PRESS RELEASE
Zimbabwe to host headquarters of IATF’s new independent entity
The Chairman of the IATF Advisory Council and former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H.E. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo unveils Zimbabwe as the host of the independent IATF entity
ALGIERS SEPTEMBER 26, 2025 – Africa’s premier trade and investment event, the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) is transitioning into an independent, permanent African institution headquartered in Harare, Zimbabwe to accelerate Africa’s economic integration.
The Intra-African Trade Fair Company (IATFCO) was unveiled during the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025) in Algiers. The move is aimed at making the fair sustainable, scalable and deeply aligned to the vision of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The announcement follows a rigorous selection process and eventual approval by the IATF Advisory Council and marks a new era in the organisation of the fair. IATF is co-convened biennially by Afreximbank, the African Union Commission and the AfCFTA Secretariat.
Zimbabwe emerged winner from the formal bids for hosting the headquarters of the IATFCO that were received from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Announcing the selection of Zimbabwe, the Chairman of the IATF Advisory Council and former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H.E. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo explained that Zimbabwe was competitively selected for its conferencing facilities, robust air connectivity, accommodation capacity and pledged land for expansion.
H.E. Obasanjo said: “This opens a new chapter for IATF as it continues powering growth in intra-African trade and playing its role as the most important trade and investment gathering on the continent. IATF is a symbol of Africa’s economic awakening, where the power of trade and investment unifies us from across regions of the African continent and breathes life to the ambition of the African Continental Free Trade Area AfCFTA.”
President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Prof. Benedict Oramah congratulated the Government of Zimbabwe and challenged it, alongside the Advisory Council, to expedite its opening as an independent and sustainable organisation.
“This is a huge milestone for IATF. It is encouraging that the Board of Afreximbank has approved an initial capitalisation of US$28 million for the institution. While we anticipate that the organisation would strive for financial sustainability, I would like to seize this opportunity to call on African governments, corporations, and financial institutions to support it during its early teething stage,” Prof. Oramah said.
IATF is a platform for businesses to showcase their goods and services to visitors and buyers while exploring opportunities and exchanging information. IATF aims to tap into opportunities from AfCFTA’s single market of over 1.4 billion people and GDP of over US$3.5 trillion. Attended by more than 112,000 visitors from 132 countries, IATF2025, which took place from 4 to 10 September, ended on a remarkably high note with US$48.3 billion in trade and investment deals signed over the seven days of the continental exposition. It welcomed 2,148 exhibitors.
For more information, please visit www.intrafricantradefair.com.
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About the Intra-African Trade Fair
Organised by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), African Union Commission (AUC) and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) is intended to provide a unique platform for facilitating trade and investment information exchange in support of increased intra-African trade and investment, especially in the context of implementing the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). IATF brings together continental and global players to showcase and exhibit their goods and services and to explore business and investment opportunities in the continent. It also provides a platform to share trade, investment and market information with stakeholders and allows participants to discuss and identify solutions to the challenges confronting intra-African trade and investment. In addition to African participants, the Trade Fair is also open to businesses and investors from non-African countries interested in doing business in Africa and in supporting the continent’s transformation through industrialisation and export development.
Media contact: media@intrafricatradefair.com / press@afreximbank.com
