This report examines the experiences of informal cross-border traders and transport operators across selected West (Ghana-Togo and Benin-Nigeria) and East (Kenya-Uganda) African border corridors, with particular attention to border operations, payment systems, treatment of women and youth, institutional behaviour, and the role of informal networks. The study responds to persistent concerns about the mismatch between regional trade frameworks and the everyday realities faced by small-scale traders operating at border points.