Cairo named new venue for 3rd African trade fair
The Abbas bridge connecting Cairo (L) to Giza (not pictured) is partially obscured by dust during a sandstorm on June 1, 2023. PHOTO/AFP
The Egyptian capital city Cairo has been announced as the new host of the third Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2023), which will take place from November 9 to 15.
The IATF2023 Advisory Council that met in Cairo recently took the decision to change the venue and dates of the continental event, originally scheduled for Abidjan, Ivory Coast, from November 21 to 27. This followed indications received from the government of Ivory Coast that it was no longer in position to host the trade fair.
Mr Olusegun Obasanjo, the chairperson of the IATF2023 Advisory Council, thanked Egypt for its “responsiveness, flexibility and dedication.”
“This, undoubtably, demonstrates its commitment to promoting and expanding trade among African countries,” Mr Obasanjo, who is also a former Nigerian president, said.
He added: “We, therefore, reassure all IATF2023 stakeholders, including exhibitors, conference delegates, buyers and trade visitors, that we have no doubt that the experience we have gained with Egypt in 2018 and with South Africa during the second edition in Durban in 2021, will make this third edition of Africa’s premier trade and investment platform a success beyond our expectations.”
The IATF2023 organisers, in close collaboration with the Egyptian ministry of trade and industry, are on track to promptly finalise the necessary arrangements and ensure IATF2023 takes place as planned in excellent conditions.
“Coordination is underway with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to host the third edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair,” Mr Ahmed Samir, Egypt’s Trade and Industry minister, said, adding, “We are keen on extending all-out support to convene the fair in a form that suits Egypt’s position in Africa. IATF2023 will provide a unique and valuable platform for businesses to access an integrated African market of more than 1.3 billion people with a GDP of more than $3.5 trillion created under the African Continental Free Trade Area.”
IATF is organised by Afreximbank in collaboration with the African Union (AU) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.
IATF2023 harkens to the decision of the 2023 Assembly of Heads of State and the government of the African Union, which adopted “acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) implementation” as the African Union Theme of the Year 2023. This underscores the high importance of the IATF as a continental initiative and as the marketplace for the AfCFTA.
The last IATF staged in Durban, South Africa, in November 2021, realised more than $42.1b in trade and investment deals. This was after 1,501 exhibitors and more than 32,500 attendees from 128 countries across Africa and beyond graced the event.
IATF provides a platform to promote trade under the AfCFTA. It brings together continental and global buyers and sellers, and enables stakeholders to share trade, investment and market information as well as trade finance and trade facilitation solutions designed to support intra-African trade and the economic integration of the continent. It also provides the establishment of business-to-business and business-to-government exchange platforms for business deals and advisory services.
IATF2023 will focus on Africa’s creative economy, as well as the automotive industry with dedicated programmes. A conference will run alongside the exhibition and will feature high-profile speakers and panellists addressing topical issues relating to trade, finance, payments, trade facilitation, trade-enabling infrastructure, industrialisation, regional value chains and investment.
The inaugural edition took place in 2018 at the International Exhibition Centre, in Cairo, Egypt. It drew 10,000 visitors and more than 1,000 exhibitors.
