Trade succeeds when systems work together. But when standards differ across borders, procedures are duplicated, and decisions depend on discretion, the cost of trade rises and confidence falls. Removing these barriers is crucial to the success of African businesses. TradeMark Africa exists to do this. In this last year, we have continued to strengthen the institutions, systems and cooperation that make trade predictable and verifiable. Working with governments, the private sector and partners, we have supported reforms along corridors, across borders and within value chains to address the constraints that shape who can trade, how quickly and at what cost.
Our policy focus this coming year will be on standards. Quality standards and sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS), are essential to increasing market access for traded goods. UN Trade and Development estimates that technical measures now regulate around two-thirds of world trade, while SPS requirements apply to almost all agricultural products.
Exporters must prove, quickly and repeatedly, that their goods meet the requirements of the next market, buyer and inspection. This is reasonable, as buyers want evidence that a product is safe, traceable and compliant, and regulators demand the same. But it comes at a cost to the producer – not only in ensuring compliance but also in demonstrating that compliance, through certifications and verifications.
That is why TradeMark Africa puts standards at the centre of its work. We have supported Partner States in the East African Community (EAC) to adopt more than 100 updated, harmonised standards across major traded sectors, including horticulture, fisheries, dairy and petroleum products. This has contributed to a regional base of more than 2,000 EAC standards aligned to international practice. TradeMark Africa has helped to translate this into useable measures, including through conformity assessments that determine how products are tested, inspected and certified.
The next element is the wherewithal to carry out assessments. Where laboratory capacity is weak, delays turn standards into penalties. At Nakonde, on the Zambia-Tanzania border, we have supported upgrades to phytosanitary laboratory capacity, and the adoption of mutual recognition arrangements between the two countries. These benefits came into play during the 2025 drought response, when 100 metric tonnes of maize were cleared with zero rejections, while testing times fell from 72 hours to under 30, protecting food security without lowering safety controls. In Kenya, new laboratory equipment at KEPHIS expanded testing for complex pesticide residues, strengthening the credibility of certification with buyers and regulators. In West Africa, we trained more than 80 regulators and 80 enterprises in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire on HACCP, export certification and phytosanitary standards, strengthening readiness for formal markets.
Assessing and verifying standards also requires digital systems. Electronic phytosanitary certification systems now in Mozambique have, for example, reduced processing times for exporters from 12 days to two to three days, while the Kenya Revenue Authority digital customs self-declaration lowered reliance on intermediaries for low-value trade.
We have also rolled out sector-wide learning platforms, including Ethiopia’s Horti-Campus, to reduce training costs while strengthening compliance across value chains. By embedding compliance into operations, these systems help businesses adapt as requirements evolve.
Integrated solutions require not only a full spectrum approach, but also a transnational one to deliver the changes that businesses want to see. We have supported the EAC to launch a TradeMark Africa facilitated pilot customs bond, streamlining movement of over $35 billion in goods and freeing nearly $2 billion tied up in overlapping guarantees. Additionally, Central Bank governors have endorsed a Cross-Border Payment System Masterplan developed with TradeMark Africa’s technical support, moving progress towards interoperable payments across East Africa. We have also worked with National Trade Facilitation Committees in Djibouti, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana and Uganda to align national priorities with regional and continental commitments.
The task ahead is consolidation. Harmonised standards must be applied consistently. Digital systems must remain resilient and interoperable. Physical infrastructure must be maintained and operated as part of a wider clearance system, and the private sector must be engaged as
a user of the rules. I hope that, as you read this report, you will see how these interventions have translated into real world outcomes for businesses and ordinary people.
David Beer
Chief Executive Officer, TradeMark Africa