The ESA BMO Network is an alliance of ten leading Business Membership Organisations (BMOs) from the region of Eastern and Southern Africa.

They have pledged to work strategically together, promoting relevant policy issues within and between their respective countries.

The purpose of the Network is to create a platform from which business associations from the region can discuss the challenges for businesses and identify shared solutions and policy recommendations.

The Network was launched in 2008 and consists of BMOs from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Rwanda, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Burundi.

The Eastern and Southern Africa region has a total population of more than 400 million people and an annual GDP of over US$ 360 billion. The region forms a major market place for both internal and external trading. And with an average annual growth rate exceeding 6 pct. the region is an attractive place for doing business.

However, the region also faces several challenges in respect to a conducive business environment, which hampers the growth and development of the individual countries. The private sector is a key player in the process of improving the business environment. Input from the business trading partners on the ground is needed to find the best solutions to shared challenges.

Through the ESA BMO Network key representatives from the business community is cooperating to provide qualified and proactive policy recommendations to national and regional political institution on how to best improve the regional conditions for doing business.