Kenya and Uganda Move to the Next Phase of the Northern Corridor Upgrade Project
By Eve Muthoni Kenya and Uganda have agreed on a new mechanism to finance border infrastructure along the Northern Corridor, the busy multimodal transport network in East Africa. At a meeting convened by TradeMark Africa (TMA), through its subsidiary Trade Catalyst Africa (TCA), and held in Nairobi on March 24, 2026, the Commissioners General of […]
COMESA INVESTMENT FORUM 2026
By Eve Muthoni Trade Catalyst Africa’s CEO, Duncan Onyango, addressed delegates at the COMESA Investment Forum 2026, held on the sidelines of the Kenya International Investment Conference in Nairobi, closing a high-level plenary on attracting foreign direct investment into regional value chains. For the past two decades, trade facilitation has focused on removing non-tariff barriers, […]
Celebrating a Visionary Leader and Champion of Trade-Led Development Across Africa
From TradeMark Africa (TMA) to Trade Catalyst Africa (TCA), Patrick Obath’s journey in both organisations can be summed up in one sentence: a leadership journey that helped shape institutions and, subsequently, the future of trade. On 17 March 2026, TMA and TCA celebrated Patrick Obath for his steady leadership across the two organisations. From serving […]
“If you want to win the game, you cannot leave half the team on the bench.”
Trade Catalyst Africa joins the global community in celebrating International Women’s Day 2026 (IWD2026) under the theme #GiveToGain. Across Africa, women are at the heart of trade. They grow crops, manufacture goods, move products across borders, and run businesses that sustain families and communities. Yet despite their central role, women entrepreneurs and traders continue to face barriersin finance, markets, […]
With Tariffs Gone, What Comes Next
By Eve Muthoni On 1 May, China will remove tariffs on goods from 53 African countries. This will be real market access and a genuine opportunity for African exporters to scale their exports into one of the world’s largest markets. According to China’s General Administration of Customs 2025 report, trade between China and Africa has […]
East African Business & Investment Summit 2026
At the East African Business & Investment Summit 2026, Antoinette Tesha, Investments Director at Trade Catalyst Africa, participated in a panel to discuss Unlocking Private Capital for Green Logistics in East Africa. She was joined by:• Dr Eng. John Deng Diar Diing, Executive Secretary, Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA)• Mr Marteen Fonteijn, […]
ICC Kenya Business Summit 2026
By Eve Muthoni The ICC Kenya Business Summit 2026 (February 11-12) brought together business leaders, investors, development partners, and government decision-makers to shape the future of African business and trade. Over two days, leaders explored opportunities in energy transition, sustainable agriculture, digital trade, financing solutions, and digital transformation. Duncan Onyango, Chief Executive Officer of Trade […]
What Trade in Africa Needs Now
Written By Duncan Onyango On 3 February, President Donald Trump signed a law extending the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the preferential trade agreement between the US and African countries, through to December 2026. The agreement had lapsed in September 2025. I choose to read this renewal as a signal, however modest, to the […]
Trade Catalyst Africa Appoints Gabriel Negatu as Interim Board Chair and Welcomes Professor Dominic McVey MBE to the Board
Nairobi, Kenya | January 13, 2025 — Trade Catalyst Africa (TCA) announces the appointment of Gabriel Negatu as Interim Board Chair and the addition of Professor Dominic McVey MBE as a new Board Member. Mr Negatu succeeds Patrick Obath, who has concluded his tenure. As a former Director General at the African Development Bank, Mr Negatu spent 18 years working among other things on crises, […]
Reimagining Border Efficiency: Insights from the Kisumu OSBP Design Workshop
Trade Catalyst Africa (TCA) and TradeMark Africa (TMA) brought together representatives from government agencies, revenue authorities, and private-sector actors in Kisumu, Kenya, for a two-day workshop focused on redesigning the border posts at Busia, Malaba, and Lwakhakha. The workshop is part of a series of stakeholder engagements under the prefeasibility study to develop a cost-recovery […]