Imani Development launches two landmark projects: The Mozambique Trade Facilitation Programme and the Assessment and Review of EAC Vision 2050

Imani Development is proud to unveil two landmark projects under itsTrade and Regional Integrationportfolio, commissioned byTradeMark Africa— a leading Aid-for-Trade organization dedicated to boosting intra-African trade and strengthening Africa’s role in global markets. Mozambique, with a population of 31 million, is endowed with abundant natural resources including fertile land, minerals, and natural gas. Yet, the country’s economic potential remains constrained by persistent trade facilitation challenges.

High transaction costs, recurring climate shocks, limited export diversification, slow progress in digitisation, and low compliance with international Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) standards continue to hinder competitiveness across key value chains. Further barriers include the delayed implementation of critical trade initiatives such asAuthorized Economic Operator (AEO)schemes, Non-Tariff Barrier (NTB)elimination mechanisms,Simplified Trade Regimes (STR), andOne-Stop Border Posts (OSBP). At the same time, Mozambique’s three strategic trade corridors —Nacala, Beira, and Maputo— remain vital not only for the country’s own trade but also for the wider region.

These corridors serve as gateways for landlocked neighboursMalawi, Zambia, andZimbabwe, while offering South Africa alternative routes to global markets. Strengthening their competitiveness is therefore essential to unlocking Mozambique’s trade potential and advancing regional integration. As part of a wider regional approach to support integrated development of strategic corridors, TradeMark Africa (TMA) secured funding fromFCDO (UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) and theGovernment of the Netherlandsto scale up a trade facilitation programme in Mozambique.

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The Mozambique Trade Facilitation Programme will focus on unlocking trade potential along theBeira Corridorwith a portfolio of interventions to address existing trade constraints in order to foster trade growth and prosperity for Mozambique and its neighbours. i) Reduce time and cost of trade along the Beira Corridor by enhancing the implementation of trade facilitation measures to improve the trade environment. ii) Increase the export competitiveness of the horticulture sector, which is one of the fastest growing sectors.

iii) Increase inclusive small scale cross border trade at the Machipanda Border with Zimbabwe. Key interventions to be implemented by Imani Development include: Project 2: Assessment and Review of EAC Vision 2050

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