Public-private pacts key catalyst for East Africa's trade future

In East Africa, 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 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 trade barriers, promote inclusion, and drive sustainability. 

In Kenya, for instance, our collaboration with players in the horticulture sector resulted in the launch of the Sauti Trade and Market Information online platform.

Market insights

The platform has connected more than 1,000 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 (Sh245 million).

Cocoa prices rose by 34 per cent 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. 

But effective collaboration requires more than goodwill—it takes structured dialogue, trust, and aligned incentives.

We’ve helped coordinate the submission of policy briefs to the East African 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, supply contracts worth over $360 million (Sh46.4 billion) for grains and pulses were signed—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 per cent and cut transaction costs by 45 per cent, 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 EAC Food Safety Framework and other international standards.

In Tanzania, we worked with the government to update standards to align with national priorities, such as Tanzania’s Vision 2025 and Zanzibar’s Blue Economy.

International standards

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 four 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 (Sh8.2 billion) in revenue in 2022.

These initiatives underscore the success of a 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.   

 The author is the director, business competitiveness, TradeMark Africa