TradeMark Africa (TMA) has appointed Baraka Mugisha Billy as Country Director for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), strengthening its in-country leadership as it expands programmes to improve critical minerals trade, modernise border systems and connect Congolese businesses to regional and global markets.
Mr Baraka will lead the delivery of TMA’s growing DRC portfolio, working with the government, development partners and the private sector to advance trade reforms and investments. His immediate priorities include progressing the Critical Minerals and Borderlands programmes, as well as initiatives supporting digital trade, border infrastructure, export competitiveness and regional integration.
The appointment comes as TMA scales up implementation of the €6 million Lobito Corridor Trade Facilitation Programme, financed by the European Union under its Global Gateway strategy.
The programme supports more efficient and transparent critical minerals trade along the Kolwezi–Dilolo–Lobito route through modernised customs procedures, stronger institutions and improved cross-border coordination. TMA’s Borderlands Programme, also funded by the EU, complements this work by improving trade conditions for communities along the DRC–Uganda border.
TMA’s work in the DRC will help operationalise the Mahagi One-Stop Border Post, improve trade procedures along the Lobito Corridor, expand the use of the Simplified Trade Regime and make small-scale cross-border trade safer and more efficient.
Speaking about his appointment, Mr Baraka said: “DRC presents immense opportunities for trade, investment and regional integration. I am honoured to join TradeMark Africa as the country deepens its trade connections across the continent and strengthens its role in regional value chains. My immediate priority is to work with the Government, development partners and the private sector to deliver the Critical Minerals and Borderlands programmes effectively. We will focus on reforms that support businesses, create opportunities for border communities and translate trade into jobs, investment and sustainable economic growth.”
Baraka brings more than 12 years of programme management and senior leadership experience across sub-Saharan Africa, including several assignments in the DRC. Before joining TMA, he held senior roles at African Initiatives for Relief and Development, Population Services International and Chemonics International.
TMA has worked in the DRC since 2017, supporting reforms that are reducing the time and cost of trade and improving regional connectivity. At the Goli–Mahagi border, crossing times fell by 63%, from eight hours in 2019 to three hours in 2024, while permit costs declined by 91%, from $30 to $3. At Kalundu Port, cargo-handling capacity increased fivefold, from 800 tonnes to 4,000 tonnes.
Building on these results, TMA’s 2023–2030 Country Programme Strategy aims to support 47,000 jobs, contribute to a $100 million increase in export value and enable 40,000 women, young people and persons with disabilities to increase their incomes through greater participation in formal trade and regional markets.
