Preparations are at an advanced stage for the Zimbabwe Pavilion at the inaugural Intra-African Trade Fair which will run from 11-17 December in Cairo, Egypt.
Twenty-five Zimbabwean companies from a range of sectors will attend, showcasing Zimbabwe’s products in the leather and leather goods sector, clothing and textiles, processed foods, tobacco, art and crafts and services sector including companies offering legal, financial and ICT services among others. Also attending are various business membership organisations, four government departments and authorities including Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and Zimbabwe Investment Authority, who are promoting Zimbabwe as ready for travel, trade and investment.
In March this year, the President of Zimbabwe His Excellency E.D Mnangagwa was part of the 49 African leaders that signed the the African Contintental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) in Kigali, Rwanda. This was one of the ground-breaking agreements signed by African leaders to promote cooperation and trade within our continent.
IATF 2018 comes as a result of this signed agreement. It is the first large-scale event to promote an increase in trade between African nations as per the single-African market concept detailed in AfCFTA.
His Excellency President Mnangagwa
ZimTrade is leading the development of the Zimbabwe Pavilion at this high-profile show which is running under the theme “Intra-African Trade for a Transformative Africa”.
More than 1,000 exhibitors and over 70,000 visitors are expected to attend. Other countries expected to put on a strong showing including Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Ghana and numerous other signatories to the AfCFTA.
IATF 2018 is being organized by Afreximbank in partnership with the AU and will be hosted by Egypt’s Export Development Authority.
According to Ms. Kanayo Awani, the Managing Director of Intra-African Trade Initiative, the fair will launch the transformation of trade within Africa.
Historically, African countries have prioritised the European and American markets ahead of doing business in the region, which has resulted in manufacturers sourcing materials from outside the continent when they could access the same materials more affordably from within the continent.
ZimTrade CEO, Mr. Allan Majuru, said, “The Intra-African Trade Fair is an opportunity to get direct access to the lucrative AfCFTA market which according to sources, boasts of over 1 billion people and a combined GDP of over US$3.4 trillion. This fair will certainly open up opportunities to engage with other African countries and to build strategic partnerships thereof.”
Publish Date: Friday 07 December 2018
