Guides
Practical, sourced answers to the paperwork, money and trade questions readers ask most, with the official offices, costs and timelines. Every guide shows the date we last checked its facts.
Step-by-step guides
- Kenya
How to buy Kenyan Treasury bills and bonds on DhowCSD
Open a Central Bank of Kenya DhowCSD account, bid in the weekly auctions, and pay on time, from Kenya or abroad.
- Mombasa, Kenya
How to clear goods at Mombasa Port: steps, fees and timelines
What your clearing agent files, the taxes you pay, KEBS checks, and how to avoid storage charges once the free days run out.
- Kenya
How to get a KRA PIN: a step-by-step guide
Register on iTax in a few minutes if you have a Kenyan ID, or with extra documents if you are a foreigner or live abroad.
- Nigeria
How to open a domiciliary account in Nigeria (at home or abroad)
What you need, how the BVN and the new Non-Resident BVN work, and the CBN rules on deposits and withdrawals.
- Kenya
How to register for SHA, Kenya's Social Health Authority
Register by USSD or online, add your family, and work out what you pay, whether you're salaried or self-employed.
- Nigeria · diaspora
How to renew a Nigerian passport abroad, including the contactless option
The diaspora fees, the NIS online application, remote biometrics on the NIS Mobile app, and what you still need to post to the embassy.
- United Kingdom → Ghana
How to send money to Ghana from the UK: costs, options and safety
Mobile money, bank account or cash pickup: how to compare the real cost, check a provider is regulated, and avoid failed transfers.
Explainers
- Africa
AfCFTA explained: what Africa's free trade area means for traders
Who has signed up, how tariffs come down, what the Guided Trade Initiative proved, and what still stands in the way.
- Africa
PAPSS explained: how Africa's payment system skips the dollar
What the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System does, how a payment moves through it, and how businesses can use it.
Local data pages
- Kenya
How to register a business in Kenya: fees, steps and permits
Business name or limited company, the official BRS fees on eCitizen, and the Nairobi county permit you need before you open your doors.
- Kenya
Kenya import duty on used cars: taxes, the 8-year rule and how KRA values your car
Import duty, excise by engine size, VAT, IDF and railway levy, and why KRA's valuation, not your invoice, usually sets the bill.