Zimbabwe was competitively selected for its conferencing facilities, robust air connectivity, accommodation capacity and pledged land for expansion ALGIERS — 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 theIATFAdvisory Council and marks a new era in the organisation of the fair. IATF is co-convened biennially by the African Afreximbank, the African Union Commission and theAfCFTASecretariat. 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 theIATFAdvisory 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. 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.
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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 AreaAfCFTA. 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 ofAfreximbankhas 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.
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