air. Among them is Natocho Susan Charity, […]
How Uganda’s logistics platform improved the trade environment and why it should continue
Kenneth Ayebare, Director of Transport and Logistics at Private Sector Foundation Uganda, speaks on how the National Logistics Platform transformed Uganda’s logistics sector. “Transport and logistics are the backbone of the economy. Every sector relies on it. Without an efficient logistics system, trade slows, businesses struggle, and economies suffer,” states Kenneth Ayebare, Director, Transport and […]
Enhancing professionalism and efficiency in East Africa’s customs clearance through professional certification
Ondoga Job Filbert, a customs liaison officer at APM Terminals Uganda, stands in front of a Maersk truck. Once a hopeful graduate, Filbert’s journey into logistics was shaped by regional training and certification efforts. For years, East Africa’s borders were chokepoints. Cargo often sat idle for days, and one of the reasons was the lack […]
Digitalisation is changing trade, but we’re not there yet
Reflections from the EU-Kenya Business Forum 2025 At this week’s EU-Kenya Business Forum in Nairobi, TMA’s Director for Digital Trade, Erick Sirali, led a conversation on how digitalisation is transforming customs and trade facilitation. There was an acknowledgement that while Africa has made progress in digitalisation, the work ahead is considerable. We are talking, fragmented systems, redundant […]