The countdown to the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025) has begun, with organisers projecting that the fourth edition of Africa's leading trade and investment event will generate deals totalling US$44 billion.
IATF2023 recorded trade and investment deals worth US$43,8 billion and the bigger and better IATF2025 presents more opportunities for Zimbabwean firms to strike lucrative deals at Africa’s biennial trade and investment fair.
IATF2025 runs from September 4 to 10 in Algiers, Algeria, and is jointly organised by Afreximbank, African Union Commission and the AfCFTA Secretariat. It will be hosted by the Government of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria under the theme, Gateway to New Opportunities.
Organisers are projecting that over 35,000 visitors from more than 140 countries across the world are expected to attend IATF2025
During the week-long fair, more than 2,000 exhibitors, including businesses from the African continent and globally, will be showcasing their goods and services to the visitors and buyers while exploring opportunities and exchanging information.
The week-long event offers a platform for boosting trade and investment. It aims to tap into opportunities from the single market of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) of over 1,4 billion people and a GDP of over US$3,5 trillion.
IATF advisory council chairperson Olusegun Obasanjo said IATF had distinguished itself as an instrument for promoting intra-African trade and investment by enabling businesses to interact and access trade and market information opportunities.
“Over US$100 billion in trade and investment deals have been closed cumulatively with over 70,000 visitors and more than 4,500 exhibitors participating in the last three editions of IATF. We welcome African businesses to tap into the opportunities to market, grow sales, expand to new markets and to exchange ideas with peers. We thank our host, Algeria, which is one of the continent’s more advanced economies,” Obasanjo said.
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Heads of State and Governments, ministers of Trade, Finance, Culture and other ministries as well as high profile business, small and medium enterprises and industry leaders are expected to attend IATF2025.
Obasanjo said IATF was the largest, holistic trade fair championing the continent’s growth and development.
“It serves as a collaborative platform for driving shared aspirations for prosperity and stability, as envisioned by AfCFTA. It is a strong backbone for meaningful transformation of Africa and enhancing resilience by creating a gateway to new opportunities for economies and businesses through intra-African trade and investment,” he said.
Key activities lined up for IATF2025 include a trade exhibition by countries and businesses, the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme with a dedicated exhibition and summit covering fashion, music, film, arts and craft, sports, literature, gastronomy and culinary arts and a four-day Trade and Investment Forum featuring leading African and international speakers. It will also include the Africa Automotive Show for auto manufacturers, assemblers, original equipment manufacturers and component suppliers.
There will be special days dedicated for countries as well as public and private entities to showcase trade and investment opportunities, and tourism and cultural attractions, as well as IATF Diaspora Day which highlights commercial and cultural ties between Africa and its diaspora, featuring a Diaspora Summit, market and exhibition, cultural and gastronomic showcase, among others.
Speaking at a host signing agreement in April, Obasanjo said IATF2025 would be bigger, better and more appreciated “than all the three that we have had in the past”.
“Not only will IATF2025 improve and make possible trade within Africa, but it will also improve trade between Africa and the Arab world. This is unique because of you [Algeria] agreeing to host IATF2025,” he said.
