The 3rd edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2023), organized by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the African Union, and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, began in Egypt on Thursday.
The IATF2023, scheduled from November 9th to 15th, 2023, will focus on the theme “The AfCFTA Marketplace”.
The IATF2023 offers businesses access to the African Continental Free Trade Area, a market with a GDP of over $3.5 trillion, encompassing over 1.3 billion people.
The IATF2023 is set to host a trade and investment fair attracting 75 countries, 1600 business exhibitors, entrepreneurs, investors, financiers, and 35,000 buyers and visitors.
The IATF 2018 in Cairo, Egypt, saw 1086 exhibitors and businesses, surpassing the initial 1,000, and brokered $32 billion in deals.
In 2021, Durban, South Africa hosted the second edition of the exhibition, featuring 1,161 exhibitors from 69 countries, with 46 being African.
The Durban fair attracted 31,400 attendees in-person and virtually, arranging deals worth approximately $42 billion.
Participation at the IATF2023 provides potential opportunities to build new pipelines and develop businesses in non-traditional business sectors.