Uganda and South Sudan are seeking to deepen bilateral trade and investment by addressing cross-border trade barriers, easing the cost of doing business and improving access to the wider East African Community market.
The push will feature prominently at the second Uganda-South Sudan Business Forum and Expo, scheduled for October 13 to 15 at Mestil Hotel in Kampala.
Officials from both countries say the forum will provide an opportunity for governments and the private sector to identify practical measures to increase trade, attract investment and strengthen economic ties between the two neighbours.
The Chief of Protocol at Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Charles Ssentongo, who represented the Permanent Secretary, said the two countries have maintained longstanding commercial relations, but their economic relationship must now be placed within the framework of the East African Community (EAC).
“Our two countries have been trading with each other for a very long time. What has changed is the framework in terms of the East African Community and the sovereignty of the Republic of South Sudan,” Ssentongo said.
He said Uganda and South Sudan have significant trade and investment opportunities that remain largely untapped, adding that both governments must create an environment capable of attracting foreign direct investment.
“More importantly, we must create an environment that is conducive or attractive for foreign direct investment both in Uganda and in South Sudan,” he said.
Ssentongo said discussions at the forum should not be limited to the individual markets of Uganda and South Sudan, but should also consider the wider EAC market.
“We should not only emphasise the individual markets of our respective countries but also emphasise the important and large market of the East African Community, of which we are key members,” he said.
He said the two countries must maintain strong bilateral relations while addressing challenges that impede trade and working to ensure the smooth movement of goods and services within the regional bloc.
South Sudan is one of Uganda’s major trading partners, with trade between the two countries heavily favouring Uganda.
According to Ssentongo, bilateral trade has averaged between $700 million and $800 million annually in recent years, with much of it driven by Ugandan and South Sudanese businesses rather than multinational corporations.
“That is very big, and that is very critical. Most importantly, this trade is mainly driven by Ugandans and South Sudanese,” he said.
Ssentongo said the priority now should be to increase trade volumes by removing impediments and creating a more predictable environment for businesses.
“We need to bear in mind that the task we have is to increase this volume of trade to higher levels by addressing those impediments and creating the necessary environment for our businessmen to conduct their business,” he said.
He said Uganda’s exports to South Sudan had increased from $341 million in 2019 to $490 million in 2024, with current estimates putting the figure at about $600 million.
Ssentongo attributed the growth to the resilience of Ugandan businesses, cooperation between the two countries and continued efforts to expand commercial relations.
Trade between the two countries spans agriculture, manufacturing, construction and services, particularly education and health.
Tackling trade barriers
Ssentongo said the Ugandan Embassy in Juba has been working with businesses to identify challenges affecting trade and advocate for solutions with the South Sudanese government.
He cautioned Ugandan traders against assuming that doing business across the border is simply a matter of moving goods between neighbouring countries, saying businesses must comply with South Sudan’s laws and regulations.
“There are stringent and sovereign regulations put in place by the government of South Sudan which have to be observed,” he said.
He also acknowledged that some challenges originate on the Ugandan side, citing previous disputes over commodities such as maize as examples of problems that require attention from both countries.
“We encourage our businessmen from Uganda to continue working closely with our embassy to understand the regulatory framework of doing business with South Sudan,” Ssentongo said.
He called for both countries to ensure that their respective regulations are clearly understood and that non-tariff barriers affecting bilateral trade are addressed.
Ssentongo also welcomed cooperation between the Uganda Revenue Authority and its South Sudanese counterpart, saying the collaboration was helping to tackle smuggling and facilitate the transit of goods.
He said Uganda’s hosting of officials from South Sudan’s revenue authority had contributed to efforts to streamline cross-border trade.
“We need to build on such efforts to be visible and relevant to the population because, as all of you know, the business community often asks us what we are doing for them,” he said.
South Sudan calls for stronger partnership
The Chargé d’Affaires at the South Sudan Embassy in Kampala, Akuol Abujok Deng, said the economic relationship between the two countries was rooted in their shared borders, history and common interests in stability and prosperity.
He said the volume of trade moving between Uganda and South Sudan every day demonstrated the potential that exists when neighbouring countries pursue closer economic cooperation.
“The trade moving between our two countries every day shows what is possible when neighbours choose togetherness and partnership,” Akuol said.
He said the theme of the forum—easing the cost of doing business and unlocking regional market opportunities—addressed some of the most pressing challenges facing businesses.
These include high costs, delays at border points and limited access to finance.
“Addressing them is not only an economic task; it is how we build resilience, create jobs and strengthen our regional integration,” he said.
Akuol called on both governments to improve market access through simpler procedures, transparent regulations and efficient cross-border systems.
“Our two governments must keep performing in the interest of our two sisterly countries, with high consideration for easy access to markets, simple procedures, transparent regulations and efficient cross-border systems,” he said.
He also urged the private sector to continue investing, innovating and building partnerships that extend beyond the business forum.
“The private sector must keep investing, innovating and forming partnerships that last beyond this forum,” he said.
Akuol said the South Sudan Embassy’s role was to help protect and strengthen the bilateral economic relationship while listening to businesses and advocating for solutions to challenges affecting trade.
He congratulated the organisers of the forum and expressed hope that participants would use it to develop practical solutions and establish meaningful business connections.
Ssentongo said Uganda and South Sudan should not approach the forum as though they were starting from scratch, noting that the two governments had already developed a number of agreements and proposals aimed at improving trade relations.
He urged officials to review existing commitments and ensure that decisions made by the two governments and their heads of state are translated into practical action.
“Over the past years, our two governments have been interacting and putting forward proposals on how to improve trade relations and create a conducive environment for business. A number of these instruments are there,” he said.
He said recurring issues raised during meetings between Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir should be addressed through concrete measures.
“Every time President Museveni and President Salva Kiir come here, a number of these issues keep coming up, so the question is what we are going to do to ensure we address them,” Ssentongo said.
Officials said the upcoming forum would therefore provide an opportunity for government agencies, traders, investors and other private-sector players to review existing challenges, identify investment opportunities and agree on measures to expand bilateral trade.
The broader objective, they said, is to strengthen Uganda-South Sudan economic relations while positioning both countries to benefit more fully from the wider East African Community market.
