IATF 2025 to generate US$44bn in trade & investment deals – Afreximbank

By Ernest Bako WUBONTO

Managing Director, Research and Group Chief Economist at Afreximbank, Dr. Yemi Kale, has disclosed that the upcoming Inter-African Trade Fair (IATF) 2025 is projected to generate over US$44billion in trade and investment deals, further cementing its role as a key driver of intra-African commerce.

Speaking at the IATF 2025 roadshow in Accra, Dr. Kale highlighted that the scale of opportunity is historic. However, opportunity means little without platforms that enable connection, visibility and transaction.

This fourth edition is estimated to bring together about 2,000 exhibitors from over 75 countries and 35,000 participants.

The fair, scheduled to take place in Algiers-Algeria from September 4 to 10, 2025, has been described as a marketplace for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) with a transformative impact on the continent’s economic integration.

He emphasised that since its inception in 2018, the IATF has evolved into a high-impact engine for trade and investment – facilitating over US$100billion in deals across its previous editions.

Over the past six years, the IATF has grown from an aspirational platform to a proven, high-impact engine of trade and investment. The inaugural edition in Cairo-Egypt in 2018 brought together over 1,000 exhibitors and generated an impressive US$32billion in trade deals.

In Durban-South Africa, 2021, despite a challenging global environment the fair welcomed more than 1,500 exhibitors and 32,000 participants, delivering                      US$42.1billion in signed transactions.

Then, in Cairo once again during 2023, nearly 2,000 exhibitors from 65 countries generated US$43.7billion in trade and investment deals. Cumulatively, the IATF has attracted over 4,500 exhibitors, more than 70,000 visitors and facilitated over                    US$100billion in deals.

The MD stressed that these are not just numbers but a testament to Africa’s appetite for intra-continental trade and its ability to convert vision into value.

“These numbers are not just statistics, they reflect Africa’s growing appetite for intra-continental trade and our ability to turn vision into value. And yet, we know this is only the beginning. With the AfCFTA now fully operational and encompassing 1.4 billion people and a gross domestic product (GDP) of over US$3.5trillion, Africa is emerging as the world’s largest free trade area by number of participating countries,” he added.

Ghana, as host to the AfCFTA Secretariat, is said to have the economic foundations, entrepreneurial spirit and institutional strength to lead by example.

In response to that, the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) has indicated that it will be taking over 50 private sector businesses to IATF 2025, so they can benefit from the numerous international collaborative opportunities and secure access to the stated US$44billion estimated.

“With a growing manufacturing base, a strong agricultural sector and dynamic SME ecosystem, Ghana is well-positioned to integrate into regional value chains, expand exports of value-added goods and attract investment from across the continent and beyond,” said the GEPA CEO, Francis Kwadwo Kwarteng Arthur.

What IATF 2025 holds in store

The programme will include a seven-day trade exhibition, a four-day trade and investment forum featuring leading African and international speakers, a business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) platform for matchmaking and business exchanges.

It will also feature an African Union (AU) youth and startup programme showcasing innovative ideas and prototypes. An Africa research and innovation hub, targetting academia and national researchers to exhibit their innovations and research projects will also be made available.

IATF Ambassador & Chairman-Oakwood Green Africa, Gabriel Edgal – speaking on the event theme ‘Harnessing Regional and Continental Value Chains: Accelerating Africa’s Industrialisation and Global Competitiveness under the AfCFTA’ – emphasised that IATF is more than a platform, it is a declaration and a signal that African enterprises are ready to collaborate, scale and lead.

He added further that global economic tides are shifting and every bloc is focusing on itself; hence, it is a wake-up call that Africa needs to be more deliberate about trading within itself and creating interconnected prosperity.

“Platforms like the IATF are not about speeches and panels. They are about action. They are the bridges that move us from potential to product, from hope to supply and from vision to value. This platform brings sellers and buyers from across Africa together and ensures that value is created and solutions are exchanged,” he said.

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