Zimbabwe selected to host newly established Intra-African Trade Fair Company headquarters

Africa’s premier trade and investment event, the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF), has transitioned into an independent, permanent African institution with its headquarters to be established in Harare, Zimbabwe.

The Intra-African Trade Fair Company (IATFCO) was officially unveiled during the IATF 2025 in Algiers on September 26, 2025.

The development marks a new chapter in the fair’s evolution, aimed at enhancing sustainability, scalability, and alignment with the vision of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Announcing the decision, Chairman of the IATF Advisory Council and former President of Nigeria, H.E. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, said Zimbabwe emerged the winner from a competitive bidding process that included Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Malawi, Zambia, and South Africa.

He cited Zimbabwe’s conferencing facilities, strong air connectivity, accommodation capacity, and its pledged land for expansion as key factors in its selection.

“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,” Obasanjo said.

“IATF is a symbol of Africa’s economic awakening, where the power of trade and investment unifies us and breathes life into the ambition of the AfCFTA.”

President and Chairman of the Board of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Prof. Benedict Oramah, congratulated the Government of Zimbabwe, describing the milestone as historic.

He revealed that Afreximbank has approved an initial capitalisation of US$28 million for IATFCO, urging African governments, corporations, and financial institutions to provide additional support during the institution’s formative stage.

“While we anticipate that the organisation will strive for financial sustainability, it is important that stakeholders rally behind it in its early days,” Prof. Oramah said.

The IATF is held biennially, co-convened by Afreximbank, the African Union Commission, and the AfCFTA Secretariat.

It serves as a continental marketplace for businesses to showcase goods and services, exchange information, and explore trade opportunities within Africa’s single market of over 1.4 billion people and a combined GDP of more than US$3.5 trillion.

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