For Kenyan floriculture exporters, timely delivery is everything. TradeMark Africa’s (TMA) 2024–2025 Annual Report shows that the main hurdles to African trade are no longer tariffs but non-tariff barriers (NTBs). Inconsistent standards, slow testing, unrecognised certificates, and cumbersome border procedures quietly slow exports, raise costs, and tie up working capital.
Over the past year, TMA-supported reforms have dramatically reduced
these obstacles. Certification times have fallen by 60%, dropping from five months in 2017 to just two months in 2023. This means lower risk of rejection, faster access to markets, and smoother cash flow for exporters. Across East Africa, 60% of firms report quicker clearance, while digital and decentralised laboratory services in Uganda, Rwanda, and Zambia have cut testing delays and reduced product interceptions.
Digitalisation is also transforming trade processes. Initiatives like ePhyto digitisation in Mozambique and digital quality upgrades in Zanzibar are reducing paperwork and making border procedures predictable. Infrastructure upgrades at key corridors, including border posts in Uganda and Rwanda, have cut clearance times by up to 80%, ensuring flowers reach ports faster.
“Trade systems are a form of public infrastructure,” says Leo Svahnback, TMA Council Chair. “Predictability, not just roads or ports, determines whether exporters can plan with confidence.” For Kenyan flower growers, these reforms mean more reliable shipments, strengthened market access, and enhanced competitiveness for SMEs in regional and global value chains.
TMA-supported reforms helped firms achieve $408 million in trade, sales, and tenders during the year, demonstrating that credible standards, faster certification, and predictable clearance directly benefit exporters.
David Beer, TMA CEO, adds: “Today’s barriers are procedural, not tariff-based. Our goal is to turn standards and SPS requirements into gateways to markets, not sources of delay.”
For Kenyan flower exporters, the message is clear: embrace harmonised standards, leverage digital certification, and actively engage in NTB resolution to ensure your blooms reach markets on time, every time.