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The Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025) kicks off in Algiers as leaders call for acceleration in Intra-African trade

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IATF2025

The event is co-convened by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the African Union Commission and the AfCFTA Secretariat, and is projected to facilitate trade and investment deals worth over US$44 billion

ALGIERS, Algeria, September 5, 2025/APO Group/ –Africa’s premier trade and investment event, the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025), officially opened in Algiers with calls for African countries to accelerate growth in Intra-African trade and boost economic integration.

Addressing delegates including African and Caribbean leaders, and business executives who graced IATF2025’s official opening ceremony in Algiers, the President of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, H.E. Abdelmadjid Tebboune challenged the countries to deepen economic ties by increasing trade flows to drive growth, create jobs, and shield the economies from effects of current global geopolitical events.

The President stressed the need to enhance connectivity across the continent by addressing infrastructure gaps that will facilitate Intra-African trade. He listed Algeria’s ongoing regional infrastructural projects including the Trans-Sahara Road linking Algiers to neighbouring countries, the Algeria Gas Pipe securing the region’s energy needs, and optic fibre for digital sovereignty. This is besides enhancing air and maritime links with neighbouring countries.

Hosted by the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, IATF2025 is, for the next seven days, gathering thousands of visitors and buyers, as well as over 2,000 exhibitors from all over the world. The event is co-convened by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the African Union Commission and the AfCFTA Secretariat, and is projected to facilitate trade and investment deals worth over US$44 billion.

According to the Chairman of the IATF2025 Advisory Council and former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H.E. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, 48 African countries are participating in IATF2025 exhibitions, the largest so far since IATF’s founding in 2018.

“In the past editions spanning over eight years, IATF has demonstrated the power to connect buyers, sellers, investors, innovators, and governments from every corner of Africa and now global Africa. IATF has become the engine accelerating trade expansion and investment flows,” H.E. Obasanjo added.

Since inception in 2018, IATF has brought together over 4,500 exhibitors, attracted more than 70,000 participants from across 130 countries, and facilitated trade and investment deals exceeding US$118billion. Thousands of African businesses have connected with new partners and entered new markets through the platform.

H.E. Obasanjo highlighted the US$2.9 billion Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (Rufiji Dam), one of Africa’s largest energy infrastructure undertakings among IATF’s many success stories. The deal was concluded at the 2018 Trade Fair in Cairo between Egyptian contractors and the Government of Tanzania and executed solely by African companies, becoming the largest Intra-African EPC deal in the continent.

IATF has demonstrated the power to connect buyers, sellers, investors, innovators, and governments from every corner of Africa and now global Africa

The Secretary General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, H.E. Wamkele Mene challenged leaders to accelerate implementation of AfCFTA to build resilience and safeguard the continent’s collective interests in light of the current global uncertainties and shifting trade patterns.

“Intra-African trade rebounded strongly in 2024, reaching $220.3 billion, a 12.4% increase from 2023, according to Afreximbank’s African Trade Report 2025. This recovery underscores growing confidence in Africa’s integration model under the AfCFTA. The data shows a gradual shift in the continent’s trade composition. While primary commodities still dominate, there is a clear growth in machinery, motor vehicles, food products, chemicals, and electronics. This shift signals our continent’s transition from raw commodity dependency toward industrial diversification, a shift that will only be sustained by stronger logistics and manufacturing value chains,” H.E Mene.

The Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Amb Selma Malika Haddadi noted that Africa contributes only 2.9% to global trade; and that while Intra-African trade still represents a small fraction of the continent’s overall trade, it has been steadily increasing, expanding by 27% between 2017 and 2023..

“Our internal trade can be a powerful agent for industrialisation. Indeed, unlike our international trade, Intra-African trade is mainly driven by manufactured products. While Africa’s exports outside the continent only constitute 20% of manufactured goods, 45% of trade between African countries comprises manufactured goods. Despite its potential, Intra-African trade still represents a mere 15% of total African trade. This imbalance is not only the result of an unfair international trade regime. It is also the result of choices we have made, and therefore choices we have the power to change. Intra-African trade is and should be our point of focus,” H.E. Haddadi added.

The President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Prof. Benedict Oramah noted that since 2018, IATF has proven to be a solid platform for launching winning ideas and initiatives, forging continental and global partnerships, unlocking critical funding, and visualising unprecedented market opportunities.

“IATF is proving to be a formidable platform for the new struggle for economic independence of all Africans, regardless of colour, creed, location, gender, or status. We believe that we have built a platform and supporting ecosystem where young Africans who may change the way the world reads, lives, interrelates, does business, and manages their health will one day emerge. The proof is in what we have seen emerge from this platform since 2018. IATF2025 marks a significant milestone in our journey towards attaining Africa’s economic emancipation, through intra-regional trade and investment,” Prof Oramah said.

The IATF2025 programme is designed for game-changing conversations, high-level negotiations, and vibrant cultural showcases all designed to accelerate Africa’s integration and economic transformation under the AfCFTA.

This year’s programme is packed with unmissable moments; notably the Global Africa Diaspora Day – celebrating the continent’s ties with its diaspora; the Algeria Investment Forum showcasing the host nation’s gateway potential; Arise Industrialisation Day driving value addition; Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) spotlighting the power of Africa’s cultural industries; the Africa Automotive Show uniting the continent’s automotive manufacturing ecosystem; the Dangote Pavilion and Dangote Special Day celebrating intra-African trade and industrial champions; and the AU Youth Start-Up platform empowering the next generation of African entrepreneurs.

Additionally, on stage will be some of the most influential voices shaping the future of Africa and the Caribbean, together with many others from across government, business, innovation, energy, and agriculture, these voices will shape conversations that advance Africa and the Caribbean’s shared future.

For more information, please visit www.IntrAfricanTradeFair.com.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

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Hainan FTP marks 6-month milestone of special customs operations, signs deals during Hong Kong visit

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June 30, 2026

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Hong Kong

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 29 June 2026 – As the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) marked the six-month milestone since the launch of its full special customs operations, a Hainan provincial delegation wrapped up a three-day visit to Hong Kong. During the visit, the delegation signed deepened cooperation agreements with several major local chambers of commerce and promoted the latest policies introduced since the island-wide special customs operations took effect.

According to data released by Hainan Province during the visit, Hainan’s foreign trade has surged since the launch of special customs operations. As of June 17, the province’s total goods imports and exports reached RMB 173.98 billion (approximately US$24 billion), up 54.6% year on year. Imports of zero-tariff goods hit RMB 2.645 billion, a 120% jump that generated tariff savings of RMB 440 million. A total of 172,100 new market entities were registered—a 61% increase—including 1,240 foreign-invested enterprises. Zero-tariff items now account for 74% of all tariff lines, benefiting more than 12,000 market entities.

During the Hong Kong visit, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Hainan Provincial Committee (CCPIT Hainan) signed separate deepened cooperation MOUs with the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong and the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. Under the MOUs, the parties will establish a regular liaison mechanism for the periodic exchange of economic and trade information, and will promote collaboration in areas including professional services, green finance, the digital economy, supply chain management, and cultural tourism. Mutual enterprise service desks will be set up to provide consulting services regarding policies and projects. The parties will leverage their complementary strengths to help Chinese mainland enterprises access overseas markets via Hong Kong, while facilitating Hong Kong companies’ entry into the Chinese mainland through Hainan.

The delegation also held talks with the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, exploring ways for British and American businesses to leverage Hainan’s value-added processing tariff exemptions and multifunctional free trade accounts to position themselves in regional supply chains and cross-border investment and financing. HSBC, De Beers, and other British firms are already active in Hainan, and the UK served as the Guest of Honor country at the 2025 China International Consumer Products Expo.

According to industry analysts, amid the shifting international trade landscape, Hainan is leveraging Hong Kong’s “super-connector” role to accelerate its integration with global capital and business networks, while simultaneously offering the Hong Kong business community a policy testing ground for entering the Chinese mainland market.

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Africa’s Grid Constraints Come into Focus as Regional Markets Push Toward Integration

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June 26, 2026

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Africa

Regional power pools are advancing and renewable pipelines are growing, but the regulatory and financial architecture needed to connect them remains the continent’s most critical infrastructure gap – an issue central to the Power Africa Today conference at AEW 2026

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 25, 2026/APO Group/ –Africa’s electricity demand is projected to nearly double to 2,291 TWh by 2050, requiring an estimated $30 billion in transmission and grid infrastructure investment to unlock and integrate new generation capacity. Yet across the continent, grid systems are struggling to keep pace with rapidly expanding supply pipelines and rising demand.

In Nigeria, repeated nationwide grid collapses as recently as February 2026 underscore the fragility of aging transmission infrastructure. In East Africa, tower failures along the 428 km Loiyangalani-Suswa line temporarily stranded output from Lake Turkana Wind Power – Africa’s largest wind installation. Meanwhile, demand growth pressures are accelerating across North Africa, where electricity consumption is expected to rise by around 50% by 2035, driven by urbanization, desalination projects, and climate-related temperature increases.

Despite these constraints, generation investment continues to accelerate across Africa, particularly in renewables, gas-to-power and hybrid systems. However, without equivalent investment in transmission and interconnection, much of this new capacity risks being underutilized or stranded. This growing imbalance between generation and grid capacity is driving a sharper focus on system-wide planning and regional market design – issues that will be central to the newly launched Power Africa Today conference at African Energy Week 2026. The platform will bring together policymakers, utilities, investors and developers to explore how regional interconnection, cross-border trading frameworks and financing structures can better align generation growth with grid expansion.

Power Markets Experiment with Reform

Alongside infrastructure challenges, Africa’s electricity sector is undergoing gradual – but uneven – market reform. Most countries still operate vertically integrated systems dominated by state utilities, but a growing number are introducing competitive frameworks to attract private capital and improve efficiency.

Zimbabwe opened its electricity market to full private participation across generation, transmission and distribution in 2025, targeting $9 billion in new investment. South Africa is advancing one of the continent’s most ambitious grid expansion programs, with plans for 14,500 km of new transmission lines and 133,000 MVA of transformer capacity by 2034, alongside mechanisms designed to crowd in private financing. Kenya, meanwhile, has introduced open access regulations enabling independent power producers to wheel electricity directly to multiple off-takers, reshaping how generation assets interface with the grid.

Interconnected electricity markets are the foundation of Africa’s industrial future

Regional Integration Remains Fragmented

Efforts to connect Africa’s fragmented power systems are progressing, though at different speeds across regions. In Southern Africa, the World Bank’s RETRADE SAPP program, approved in 2025, is deploying $12 million to strengthen renewable integration and transmission capacity across 12 member states. In East Africa, the Ethiopia–Kenya–Tanzania Electricity Highway is now in trial operations at up to 2,000 MW, marking a significant step toward a more interconnected regional grid.

West Africa is also moving toward deeper integration, with permanent synchronization of the West Africa Power Pool expected in 2026. Analysts, including the African Finance Corporation, argue that such synchronization is critical to unlocking large-scale hydropower potential and industrial demand across the region. Longer term, full synchronization between the Eastern and Southern African power pools – targeted for the end of 2026 – could create one of the world’s largest cross-border electricity trading corridors.

Building Bankable Financial Architectures

While interconnection is advancing, infrastructure alone is not enough to create investable electricity markets. Investors consistently cite the lack of standardized offtake structures, creditworthy counterparties, and cross-border payment guarantees as key barriers to scaling capital deployment.

New models are emerging to address these constraints. Africa GreenCo, operating across Zambia, Namibia and South Africa, is helping to aggregate independent power producers under a single creditworthy intermediary, standardizing power purchase agreements and reducing counterparty risk. At a broader level, AUDA-NEPAD estimates that Africa requires around $30 billion in additional investment to complete priority transmission corridors and establish three fully interconnected regional trading blocs by 2030.

“Interconnected electricity markets are the foundation of Africa’s industrial future,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “The question at Africa Energy Week is not whether integration is possible – the evidence is already there. The question is which regulatory frameworks and financial structures will get projects to financial close, and which markets will be ready when capital is looking to move.”

The Power Africa Today conference will run alongside AEW 2026, taking place October 12–16 in Cape Town, and will focus on the regulatory, financial and infrastructural architecture needed to build interconnected electricity markets capable of attracting institutional capital and delivering reliable, cross-border power at scale.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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African Development Bank Group and La Francophonie Sign Partnership Agreement to Promote Youth Employment in Francophone Africa

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June 26, 2026

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The agreement was signed during a meeting between the Secretary General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo, and African Development Bank Group President, Dr Sidi Ould Tah in Paris, France

PARIS, France, June 25, 2026/APO Group/ –The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) and The International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) on Wednesday entered a strategic partnership to strengthen digital skills, employability, and entrepreneurship of young people and women in five African countries: Benin, Cameroon, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar.

 

The agreement was signed during a meeting between the Secretary General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo, and African Development Bank Group President, Dr Sidi Ould Tah in Paris, France. The agreement will address a major challenge faced by countries in the Francophone world and across Africa: providing young people with access to opportunities offered by the digital economy and fostering the emergence of a new generation of entrepreneurs.

The partnership calls for the implementation of training programs in digital professions and entrepreneurship, in fields such as web and mobile development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data analysis. Participants will also receive guidance toward employment and self-employment, as well as support for innovation and business creation, notably through training camps, prototyping activities, and partnerships with incubators and accelerators.

The African Development Bank Group and OIF will also work with national authorities in these five countries and training institutions to sustainably strengthen local capacities and promote ownership of the programs by national stakeholders. An initial pilot phase, lasting 12 to 24 months, will be rolled out in the five partner countries, followed by a gradual expansion to other member states depending on the results achieved.

The African Development Bank Group is pursuing a bold agenda based on “Four Cardinal Points” developed by Dr Ould Tah, the third of which is ‘Turning Demographics into a Dividend.’ This is about strategically converting Africa’s rapidly growing and youthful population into a decisive engine of inclusive growth, productivity, and innovation through large-scale investment in human capital—particularly youth and women.

 

It sees Africa’s growing young population not as a risk, but as a major asset. With the right policies and investments, this potential can create jobs, help small businesses grow, bring more informal businesses into the formal economy, and equip young people with the skills needed for the future. By investing more in education, science and technology, vocational training, entrepreneurship, finance, and digital tools, Africa can help its people drive economic transformation, stay competitive, and build lasting, resilient growth.

The OIF said the agreement marked the first concrete step in its initiative to mobilize innovative and additional funding for its most impactful projects.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

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