cottonafrica.com is the new and exciting East and Southern Africa commodity trade link  website that has been developed to complement the Regional Agricultural Trade Expansion Support (RATES) Center, a program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Focusing on targeted commodities, cottonafrica.com links buyers and sellers onto an electronic trading link. Designed for both large and small traders, cottonafrica.com is just one tool in an integrated system that allows traders to communicate with each other. Backing up cottonafrica.com is a RATES Trade Office equipped to communicate with all registered network members in the region and staffed with personnel trained to use a proactive approach to trade linkage. The website is complimented by a call center taking advantage of available communication technology to email, SMS, cellular phone, facsimile, land-line trade opportunities to regionally based traders. 

In addition to trade linkages, cottonafrica.com also provides trade news, policy up-dates and profiles on trade leaders. cottonafrica.com was launched in June 2004 and will be continually reviewed to ensure that the site meets the needs of the users.