At the On Friday, 12 September 2025, the UK–Africa Business, Trade & Investment Summit, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga will address the crucial topic of cross-border trade and the empowerment of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly women-led businesses, within the East African Community. SMEs form the backbone of East Africa’s economies, accounting for the vast majority of businesses and employing millions. Likewise, women entrepreneurs and informal traders play an outsized role in regional commerce, often running cross-border businesses that sustain communities. Kadaga’s presentation will delve into how the EAC is working to eliminate barriers for small traders, simplify cross-border processes, and create an inclusive trading environment that uplifts women and youth, ensuring that the benefits of integration are widely shared.
Kadaga will acknowledge the challenges that small-scale traders and women business owners face in the region. These range from limited awareness of trade procedures and rights, to difficulties in formalizing businesses, and persistent non-tariff barriers at borders. Many women engaged in informal cross-border trade lack information about protocols that could benefit them – for example, some still resort to smuggling small quantities of goods under the radar, not realizing that goods under USD 2,000 in value are actually exempt from duties under the EAC Simplified Trade Regimeugandaradionetwork.net. “We must ensure women cross-border traders and small businesses are aware of the procedures and opportunities available to them in the EAC,” Kadaga has urged, calling on regional bodies to support these entrepreneurs in formalizing their trade and accessing new marketsugandaradionetwork.net. She has been vocal in condemning practices like abrupt border closures or onerous documentation requirements that hurt small traders and “innocent citizens” who rely on daily trade across boundariesugandaradionetwork.netugandaradionetwork.net. Her message is clear: removing obstacles for SMEs and women traders is not just a social goal, but an economic imperative for East Africa’s integration.
Encouragingly, the EAC has taken concrete steps to support SMEs and women-led businesses at the regional level. Kadaga will highlight initiatives such as the annual EAC MSMEs Trade Fair (Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi Exhibition), which provides a platform for small entrepreneurs (artisans, craftspeople, agro-producers, etc.) to showcase their products, network, and learn business skills. The most recent editions of this fair have drawn over 1,000 exhibitors and artisans from every EAC member stateeac.int – a testament to the vibrant small business community eager to trade regionally. Through the daily symposiums at these fairs, participants gain knowledge about value addition, quality standards, and the EAC’s Simplified Trade Regime among other topicseac.int. Over the years, such efforts have yielded results: more traders are formalizing their businesses, adding value to goods, and expanding into new markets across borderseac.int. Kadaga is expected to cite these successes as evidence that with the right support, SMEs can be engines of regional growth. Moreover, high-level advocacy is ongoing – for instance, at an East African Business Council forum, Kadaga pressed for the operationalization of the EAC Trade Remedies Committee to settle trade disputes that often affect small cross-border traders, and for fast-tracking the harmonisation of taxes and standards that will particularly benefit SMEs who cannot navigate complex rulesugandaradionetwork.netugandaradionetwork.net.
Another key focus of Kadaga’s presentation will be the empowerment of women entrepreneurs and traders. She will discuss the importance of capacity-building programs, such as training in business skills, access to finance, and mentorship networks, tailored for women in business. The EAC, in collaboration with partners like the East African Business Council (EABC) and development agencies, has been engaging women cross-border traders to identify gaps and solutions – recently reaching out to hundreds of women in border communities to hear their needs and raise awareness of trade opportunitiesugandaradionetwork.net. At major EAC economic forums, dedicated sessions on Women and Youth in business are now the norm, underlining a top-down commitment to inclusivityvoiceuganda.com. Kadaga will likely underscore that when women-led businesses thrive, the community at large benefits – studies show gains in family welfare, education, and poverty reduction. She lauded the EAC’s decision to formally recognize Kiswahili as an official language – a move that not only preserves culture but also facilitates trade, as many women traders operate in Kiswahili across bordersenglish.news.cngender-works.giz.de.
In conclusion, Kadaga’s presentation is a call to action to further empower the “small but mighty” drivers of East Africa’s economy. By streamlining cross-border trade processes, disseminating information on trade rules, providing affordable credit and market linkages, and actively involving women and youth in policy dialogues, the EAC aims to create an environment where SMEs and women-led enterprises can flourish without hindrance. “Together, we can transform our women in business into a formidable force for East Africa’s economic growth,” Kadaga asserts, echoing the EAC’s vision of inclusive prosperitygender-works.giz.de. The initiatives she highlights are set to bolster intra-EAC trade at the grassroots level and ensure that regional integration delivers upliftment for all citizens, not just large corporations. This press briefing will underscore that the future of East African integration lies in making it work for everyone – especially the small traders and entrepreneurs who form the bedrock of the community’s economy.
