On October 4, 2024, Bahage Foods Ltd made history as the first Rwandan woman-led business—and the fourth ever in Rwanda—to export a full container of 22 tonnes of Hass avocadoes. This achievement highlights the immense growth potential of Rwanda’s agricultural exports, especially for horticultural businesses led by young women, who face compounded, gendered barriers in accessing productive resources, packaging, start-up capital, business capacity-building, and financing to scale up and unlock new markets. With this shipment set to arrive in the United Arab Emirates in the coming weeks, Bahage Foods Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Angel Uwantege’s breakthrough proves that with access to the right resources and opportunities—including market information, market access opportunities through trade fairs and missions, as well as capacity-enhancing training programs on confidence building, communication, negotiation, pitching, and marketing—young Rwandan women entrepreneurs can drive agribusiness exports, an area of high economic growth potential for Rwanda.   According to the officials this shipment set to arrive in the United Arab Emirates in the coming weeks. Uwantege has received market access support through the Value-added Initiative to Boost Employment (VIBE) for Women-led Businesses Programme, which is co-implemented by TradeMark Africa and the International Trade Centre (ITC), and in partnership with Mastercard Foundation. The VIBE Programme aims to create gender-inclusive market opportunities in the agricultural value chain so that young women can become an engine for the country’s export-led growth. “Bahage Foods Ltd is one of the pioneers of horticulture exporters in Rwanda, a sector that has not existed for many years. We started like any other small company, facing many challenges that...

In today's interconnected global economy, Africa has tremendous potential for intra-continental trade. However, unlocking this potential goes beyond policies and trade agreements; it requires trust in the quality of products and services exchanged across borders. Accreditation builds this trust by ensuring competent testing solutions. Accreditation is the formal recognition, by an authoritative body like the Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS) that an organisation such as a laboratory or certification body, meets internationally recognised standards. This recognition ensures accuracy and reliability, which are critical for businesses, consumers, and regulators. KENAS is a partner in next month's The All-Things Lab and Testing Expo and Dialogue (ATLT 2024), where key sectors will discuss, amongst other critical issues, how accredited testing facilitates trade and ensures public safety. Accreditation thus provides confidence that products and services meet quality and safety requirements. In global trade, unreliable testing can lead to product rejections, disputes, and economic losses. By ensuring that products meet international safety and quality standards, accredited labs minimise risks for businesses and consumers alike. The success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) depends on trust between countries. Reliable testing underpins that trust, allowing goods to flow across borders smoothly. Read: Kenya to conduct tests on fish exports Accredited labs ensure that products meet consistent standards, reducing the need for retesting and facilitating market access. For instance, agricultural products from Kenya must meet stringent safety standards in other African countries. Accredited testing ensures these products meet those standards, building confidence in cross-border trade. For businesses...

Customs clearing agents are among those lauding the one-stop border post (OSBP) concept as a key enabler of efficient trade facilitation in the country. Malawi currently has one fully operational OSBP at the Mchinji– Mwami Border, with the post at Dedza awaiting the completion of a similar facility on the Mozambican side to become fully functional. The construction of the new post at Dedza is reported to have reduced the time that travellers, traders, clearing agents, and other stakeholders spend visiting all the required offices. At Dedza, truck driver Fred Moziyane from South Africa noted that while Mozambican border officials have yet to relocate to the Malawian structure, processes on the Malawian side are faster. “Due to the modern design of the facility, which houses all border officials under one roof, we can complete all our tasks in one place. “In the past, we had to move from one building to another to have our documents checked and stamped,” Moziyane said. Prince Kaiwawile, a clearing agent at Mchinji OSBP, explained that the streamlining of services has enabled them to clear more cargo efficiently. “Consignments are processed more quickly because import and export formalities are handled in a single building,” Kaiwawile said. He added that previously, when Malawi and Zambia operated from separate buildings, clearing goods would take days, whereas now it is done in a matter of hours. MRA Marketing Communications Manager Wilma Chalulu said that, according to station managers at Dedza and Mchinji OSBPs, the concept has led to...

Dar es Salaam. The East African Community (EAC) member states have been challenged to embrace technology to facilitate cross-border payments within the regional common market. The regional body says technological innovation in the area would enable cross-border traders and investors to pay and receive payments for goods and services through a cost-effective payment system, therefore increasing intra-regional systems, trade, and investment. EAC made the call during the recent two-day roundtable discussion on the coordination of EAC donor support in the payment systems, which took place at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. The forum has brought together development partners, partner states, central banks and the EAC secretariat experts on payments and settlement systems. In her speech, the EAC secretary general, Ms Veronica Nduva, said central banks in partner states should embrace technological changes to facilitate cross-border payments in the region. She underscored challenges facing the region, including the low uptake of the East African Payments System (EAPS) due to limited capacity, lack of interoperability, communication gaps between central banks and stakeholders, fear of online scams, protectionism by central banks, and overlapping membership by partner states to payment systems set up by different regional economic communities. She said that launched in 2014, the EAPS is a secure, effective, and efficient funds transfer system aimed to enhance the efficiency and safety of payments and settlements within the region. “Central banks are responsible for putting in place an efficient payments and settlements system for the region. Unlike many markets in goods and services,...

The East African Community (EAC) may have to blame itself for slow trade between its partner States, even though the bloc has some of the most ambitious business protocols on the continent. In spite of these, trade between members has reduced from 16 percent to 14 percent in recent years, signaling persistent protectionism and defiance of the bloc’s policies. The EAC passed the Customs Union, and Common Market Protocol but private sector members drawn from the eight partner States under their umbrella body, the East African Business Council, argue that a new approach to the EAC integration is urgently required to reverse the trend. They presented their views to the Ms Veronica Nduva, the EAC Secretary General, at an event this week. They spoke at the EABC- CEOs- EAC Secretary General Round Table held in Arusha on August 21, 2024. EABC vice chairperson Dennis Karera said trade in services has suffered most. “Lack of harmonisation of mutual recognition of professionals, failure to abolish work permits and implement the EAC trade dispute remedies, liberalisation of air transport services, harmonisation of domestic taxes and elimination of long-standing non-tariff barriers are hampering the EAC,” said Mr Karera. Mr Karera said the last seven years have not been good for the business community between the EAC and the EABC, terming growth pace as slow. It is the period member States were supposed to completely accommodate the protocols, however. “In the recent past, we have been trading at 16 percent but today, we have dropped...

Minister of state in charge of Economic Monitoring in the Office of the President Beatrice Akello Akori has commended the operationalization of the Nairobi and Naivasha Inland Container Depots (ICDs), which she said will boost transit trade along the Northern corridor. The Northern Corridor road network covers approximately 12.707 kilometers in length, distributed as follows; 567 in Burundi, 4162km DRC, 1328.6kmKenya, 1,039.4km in Rwanda, 3,543km, in South Sudan and Uganda  2,072km. Akello made the remarks on Friday while leading a delegation that was assessing the multi-modal transport infrastructure along the Northern Corridor. The aim of the tour was to understand challenges in the route so as to discuss ways of improving regional trade and transport efficiency. Minister of state in charge of Economic Monitoring in the Office of the President Beatrice Akello Akori (L) has commended the operationalization of the Nairobi and Naivasha Inland Container Depots (ICDs), which she said will boost transit trade along the Northern corridor. (Courtesy Photo) She also commended the seamless clearing processes at both the ICDS which she said allows trades to pay less in demurrage charges, hence increasing Uganda’s exports and import volumes. During the same mission, Akello held discussions with officials from the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), and Kenya Railways stationed at the facilities. In order to ease trade along the corridor, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has put in place incentives targeting transit customers utilizing the two depots, which they say has made them competitive in the region. According...

Rubavu port has been opened for the pilot phase of operations, beginning with the cargo terminal. The pilot phase, which began on June 1, 2024, has been “progressing well,” according to officials from Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA). The agency is currently in the process of finding a private operator to manage the port. Located in Nyamyumba Sector, Rubavu District, the facility was completed in December 2023. Currently, RTDA, in collaboration with the Rwanda National Police-Marine Unit, is overseeing operations during the test phase. Official data from RTDA indicate that the project cost of Rubavu Port amounts to $7.8 million (more than Rwf10 billion). The Rubavu port lies at 2 ha, in Rubavu District, Nyamyumba Sector at the shores of Lake Kivu. Photos by Germain Nsanzimana The Rubavu Port is poised to enhance tourism and cross-border trade between Rwanda and the DR Congo. Cargo handling of loading, offloading, and docking are some of the services being delivered at the port, marking a significant milestone in the transportation sector. The opening of Rubavu Port is expected to significantly boost business and navigation on Lake Kivu. Local traders have already begun to benefit from the improved facilities, allowing for comfortable transportation of goods to Bukavu and Goma cities in DR Congo. “We have seen significant changes from the old port,” said Jean Dusengimana, 56, a resident of Nyamasheke District. “We load cargo very comfortably; boat docking is now easier. Before the new port, we could not sleep out of fear that our...

Failure to harmonise and enact a full standardisation law is affecting intra trade within the East Africa with Uganda on the spot for stalling the enactment of the EAC Standards Act. The process is also very slow thereby affecting business as more than half the members are yet to meet the threshold required. Global and regional trade depends on standards, quality assurance, metrology and testing to establish confidence between customers and suppliers. Within the EAC, it is the legal structure that is yet to be fully in place further jeopardising trends on standards, quality assurance metrology and testing activities that are essential to improve productivity and ensure social and economic development in the region. Indeed, the EAC Secretary General Veronica Nduva is concerned that despite efforts to ensure legislation on standards, a decision by Uganda is holding the Bill from being enacted thereby stalling the legal process. Read original article

Increasing infrastructure development along the main transport routes in the East African Community bloc could threaten business along the Northern Corridor, even though it could be a good thing for the region. Officials charged with managing the Northern Corridor have been assessing this bittersweet revelation with hope, seeing threats on the one hand and an overall rise in efficiency of travel and transportation on the other. The Northern Corridor originates from Kenya’s Mombasa port but is the main artery of supplies for countries like South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Its rival, the Central Corridor, flows from Dar es Salaam and is the supply route to Burundi, DRC, Uganda and Rwanda. For years, the Northern Corridor received more business, profiting from a busier port in Mombasa, better-paved highways and a standard gauge railway (SGR). The Central Corridor has been upgrading its facilities too. On the face of it, it means the Northern Corridor might start losing business to the competition. But not if it upgrades itself too. Incoming Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) executive secretary John Deng Diar Diing from South Sudan said he would prioritise road safety and the development of infrastructure, and an upgrade could be one way to retain clientele. Dr Diing takes over from outgoing boss Omae Nyarandi from Kenya, whose term ends this month. He said insecurity and increasing non-tariff barriers (NTBs) remain key hindrances to trade as Kenya competes with Tanzania for business. The Council of...

Le Mozambique envisage de louer une partie de son port de Nacala, dans le nord du pays, au Malawi, pays voisin enclavé. L'accord vise à stimuler les relations commerciales entre les deux pays. Pour officialiser l'initiative, le président mozambicain Filipe Nyusi et son homologue malawite, Lazarus Chakwera, ont signé la semaine dernière les accords initiaux de l'accord de concession. Le Mozambique disposera ainsi d'un espace dans le port de Nacala, que le Malawi pourra transformer en terminal pour ses marchandises. « Les accords bénéficieront aux deux pays, car ils sont des instruments qui visent à permettre des initiatives déjà en cours, telles que le projet d'électrification conjoint Mozambique-Malawi appelé MOMA », a expliqué M. Nyusi. Le port de Nacala fait partie du corridor de développement de Nacala, développé conjointement par le Malawi, la Zambie et le Mozambique. L'objectif est de faciliter la connectivité régionale et l'accès à la mer pour les pays enclavés que sont le Malawi et la Zambie. Le corridor comprend un réseau routier de 722 miles, une réhabilitation ferroviaire reliée à la capitale du Malawi, Lilongwe, et des postes frontières à guichet unique (OSBP) entre les pays concernés. Plus précisément, le port de Nacala s'est avéré compétitif pour les intérêts économiques nationaux du Malawi. La National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA) a récemment commencé à importer environ 15 millions de litres de carburant par Nacala, en utilisant le transport ferroviaire. Grâce à cette expédition, le Malawi réduira progressivement sa dépendance vis-à-vis des ports de Beira (Mozambique), Durban...