In June 2002, the United States (U.S.) Agency for Development (USAID)
Southern Africa established the Southern Africa Global Competitiveness Hub
(Trade Hub) in Gaborone, Botswana. The Trade Hub was established as part of
the Trade for African Development and Enterprise (TRADE) Initiative launched
at the first U.S./Sub-Saharan Africa African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)
Forum in Washington D.C. in October 2001. It helps Southern Africa take full
advantage of the increased trading opportunities available through duty free
access to the U.S. economy under AGOA. The Trade Hub:
• Brings together American and African businesses;
• Enhances the competitiveness of African products
and services;
• Expands the role that trade can play in African
poverty reduction strategies;
• Improves the delivery of public services supporting
trade;
• Builds African capacity for trade policy formulation
and implementation; and
• Strengthens the enabling environment for African businesses.
Currently, the Trade Hub mainly consists of two technical activity areas: the
Trade Facilitation and Capacity Building (TFCB) and the Trade Competitiveness
(TC) Projects, both of which began in October 2004. The TFCB and TC Projects
staff consist of highly competent long and short-term regional and international
experts in trade policy, trade negotiations, customs, transport, energy issues and
business linkages complemented by a team of local support staff.
In September 2007, the TFCB and TC Projects were given supplements to their
existing statements of work for FY 2008 until the end of the project in September
2010. The new statements of work reflect the priority that the U.S. Government
(USG) has accorded to working with Regional Economic Communities (RECs)
such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and to promoting
regional harmonization and integration in Africa. In order to realize these goals,
USAID/Southern Africa requested the TFCB and TC Projects to focus on specific
elements of the Africa Global Competitiveness Initiative (AGCI).
In FY 2010, these elements include:
1. Trade and Investment Enabling Environment;
2. Private Sector Competitiveness;
3. Financial Services;
4. Modern Energy Services; and
5. Agriculture Enabling Environment.