Dar es Salaam. Shopping and doing business online across East Africa could soon become safer and more reliable as the East African Community (EAC) steps up efforts to boost consumer confidence in the digital marketplace.
The EAC Secretariat on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, announced the successful completion of a high-level Knowledge Exchange Mission to Geneva, Switzerland, and Belgrade, Serbia, aimed at gathering global best practices to help the region address challenges facing cross-border e-commerce.
The mission brought together representatives from EAC Partner States, consumer protection authorities, trade ministries, and the private sector, who engaged global experts on legal and regulatory gaps affecting online transactions in the region.
A statement issued by the EAC Secretariat’s Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department, the initiative is part of the EAC Regional E-Commerce Strategy, implemented under the EU-EAC Digital Economy, E-Commerce, E-Payments and Public E-Services (DEEP) Programme.
“The strategy recognises that trusted digital marketplaces are essential for expanding online business opportunities and protecting consumers while accelerating regional economic integration,” the Secretariat said in a statement.
Global insights
During the first leg of the mission in Geneva, delegates met experts from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO), where discussions focused on developing legal and regulatory frameworks to support secure transactions and consumer protection.
UNCTAD shared lessons from its global E-Trade Readiness Assessments, noting that although East Africa has a vibrant mobile money ecosystem that supports digital trade growth, challenges remain in infrastructure, logistics, and policy coordination.
The delegation also participated in the ninth session of UNCTAD’s Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Consumer Protection Law and Policy, which examined emerging risks linked to artificial intelligence, data privacy, and digital product safety.
The mission highlighted the need for adaptive regulatory frameworks capable of responding to rapidly changing technologies while ensuring effective consumer protection.
Building trust online
A key focus of the mission was the use of “trust seals”, visual indicators that enable consumers to identify verified and legitimate online businesses.
In Belgrade, the delegation engaged with the Balkan E-Commerce Alliance (BECA) to learn from the implementation of the BECA Trustmark.
The EAC plans to use these lessons to establish regional trust mechanisms that encourage online transactions and support seamless cross-border e-commerce.
The knowledge gained is expected to support harmonised approaches among the EAC’s eight Partner States: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Regional integration
The Knowledge Exchange Mission was organised by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and co-financed by the European Union, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), France, and Estonia.
Through stronger regional payment systems and digital financial services, the DEEP Programme seeks to accelerate the growth and security of digital markets, improving livelihoods through increased trade competitiveness.
As the EAC advances towards a more integrated digital economy, the reforms could enable consumers in cities such as Arusha to buy goods from vendors in Kigali or Kinshasa with confidence similar to face-to-face transactions.
