Southern Africa: COMESA-EAC-SADC Conducts Training for Border Authorities Between Mozambique and Malawi

9 September 2026
Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo)
By Alberto Massango

Maputo — The COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite, through its Capacity Building and Awareness initiative for the Tripartite Simplified Trade Regime (TSTR), is conducting a capacity-building programme for border officials at the Chiponde-Mandimba border post between Malawi and Mozambique.

The Tripartite is an umbrella organization consisting of three of Africa's Regional Economic Communities, namely: the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa; the East Africa Community and the Southern African Development Community. The Tripartite consists of 26 member countries.

The COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite, which consists of 26 member countries, is aimed at accelerating economic integration for the people of the Eastern and Southern African Region.

According to a statement, the Capacity Building is aimed at strengthening the capacity of customs and revenue authorities, immigration officers, police, clearing agents, trade officials and cross-border traders to facilitate small-scale cross-border trade, particularly along the Nacala Corridor and major Malawi-Mozambique trade routes.

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"It seeks to simplify and harmonize existing Simplified Trade Regimes across COMESA, EAC and SADC. It aims to reduce trade costs and administrative barriers, formalize informal trade, strengthen regional value chains and improve market access, with particular benefits for women and youth", reads the note.

During the workshop, traders raised concerns about customs valuation of goods purchased from border villages, where receipts are often unavailable and higher-than-actual customs valuations of goods increasing the VAT, thereby reducing traders' profit margins.

Authorities also highlighted security and regulatory compliance challenges, including the risk of prohibited, counterfeit or harmful goods being concealed within legitimate consignments. Participants discussed the need to balance effective inspection and enforcement with the facilitation of legitimate small-scale trade.

The programme also provides an important platform to increase awareness and visibility of the TSTR among traders, border authorities and communities. The initiative supports the broader objectives of the AfCFTA, AU Agenda 2063, COMESA, EAC and SADC regional integration agendas and receives technical and financial support from AGRA.

The capacity-building programme will continue at the Calomue-Dedza border posts between Malawi and Mozambique from 11-12 September 2026. Together, these activities form part of broader Tripartite efforts to strengthen stakeholder capacity, facilitate trade along key regional corridors and support effective implementation of the TSTR.

Read the original article on AIM.

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