Business

NAIROBI, Kenya — October 5, 2025 — The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Secretariat and the Government of Kenya have launched an electronic Certificate of Origin (eCO), a move expected to modernize trade facilitation and strengthen digital integration across the region. The system, unveiled on October 2, marks a milestone in...

BURURI, Burundi— President Évariste Ndayishimiye on Thursday toured an amethyst extraction site on Migera Hill in Bururi Province, praising a youth-led mining venture as a model of how innovation and hard work can power Burundi’s development. The site, operated by about 400 young entrepreneurs with support from the government’s Programme d’Autonomisation Économique et d’Emploi...

Digital payments in Burundi rose steadily in the second quarter of 2025, but cash withdrawals and deposits still account for nearly half of all transactions, underlining the country’s slow transition to a cash-light economy, according to new data from the central bank. Burundi's Central Bank (BRB) reported nearly 97.5 million mobile money and digital...

Burundi is among 17 African countries that committed Wednesday to concrete reforms aimed at boosting electricity access under Mission 300, a global initiative led by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group that seeks to connect 300 million Africans to power by 2030. The announcement was made in New York during...

CAIRO, Egypt — The East African Business Council (EABC) has called for the urgent implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), emphasizing its critical role in driving economic growth and integration across the continent. The call was made during the 17th meeting of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers and the High-Level Private Sector...

BUJUMBURA, Burundi — The cost of building new homes in Bujumbura jumped 40.4% in June compared with the same month last year, according to the National Institute of Statistics of Burundi (INSBU). The surge was driven by sharp increases in the prices of materials, labor, and equipment rentals. The June INSBU report shows that...

GATUMBA, Burundi — Non-tariff barriers and costly travel documents are making cross-border trade difficult for women traders in the East African Community (EAC), despite regional commitments to ease movement of goods and people. Members of the East African Legislative Assembly Women’s Caucus (EALA WC) on Thursday visited the Gatumba border between Burundi and the...

The East African Community (EAC) is stepping up efforts to make regional mobile phone roaming cheaper, fairer, and more accessible, following a series of national consultations held in August under the Eastern Africa Regional Digital Integration Project (EARDIP). Governments, regulators, and mobile operators across the EAC Partner States met to review and validate proposed...

Lusaka, Zambia — Eight member states of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) are expected to record sharp declines in trade volumes this year following new reciprocal tariffs imposed by the United States, the regional bloc said Friday. The countries most affected include the Democratic Republic of Congo (11% decline), Libya...

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia— Ethiopia’s financial sector is accelerating its shift toward digital transformation, with banking executives, fintech leaders and regulators gathering Wednesday in Addis Ababa for the 23rd Connected Banking Summit. The event, which also featured the Innovation & Excellence Awards 2025, brought together key players to discuss strategies shaping the future of banking...