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

The document analyzes how trade facilitation efforts in East Africa affect women informal cross-border traders, who constitute up to 70% of such trade in Africa. Using the Busia One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) as a case study, it evaluates the effectiveness of 'hard' infrastructure (like border facilities) and 'soft' infrastructure (like Simplified Trade Regimes and capacity building). While the Busia OSBP has reduced customs processing times by 80% and improved relations between traders and officials, significant gaps remain, including inadequate sanitation on the Ugandan side, limited access to formal finance, and the persistence of predatory middlemen. The paper recommends gender-sensitive infrastructure, simplified cross-border banking, and the use of the African Continental Free Trade Area to create continent-wide framework STRs.

• Women informal cross-border traders (WICBTs) are central to African trade, representing up to 70% of informal cross-border trade on the continent.
• The Busia One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) has significantly improved efficiency, reducing customs processing and border crossing times by 80%, with truck clearance dropping from 1 hour 27 minutes to 17 minutes.
• The implementation of the Simplified Trade Regime (STR) and the OSBP at Busia has improved relations between traders and government officials and decreased the prevalence of bribery and corruption.
• The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has introduced simplified payment modules, such as PAYWAY, which allow WICBTs without formal bank accounts to settle taxes directly at border posts.
• Gender-specific infrastructure gaps persist at the Busia OSBP; while the Kenyan side provides baby changing areas, showers, and sanitary pads, the Ugandan side lacks adequate sanitation and shower facilities.
• WICBTs face severe financial constraints, with women in Uganda owning 38% of registered enterprises but accessing only 9% of formal finance.
• Digital tools like Sauti Africa's USSD-based platform provide real-time exchange rates and market information, reducing WICBTs' reliance on middlemen and exposure to unfair rates.
• The Great Lakes Trade Facilitation Project (GLTFP) demonstrated that simple infrastructure additions, such as solar panel lighting, increased security and extended border opening hours from 6pm to 10pm.
• The URA's Trade Facilitation Framework, launched in August 2018, aims to empower women through gender-responsive initiatives, including the appointment of Gender Focal Customs persons at border stations.
• There is a significant correlation between the use of informal trade routes and encounters with officials who solicit bribes or threaten to confiscate goods.

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} }