By Dickson Bandera
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, in close collaboration with the African Union Commission and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), has concluded the final round of preparatory meetings with the Republic of Algeria, host nation of the 4th Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025).
The high-level meeting, held in Algiers, marks the culmination of months of meticulous planning, coordination and partnership-building, confirming Algeria’s full readiness to welcome thousands of exhibitors, investors, entrepreneurs and policymakers from across the continent and beyond.
With logistics, programming and strategic engagements firmly in place, all roads now lead to Algiers for what is set to be Africa’s premier trade and investment gathering this year.
Scheduled for later this year, IATF 2025 will bring together more than 1,600 exhibitors and over 35,000 visitors and buyers from across Africa and the diaspora. The fair provides a unique platform for businesses to showcase goods and services, identify new markets, seal cross-border deals, and forge partnerships that strengthen regional value chains.
It will also feature high-level dialogues, trade and investment forums, and dedicated country days to spotlight unique national opportunities.
The IATF plays a pivotal role in advancing the goals of the AfCFTA — Africa’s flagship economic integration initiative that aims to create the world’s largest single market for goods and services, with a combined GDP of over $3.4 trillion and a population of more than 1.4 billion people. By reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers and boosting intra-African trade, the AfCFTA is expected to spur industrialisation, create jobs, and promote inclusive economic growth across the continent.
For Algeria, hosting IATF 2025 is a significant opportunity to position itself as a key player in the continental trade landscape, attract strategic investments and showcase its own economic reforms and industrial capabilities.
As Africa moves closer to its goal of boosting intra-African trade by at least 52% by 2030, the IATF remains a vital marketplace for turning political commitments into tangible business deals that support the aspirations of Agenda 2063 — the African Union’s blueprint for a prosperous and integrated Africa.
With final preparations now complete, stakeholders are encouraged to secure their participation and join the continental momentum towards an Africa that trades more with itself and speaks with one strong economic voice on the global stage.
