Online Reporter
OVER 2 000 women and youth-led agribusinesses across Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique are set to benefit from enhanced market access following a regional initiative spearheaded by the COMESA Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB).
The intervention is being implemented under the project titled, “Promoting Access to Markets for Youth by Addressing Non-Tariff Barriers to Boost Intra-COMESA Agri-Food Trade.”
In alignment with the broader regional integration agenda of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the initiative reinforces ongoing efforts to systematically eliminate Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) across Member States through coordinated policy reforms, digital monitoring tools, and institutional collaboration.
With a strong focus on the agri-food sector under the partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the intervention targets constraints affecting the cross-border trade of key agricultural commodities such as maize, rice, and soya beans, which are central to food security and livelihoods in the region.
COMESA’s established NTB Reporting, Monitoring and Eliminating Mechanism, alongside frameworks such as the COMESA Simplified Trade Regime, provides a structured platform for identifying, reporting, and resolving trade impediments in real time, including challenges related to sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, standards compliance, and border procedures for agriproducts.
By aligning national interventions with these regional instruments, COMFWB is contributing to a more transparent, predictable, and efficient trading environment that strengthens agricultural value chains, reduces post-harvest losses, and ensures that women and youth agripreneurs are fully integrated and able to competitively participate in intra-COMESA agri-food trade.
The project focuses on key trade corridors linking Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, where Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) have continued to constrain women and youth participation in agrifood trade.
To advance this objective, COMFWB is working in collaboration with the Governments of Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, with support from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, to convene a series of Public-Private Dialogues (PPDs) at strategic border posts.
These include Mchinji–Mwami (Malawi–Zambia), Dedza–Calomue and Mwanza–Zobue (Malawi–Mozambique), and Chirundu and Victoria Falls (Zambia–Zimbabwe).
The dialogues brought together government officials, border authorities, COMFWB representatives, development partners, crossborder traders’ associations, and women and youth traders to openly discuss practical solutions to eliminate NTBs and strengthen intra-COMESA agrifood trade.
Speaking during the opening session, COMFWB Chief Executive Officer, Mr Chikakula Miti, emphasised that removing trade barriers is a strategic driver for regional development and economic prosperity.
“Removing barriers is not just a technical exercise; it is a strategic step toward Africa’s prosperity. When trade flows smoothly across borders, farmers gain access to larger markets,” he said.
“When we turn trade hurdles into bridges, our farmers gain access to the world. We extend our appreciation to the COMESA Secretariat, Member States, and AGRA for making this Public Private Dialogue a reality.”
Representing the Malawi Ministry of Trade, Chief Trade Officer Ms Helen Motha, called for an end to procedural delays at borders and urged traders to fully utilise the COMESA STR to promote transparency and ease of trade.
“We are dismantling NTBs that disproportionately affect small scale traders. Public private dialogues along the Nacala Corridor will focus on reducing customs complexities, harmonising sanitary and phytosanitary standards, and creating a more predictable environment for agri food trade,” she said.
From the Zambian perspective, Mrs Subeta K Mutelo, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development – reaffirmed Zambia’s commitment to lowering compliance costs along the Nacala Corridor.
She highlighted the introduction of digital NTB reporting systems and advocacy for gender responsive border infrastructure as key measures transforming challenges into opportunities.
Similarly, Dr Mavis Sibanda, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development of Zimbabwe, underscored the importance of addressing NTBs to empower women and youth entrepreneurs.
“Women and youth entrepreneurs who understand NTBs and align with ongoing reforms gain a decisive edge in regional trade,” she noted.
During the engagement sessions, participants received practical information on agri food trade rules, the Simplified Trade Regime, Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, standards, and the Tripartite NTB Reporting Mechanism, among other regional integration programmes.
The initiative is expected to unlock increased trade volumes for staple commodities such as maize, rice, and soya beans, ensuring that regional trade becomes more inclusive and beneficial to women and youth across the COMESA region. – COMESA Newsletter
