TradeMark Africa (TMA), the Nairobi-based trade facilitator backed by global donors, has slashed border clearance times and bureaucratic delays by up to 50% across key African corridors, according to its 2023/2024 annual report released Thursday.
The gains, driven by digital reforms and infrastructure upgrades, come as Finland and the Netherlands commit $75 million to expand sustainable trade initiatives, signaling growing confidence in Africa’s integration push.
In Tanzania, the launch of the Mifugo digital platform reduced livestock and fish export permit processing from 14 days to one hour, doubling government revenue in the sector. Meanwhile, Kenya’s Port of Mombasa cut truck turnaround times from 26 to 15 hours after completing the Mbaraki-Nyerere Road upgrade—a project that eased chronic congestion plaguing East Africa’s busiest trade gateway.
“Efficiency isn’t just about speed; it’s about economic survival,” said TMA CEO David Beer, noting that 78,000 small traders—90% women—now use its iSOKO e-commerce platform to access regional markets. Rwanda’s VIBE program, which secured $600,000 in export deals for women-led firms this year, underscores the focus on inclusive growth.
The report highlights TMA’s westward expansion, marked by a new pact with ECOWAS to replicate East Africa’s corridor reforms in West Africa. Djibouti’s Fleet Management System, set to cut trade costs by 10%, and Lakes Tanganyika/Kivu port upgrades further signal progress. Yet challenges persist: Africa still loses $5 billion annually to border inefficiencies, per African Development Bank data.
H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn, TMA Board Chair and Ethiopia’s ex-PM, tied the gains to Strategy 3 (2023-2030), which aims to embed climate resilience and digital trade into continental networks. “Integrated corridors attract investment,” he said, citing the Addis-Djibouti railway’s role in boosting Ethiopia-Djibouti trade by 34% since 2022.
With donors like the EU and Mastercard Foundation fueling its $411 million portfolio, TMA now operates in 14 nations. But Beer stressed urgency: “Africa’s trade potential hinges on scaling innovations like paperless borders—today.”
