Ejiro Efenudu
As the countdown begins to the fourth edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025), anticipation is mounting across the continent. Slated to hold in Algiers, Algeria, the fair promises to be the biggest gathering yet of African and global businesses, investors, innovators, and policymakers determined to accelerate the growth of intra-African trade.
Organized by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in collaboration with the African Union (AU) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the IATF has become a flagship platform for showcasing Africa’s industrial and commercial potential. Since its maiden edition in Cairo in 2018, the fair has evolved into the premier marketplace where governments, entrepreneurs, and investors converge to explore trade and investment opportunities within Africa and beyond.
Building on Previous Successes
The third edition, held in Durban, South Africa in 2021, attracted over 1,100 exhibitors and more than 11,000 participants, generating trade and investment deals valued at over $42 billion. Organizers have stated that IATF2025 is expected to surpass those figures, with early projections suggesting record-breaking participation.
Algiers, the host city, is positioning itself as a gateway between Africa and the Mediterranean, making it a strategic choice for this year’s fair. The Algerian government, working closely with Afreximbank, has pledged to deliver an event that will both showcase the nation’s economic strengths and foster continental integration under the AfCFTA framework.
A Platform for Trade, Culture, and Innovation
More than just a trade exhibition, IATF2025 is designed as a multi-dimensional platform that integrates business matchmaking, policy dialogue, capacity-building, and cultural exchange. The event will feature specialized segments, including:
IATF Trade and Investment Forum: A high-level platform where heads of state, policymakers, and industry leaders will debate policies that can drive intra-African trade.
IATF Youth Start-Up Pavilion: A dedicated space for young entrepreneurs and innovators to pitch ideas, network, and secure investment opportunities.
IATF Creative Africa: A celebration of Africa’s cultural and creative industries, from fashion and film to music and art, spotlighting the continent’s growing soft-power economy.
Automotive Show: An exhibition highlighting Africa’s burgeoning automotive sector, including electric vehicle technology and sustainable mobility solutions.
The diversity of programming reflects the fair’s ambition to be more than an exhibition—it seeks to catalyze structural transformation by aligning Africa’s trade ambitions with its industrialization agenda.
Afreximbank’s Driving Role
Afreximbank has remained at the center of Africa’s trade transformation strategy. Its President, Prof. Benedict Oramah, has consistently emphasized the importance of platforms like IATF in breaking down trade barriers, boosting manufacturing, and encouraging cross-border partnerships.
“Trade is the engine of growth, but Africa cannot grow on the basis of exporting raw materials alone,” Oramah remarked at a pre-event briefing. “The IATF is where we begin to shift from fragmentation to integration, from commodity exports to value addition, and from isolation to cooperation.”
His comments capture the central vision of IATF2025—to operationalize AfCFTA by connecting African businesses directly, reducing dependence on external markets, and encouraging intra-African value chains.
Algeria’s Strategic Role
For Algeria, hosting the IATF represents both a national milestone and a continental responsibility. The North African nation has been keen to diversify its economy away from hydrocarbons and has invested heavily in infrastructure, logistics, and industrial zones. The fair provides a global stage to present these reforms and attract partners.
Local businesses are also preparing to leverage the opportunity, with Algeria’s chambers of commerce mobilizing industries ranging from agribusiness and construction to pharmaceuticals and renewable energy. By bringing together companies from across Africa, the fair is expected to generate thousands of business-to-business connections and expand Algeria’s role in continental trade flows.
Driving AfCFTA Forward
The IATF2025 will serve as a major accelerator for the African Continental Free Trade Area, the world’s largest free trade area by population. By offering a marketplace where contracts are signed and partnerships forged, the fair directly contributes to the AfCFTA’s goal of increasing intra-African trade by 52 percent by 2030.
Furthermore, the event is expected to attract global investors interested in Africa’s markets. With Africa’s population projected to reach 1.7 billion by 2030—half of whom will be under 25—the continent represents both a production hub and a consumer market with enormous potential.
A Continent Ready to Trade with Itself
As Africa continues to navigate challenges such as infrastructure deficits, supply chain gaps, and regulatory bottlenecks, platforms like IATF2025 provide practical solutions. By bringing together decision-makers, innovators, and financiers in one venue, the fair allows Africa to move from aspiration to action.
With just weeks to go, Algiers is preparing to welcome participants from across the globe in what promises to be a landmark event. From forging billion-dollar deals to inspiring cultural pride, the fourth Intra-African Trade Fair is set to strengthen the bonds of commerce, culture, and cooperation across Africa.
The countdown has begun, and Africa is ready to trade with itself and with the world on its own terms.
