Why collaborative public-private action is a catalyst for East Africa’s trade future

_______________

OPINION

By Anataria Uwamariya

In East Africa, the collaboration between public and private sector actors is proving to be a powerful force in shaping inclusive economic development. While traditional Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are often associated with infrastructure financing, a quieter, more transformative form of collaboration is unfolding—one rooted in shared purpose, mutual benefit, and inclusive growth.

As governments work to create enabling environments for trade and investment, the private sector brings innovation, agility, and deep market understanding. When these forces are aligned, they unlock opportunities that neither could achieve alone.

At TradeMark Africa (TMA), public-private collaboration is at the heart of our approach. We work with national and local governments, business associations, women’s groups, and regional institutions to co-create solutions that reduce barriers to trade, promote inclusion, and drive sustainability. And the results speak for themselves.

Our model of engagement is geared towards facilitating regional trade and boosting economic growth through market access and digital innovation, policy advocacy and regulatory reforms; capacity building and technical assistance; and standardisation and trade facilitation.

When it comes to market access and digital innovation, the iSOKO, Sauti Trade and Market Information, and the Tanzanian Mercantile Exchange (TMX) are some of the digital platforms that have resulted from our engagement with public and private entities.

The iSoko platform, for example—a digital marketplace developed to support women traders across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi- is a major win when it comes to market access and digital innovation.

Created through partnerships with national chambers of commerce and women entrepreneurs’ associations, iSOKO offers market access, networking opportunities, and real-time trade information to thousands of women, many of whom operate in the informal sector. Accessible via smartphone or even basic mobile phones through USSD, the platform is a real example of what locally relevant, technology-enabled trade can look like.

In Kenya, our collaboration with players in the horticulture sector resulted into the launch of the Sauti Trade and Market Information online platform. The platform has connected more than 1000 Kenyan farmers and traders to export markets.  It provides some 428 producers and traders with valuable market insights, helping them secure financing, improve their ability to meet market quality standards, and increase incomes.

The Tanzania Mercantile Exchange (TMX) online trading platform is a game-changer too. It helps Tanzanian farmers, traders, and exporters access domestic and global markets by ensuring fair commodity prices. The platform allows farmers to make informed decisions based on real-time and forecast price trends. In 2022, TMX expanded its online trading system to include cocoa and coffee.

From July 2022 to June 2023, over 1 million kilograms of cocoa were traded, earning farmers approximately $1.9 million. Cocoa prices rose by 34% compared to the previous year. In Kagera, over 46,000 metric tonnes of coffee were sold, and the prices of Arabica and Robusta coffee more than doubled, thanks to the TMX platform.

Our collaborations have ensured many businesses benefit from capacity building and technical assistance, which is essential in addressing challenges related to regional trade and inclusive economic development. Capacity building and technical assistance are crucial for boosting regional trade by strengthening human, and institutional capabilities, which are essential for effective participation in international trade.

In Burundi, over 1,000 women cross-border traders from various regions received training in financial management and entrepreneurship through a programme organised by TMA and Kazozah Keza Association. Following the training, 40 cooperatives were formally registered, and 16 submitted business plans to microfinance institutions.

Fifty key industry players have also been trained on the implementation of East African Standards, with a focus on conformity assessments and mutual recognition. This has enhanced trust and ensured consistent product quality across borders.

The EAC Logistics Sector Skills Enhancement Programme, supported by TMA, has successfully addressed the skills gap in the logistics industry by offering targeted training, a standardised curriculum, and support for small and medium-sized businesses.

As part of the programme, the updated East Africa Customs Freight Forwarding Practising Certificate (EACFFPC) curriculum certified over 100 professionals. A Continuous Professional Development (CPD) framework reached another 800 professionals, and an e-learning platform attracted 500 trainees.

In Tanzania, our collaboration with the Tanzania Women Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Community Development led to a review of national gender policy and training for over 200 women traders in remote regions.

In Rwanda, partnerships with government and the private sector have enabled 40 firms to access export markets—resulting in over $3 million in new trade flows. Through these engagements, we’re seeing not just increased trade, but more resilient, locally driven solutions that uplift marginalised groups and build economic momentum from the ground up.

The other area where TMA’s transformative model of engagement has borne fruits is in strengthening advocacy for policy reforms. We have contributed immensely to policy advancements to facilitate and enhance regional economic growth.

In Burundi, we successfully advocated for the removal of COVID-19 testing requirements at borders, significantly reducing transport costs and easing the flow of goods. This was achieved through Burundi's Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of EAC Affairs.

In a significant win for the steel and iron industry, the EAC Sectoral Council meeting in 2023 approved a proposal championed by TMA to set regional duties on wire rods at 0%, directly addressing the sector’s needs and boosting industrial growth.

But effective collaboration requires more than goodwill—it takes structured dialogue, trust, and aligned incentives. That’s why TMA actively supports policy advocacy efforts. We’ve helped coordinate the submission of policy briefs to the East Africa Community (EAC) Regional Technical Committee, advocating for harmonised product standards that ease the cost of doing business across borders. In the case of the East African soft drinks industry, we supported the review of regulations to reflect technological innovation and stakeholder needs.

This kind of coordination—between governments, private firms, and civil society—is what ensures that regional trade initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) become a reality on the ground. At the recent East Africa Staples Food Trade Dialogue, business forums facilitated by TMA led to supply contracts worth over US$360 million for grains and pulses—proof that trade can deliver when the right actors work together.

Our quieter but transformative model of public-private collaborations has also left indelible marks across the region when it comes to standardisation and trade facilitation. We have worked with the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) to establish three food and non-food testing laboratories in Gulu, Mbale, and Mbarara to improve the quality of goods and reduce counterfeit products.

This collaboration has seen testing times decrease from 25 to 14 days, and certified products traded increased from 849 to 3,554. UNBS also reduced document processing times by 79% and cut transaction costs by 45%, making it easier for Ugandan businesses to comply with standards and access new markets.

In Kenya, the Food and Safety Bill 2023, developed by the Ministry of Health, alongside several public and private partners, heralds major reforms that will align Kenya’s food safety regulations with the East African Community’s (EAC) Food Safety Framework and other international standards.

In Tanzania, TMA has worked with the government to update standards to align with national priorities, such as Tanzania’s Vision 2025 and Zanzibar’s Blue Economy. Nationwide surveillance of capsicum has opened new export opportunities in Europe and China. Additionally, the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries has updated key documents to meet international standards, helping improve Tanzania’s export capabilities.

Successful public-private sector engagements on standardisation and trade facilitation have also been witnessed in Rwanda, where the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) has enhanced standards and conformity services.

Automation has reduced the time required to purchase Rwanda’s standards from 124 hours to just 4 hours. This improvement has helped agri-food enterprises meet key food safety standards, supporting the growth of Rwanda’s tourism industry, which generated over $64 million in revenue in 2022.

These initiatives underscore the success of TMA’s transformative public-private collaboration model rooted in shared purpose, mutual benefit, and inclusive growth. When the right actors are involved, you can bet right with such engagements and use trade as a lever for economic growth and poverty reduction.

A common thread that cuts through our public-private collaborations is the involvement of various national governments, local governments, business associations such as national chambers of commerce and trading, and the inclusion of women and youth groups in the initiatives.  This is part of TMA’s broader strategy of supporting sustainable and resilient trade.

Public-private collaboration is not always headline-grabbing, but its effects ripple across communities, industries, and borders. When done right, it builds institutional capacity, embeds change, and amplifies the voices of those often left behind in trade—women, youth, and small-scale entrepreneurs.

East Africa’s trade future will not be shaped by government alone, nor by the private sector in isolation. It will be built through collaboration—strategic, inclusive, and results-driven. That’s the quiet revolution already underway.

The writer is the Director, Business Competitiveness, TradeMark Africa