The Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) has officially transitioned into a permanent African institution, with Harare, Zimbabwe, designated as the host city for its newly established independent entity, the Intra-African Trade Fair Company (IATFCO). The announcement was made during the IATF2025 held in Algiers, an event widely regarded as Africa’s leading platform for trade and investment.
The decision to establish IATFCO in Zimbabwe followed a competitive bidding process involving Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The choice of Harare was attributed to its established conferencing facilities, extensive air connectivity, accommodation capacity, and the Government of Zimbabwe’s offer of land to support the organisation’s long-term expansion.
The Chairman of the IATF Advisory Council and former President of Nigeria, H.E. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, emphasised that the establishment of IATFCO marks a new chapter for the continent’s economic trajectory. He described IATF as “a symbol of Africa’s economic awakening,” underscoring its role in advancing intra-African trade within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
IATF, which has been co-convened biennially by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the African Union Commission, and the AfCFTA Secretariat, is widely seen as a practical mechanism to accelerate integration across Africa’s 55 economies. It facilitates trade by enabling businesses to showcase goods and services, engage with buyers and investors, and leverage opportunities from AfCFTA’s single market of 1.4 billion people with a collective GDP estimated at over US$3.5 trillion.
Prof. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of Afreximbank, congratulated Zimbabwe while noting that the Bank’s Board had approved an initial capitalisation of US$28 million for IATFCO. He urged African governments, corporations, and financial institutions to provide support to ensure the organisation’s sustainability during its formative years.
IATF2025, held from 4 to 10 September in Algiers, attracted more than 112,000 visitors from 132 countries and hosted 2,148 exhibitors. The fair concluded with trade and investment deals valued at US$48.3 billion, reinforcing its significance as a convening point for pan-African and global business actors.
The establishment of IATFCO in Harare represents not only Zimbabwe’s successful bid but also a strategic effort to embed the Fair within Africa’s institutional architecture. The move signals a deepening of the continent’s commitment to building self-sustaining structures that align with Africa’s long-term development vision and collective aspirations for economic sovereignty.
