Women traders in East Africa: The case study of the Busia One Stop Border Post

This research paper examines the impact of trade facilitation reforms, specifically One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) and Simplified Trade Regimes (STRs), on women informal cross-border traders (WICBTs) in East Africa, with a detailed case study of the Busia OSBP between Kenya and Uganda.

• Women informal cross-border traders (WICBTs) are central to African trade, constituting up to 70% of informal cross-border trade on the continent. For many women in rural border areas, this trade is the sole source of income, with up to 60% of non-agricultural self-employment for women in sub-Saharan Africa derived from cross-border trade.
• The East African Community (EAC) has implemented Simplified Trade Regimes (STRs) to ease requirements for small-scale traders. These regimes apply to low-value consignments, typically not exceeding $2,000, and allow eligible traders to obtain a Simplified Certificate of Origin (SCO) for duty exemption on a list of 370 products, including basic agricultural commodities and textiles.
• The Great Lakes Trade Facilitation Project (GLTFP), funded by the World Bank, has introduced gender-sensitive infrastructure in Phase 1. Examples include solar panel lighting, which extended border hours from 6pm to 10pm, the installation of sex-differentiated toilets, and the construction of border markets to reduce women's reliance on predatory middlemen.
• The Busia One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) between Kenya and Uganda has significantly improved efficiency, reducing customs processing and border crossing times by 80%. For example, truck clearance times dropped from 1 hour 27 minutes to 17 minutes.
• Specific benefits for women at the Busia OSBP include a free 30-day storage facility on the Kenyan side for non-perishable goods and the use of mobile banking modules like PAYWAY by the Ugandan Revenues Authority (URA), which allows traders without formal bank accounts to settle taxes directly at the border.
• Despite infrastructure gains, women traders face significant financial barriers. In Uganda, while women own 38% of registered enterprises, they only access 9% of formal finance. Additionally, the lack of formal currency exchange services at borders leads to inflated rates from informal money changers.
• The Ugandan Revenues Authority (URA) launched a Trade Facilitation Framework in August 2018 to empower women economically. This includes appointing Gender Focal Customs persons at border stations and simplifying customs clearance. This is critical as URA statistics show that 62% of the 366 seizures of goods at informal entry routes in Busia in 2017 affected women.
• Information gaps persist regarding the STR and import/export permits. Sauti Africa has addressed this by providing real-time exchange rates and market information via USSD codes and SMS, which reduces women's dependence on middlemen.
• There are notable disparities in gender-sensitive infrastructure between the two sides of the Busia OSBP. The Kenyan side provides baby changing areas, shower facilities, and sanitary pads, whereas the Ugandan side lacks similar sanitation and shower facilities.
• The paper recommends the operationalisation of savings and credit co-operatives (SACCOs) to provide women traders with low-interest seed capital, noting that while the Ugandan government has set aside funds for this, it has not yet been implemented.

APA

Parshotam, A., & Balongo, S. (2020). Women traders in East Africa: The case study of the Busia One Stop Border Post. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Occasional-Paper-305-Parshotam-Balongo.pdf

Chicago

Parshotam, Asmita, and Samuel Balongo. Women traders in East Africa: The case study of the Busia One Stop Border Post. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2020. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Occasional-Paper-305-Parshotam-Balongo.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Parshotam |first1=Asmita |last2=Balongo |first2=Samuel |title=Women traders in East Africa: The case study of the Busia One Stop Border Post |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=March 2020 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Occasional-Paper-305-Parshotam-Balongo.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{parshotam2020women, author = {Parshotam, Asmita and Balongo, Samuel}, title = {{Women traders in East Africa: The case study of the Busia One Stop Border Post}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2020}, month = mar, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Occasional-Paper-305-Parshotam-Balongo.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }