Delivering Efficiency for the East and Southern African Region

The WCO East and Southern Africa (ESA) Region consists of 24 Member Countries; Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The body representing this region is the ESA-RPSG.

The ESA-RPSG was formed for the purpose of verifying the implementation and monitoring with the provision of various instruments in the WCO Instruments and Tools that will make trade easier without comprising or imposing a higher risk profile. The ESA-RPSG structure also allows the private sector to articulate their challenges in the regional integration journey with possible solutions for addressing the known obstacles. These obstacles need to be addressed effectively for ensuring the creation of a safe, fair and compliant environment for all.

Our Projects

SMART Borders

The SMART borders concept encourages WCO members to delve into the realm of technology to find solutions to facilitate the flow of people, goods and conveyances at borders while following the guiding principles for SMART borders: Secure, Measurable, Automated, Risk Management-based and Technology-driven.

Learn More

AEO

Founded on the Customs-to-Business (C-2-B) pillar of WCO SAFE, an Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) is a party involved in the international movement of goods. This involvement can take place in whatever function that has been approved by or on behalf of a national Customs administration in compliance with WCO or equivalent supply chain security standards.

Learn More

Education and Awareness

WCO Instruments and Tools

To achieve its objectives, the WCO has adopted several customs instruments, including the SAFE Framework of Standards, the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC), the Risk Management Compendium, and the AEO Compendium, among others.

Learn More

Research in the Region

Various institutions (such as the WCO, WTO, WB, ITC, UNCTAD, etc.) produce necessary research around Customs and trade-related matters concerning the private sector throughout the ESA region. The WCO ESA RPSG aims to share many of these on the website and consequently avoid working in silos and letting pertinent enquiries fall through the cracks.

Learn More

Measurements

in the ESA Region

The WCO ESA RPSG monitors important international metrics for each member country, most notably the World Bank’s (WB) Ease of Doing Business Trading Across Borders component. The metric records the time and cost associated with the logistical process of exporting and importing goods, which in turn provides significant insight into trading with ESA member countries.

Learn More

Non-Tariff Barriers

(NTB) in the ESA Region

Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) refer to restrictions that result from prohibitions, conditions, or specific market requirements that make importation or exportation of products difficult and costly. Still, these restrictions include the unjustified and improper application of Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs), such as sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and other technical barriers to Trade (TBT).

Learn More