The fourth Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025) opened yesterday in Algiers, Algeria, with a strong focus on accelerating the continent’s economic transformation through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Held under the theme :”Building Bridges for a Successful AfCFTA,” the weeklong event brings together over 1,600 exhibitors, 35,000 participants, and 75 country delegations. Organizers project business deals worth more than 44 billion USD during the fair.
According to Afreximbank, which organized the trade fair in collaboration with the African Union Commission and the AfCFTA Secretariat, IATF 2025 is not only a marketplace but also a platform to fast-track Africa’s integration and unlock the potential of a unified market of 1.4 billion people with a combined GDP exceeding 3.4 trillion USD.
The fair places particular emphasis on innovation, value-added industrialization, technology, creative industries, the automotive sector, as well as youth and women in business. Experts stressed that the event could become a turning point in positioning African enterprises as global competitors.
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IATF 2025 is also expected to serve as a venue for signing concrete trade agreements, launching joint ventures, and hosting strategic forums in agriculture, sustainable industry, and the digital economy.
Special attention will be given to youth-and women-led enterprises, which are considered the backbone of Africa’s future competitiveness. Observers underline that Ethiopia, as a founding member of the AfCFTA, stands to benefit from enhanced continental trade links by expanding its export base and tapping into regional markets.
BY NAOL GIRMA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 2025
