The United States Aid for International Development (USAID) launched the southern Africa trade hub programme to enhance economic growth and food security through trade. The programme has been running in Zambia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, South Africa, Botwana, Malawi and Mozambique from 2010 to September this year, according to the latest report on the USAID southern Africa trade hub.

ZAMBIA is among seven African countries which have advanced trade in the region through a programme supported by USAID. The programme is expected to increase international competitiveness, intra-regional trade and food security.

The trade hub provides targeted technical assistance to governments, the privates sector and civil society organizations to advance regional trade within southern Africa while incorporating gender integration, environment compliance and strategic outreach in all activities.

The trade hub works to increase trade and investment in southern Africa’s textile and apparel sector through the annual source Africa trade show in Cape Town as a regional programme. It also help increase capacity for regulating and enhancing the clean energy sector to increase investment.

The programme will also strengthen the competitiveness, by deploying modern trade facilitation tools such as national single windows and one stop border posts among others it aims to reduce time and cost of transporting goods across borders.