The East Africa Market-Entry Checklist (Free)

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You are in. The full checklist is unlocked below.

1. Before you commit

Confirm real demand for your exact product, not just the market-size headline.
Identify the single corridor and entry country you will start with, not five at once.
Map who already supplies this category and at what landed price.

2. Duty and taxes

Find your product's HS code and its EAC common external tariff band (0, 10 or 25 percent).
Add VAT, the import declaration fee and the railway development levy to the duty.
Check for any sensitive-item rate or current stay of application that changes the band.

3. Certification and registration

Confirm whether your product needs a KEBS (Kenya) or TBS (Tanzania) standardisation mark.
Start pre-export verification of conformity (PVoC) before the goods ship, not after.
For regulated goods (pharma, medical, food), begin product registration months ahead.

4. Distribution

Source several distributor candidates and ask each for current references you can call.
Avoid signing a long exclusive before a partner has proven they can sell.
Agree clear performance targets and an exit, so a non-performing partner is not a trap.

5. Payment and FX

Decide advance, letter of credit or open account based on the counterparty, not hope.
Price in the currency and convertibility risk of the destination market.
Build your finance cost (the time money is tied up) into the landed cost.

6. Logistics and ports

Choose Mombasa or Dar es Salaam based on your destination and inland route, not habit.
Budget for inland transport and the wait for available trucks, not just sea freight.
Plan clearance so the container does not sit accruing storage and demurrage.

7. Documentation

Prepare the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and certificate of origin correctly.
Match every document to the HS code and product description exactly.
Have certificates and permits ready before arrival, not requested after.

8. Timeline

Work backwards from your target shelf date through registration, certification and shipping.
Add a realistic buffer for the steps that are outside your control.
Sequence the slow approvals first, so they are not the thing that holds up the launch.

When you need the full, decision-grade picture for your specific product and corridor, our report maps it end to end: duty, certification, channel and landed cost, in 48 hours.

See the report