The COMESA Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB) recently conducted an intensive, action-packed three-day capacity building training for the women of the Tangakona Commercial Village Farmers Cooperative Society in Busia County, Kenya, with expert facilitation from Farm Concern International. This hands-on training served as a combined kitchen, classroom, and business incubator, focusing on empowering the women with real-world skills across the entire cassava value chain, which included learning smart growing techniques, creating value by processing raw cassava into high-quality products like baked goods, developing strong business practices such as branding and market access, and mastering essential financial management skills to ensure their enterprises are profitable and sustainable for the future of their community.

A key exchange meeting on Public Procurement was held in Bujumbura on October 31, 2025, aimed at strengthening transparency and efficiency in the sector through constructive dialogue among stakeholders and ministry leadership. The collaborative session successfully clarified procedures and improved synergy for future public contract management. Most significantly, the meeting addressed the underrepresentation of women in procurement, resulting in a landmark decision to establish a 10% quota specifically reserved for women in public procurement processes to foster their active economic inclusion, with the Association of Business Women of Burundi (AFAB) being a key participant in advocating for this change.

Eswatini at Engage Trade Africa 2024 The Kingdom of Eswatini is actively participating in the Engage Trade Africa 2024 conference in Durban, with its Business Support Organisations (BSOs) and MSMEs focused on building stronger regional trade ties and expanding market reach across the continent. The International Trade Centre (ITC) was thanked for sponsoring this platform, while a special highlight featured Lisa Maphanga, the Liaison Officer for the COMFWB Eswatini Chapter, who excelled in B2B meetings. Ms. Maphanga is specifically concentrating her efforts on securing vital trade opportunities and forming key collaborations intended to directly empower women-led enterprises back in Eswatini, underscoring the delegation's commitment to African trade collaboration and national economic benefit.

COMFWB-NWEC Incubation Centre Launch The COMFWB Chapter in Mauritius, the National Women Entrepreneur Council (NWEC), celebrated a monumental achievement with the grand opening of its new Incubation Centre, which is designed as a dynamic powerhouse and exclusive launchpad for women entrepreneurs and start-ups. This centre represents a definitive commitment to accelerating women's business growth by replacing challenges with concrete opportunities, offering a robust suite of services including one-on-one mentoring from seasoned experts, professional coaching and workshops, tailored guidance on growth and financing, and a collaborative ecosystem to foster networking and shared success, ultimately aiming to empower women and ensure the entire community thrives.

The Turkey-Africa Business and Economic Forum (TABEF) in Istanbul successfully concluded a two-day event, bringing together over 3,000 Turkish and African business leaders and officials, with a focus on elevating trade and fostering a robust South-South cooperation model. The forum, which was inaugurated by First Lady Mrs. Emine Erdoğan during the Women Business Panel, prominently featured representatives from COMFWB, including Dr. Asfour Amani, Choukri Abdillahi, and Hersio Siad, who worked to establish new partnerships and leverage the AfCFTA's potential. Key discussions centered on technology, digital trade, and manufacturing, emphasizing how Turkey can support Africa's industrialization and provide its producers easier access to Africa’s digital markets, ultimately aiming to transform the partnership into a sustainable and innovation-driven model for mutual growth.

The COMFWB Zambia Agriculture Sector (ZFAWIB) successfully conducted an enriching field visit on October 23, 2025, to Twiishane Agro Solutions, a brilliant sustainable urban farm led by member Madam Grace. During the visit, members gained crucial practical insights into maximizing land use, mastering value addition techniques like plant oil extraction, and adopting modern, productivity-boosting agricultural practices. This initiative strongly reinforces ZFAWIB’s commitment to empowering women in agriculture by providing vital knowledge and capacity building, ensuring the sector becomes a thriving, sustainable, and profitable one for all women entrepreneurs.