Joyce Wambui Gema is the visionary founder behind Tradecare Africa Limited, a pioneering market systems development consultancy that has revolutionized how smallholder farmers access high-value markets across East Africa. With over 20 years of experience transforming agricultural value chains, Joyce has developed an integrated ecosystem approach that addresses the fundamental barriers preventing smallholder farmers from participating in formal markets.

At the heart of Tradecare Africa’s revolutionary model is the Mazao Safi Supply Chain Tower, a comprehensive framework that seamlessly integrates regenerative farming principles, food safety certification, digital traceability, and direct market linkages. This innovative approach has transformed the traditional fragmented value chain into a coordinated ecosystem where farmers receive technical support through Mazao Safi agricultural extension services, achieve international certifications through React Cert Africa (which Joyce also founded), and gain direct access to premium markets through established buyer relationships. Under Joyce’s leadership, Tradecare Africa has facilitated formal market linkages for over Joyce’s expertise extends beyond agricultural transformation to strategic advisory roles with international development finance institutions. She currently serves as Risk Management Advisor to British International Investment (BII) in the UK, conducting human rights due diligence assessments for African investments, and maintains strategic partnerships with MPS ECAS for monitoring compliance in Kenya’s flower export sector.

Her recent work with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands on food safety public diplomacy demonstrates Tradecare Africa’s evolution from direct implementation to policy influence, developing comprehensive strategies for enhancing food safety awareness and compliance across multiple stakeholder groups. Joyce holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Nairobi, a Diploma in Agriculture from ACD Distance Education UK, and is certified as an ISO 9001 Lead Auditor and SA 8000 Social Systems Lead Auditor. Her unique combination of legal expertise, agricultural knowledge, and market systems experience enables Tradecare Africa’s holistic approach to transforming rural livelihoods. “Traditional approaches treat farming, certification, and market access as separate challenges. Tradecare Africa’s model recognizes these as interconnected components of a single system – when you integrate technical support, quality assurance, and buyer relationships within one ecosystem, you don’t just improve market access, you transform the entire value proposition for smallholder farmers.”