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The Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) 2025 has concluded with its final performance report indicating that the event exceeded all its primary objectives, from trade deal value to delegate attendance.
The fair, which took place in Algiers, Algeria, facilitated trade and investment deals worth $48.3 billion, surpassing its target of $44 billion.
Organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in collaboration with the African Union (AU) Commission and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the IATF is a biennial marketplace established to advance the objectives of the AfCFTA.
It serves as the continent's premier platform for businesses, investors, and governments to connect and explore trade opportunities within Africa.
An analysis of the official report card reveals significant growth when compared to both the set targets for 2025 and the outcomes of the previous fair in 2023.
Trade and investment deals
The total value of trade and investment deals signed at IATF2025 reached USD48.3 billion.
Image from the opening ceremony of IATF 2025, September 4, 2025
This figure is USD4.3 billion above the event's target of USD44 billion and represents an increase from the USD43.77 billion recorded at IATF2023, held in Cairo, Egypt.
The data indicates that Algerian companies secured a significant portion, with USD11.4 billion in contracts and an additional USD11.6 billion in export commitments.
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Attendance and participation
The fair registered a total of 112,476 participants, a figure more than triple the combined target of 35,000.
This comprised 60,650 physical and 51,826 virtual attendees.
IATF 2025 attendees
The number of physical attendees (60,650) exceeded its target of 20,000 by over 200%.
The number of virtual attendees (51,826) surpassed its target of 15,000 by over 245%.
Comparatively, the total attendance at IATF 2023 was 28,282 (12,158 physical and 16,124 virtual).
This indicates a year-on-year growth in total participation of nearly 300%.
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Exhibitors and buyers
The number of exhibitors reached 2,148 (1,923 physical and 225 virtual), exceeding the target of 2,000.
A section of attendees of IATF 2025
This also marks an increase from the 1,939 exhibitors present at the 2023 event.
The number of registered buyers grew to 958, surpassing the target of 750 and the 693 buyers who attended in 2023.
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Country representation
A total of 132 countries participated in the fair, significantly exceeding the target of 75.
The event featured pavilions from 49 African countries, surpassing the goal of 40.
Flags of some countries that took part in IATF 2025
This demonstrates broad engagement from across the continent.
Additionally, 21 non-African countries participated, highlighting international interest in African markets.
High-level government participation
The event attracted high-level governmental delegations, including 14 Heads of State and Government Representatives and 41 Ministers and Deputy Ministers.
Panel session at IATF 2025
This senior-level presence underscores the political will supporting the continent's trade integration agenda.
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Implications for Kenya and East Africa
The success of the IATF is directly relevant to the Kenyan economy and its business community.
Deputy President of Kenya, Kithure Kindiki, takes part in a panel session at IATF 2025
As a key signatory to the AfCFTA, Kenya stands to benefit from the platform's role in breaking down trade barriers and creating a single continental market.
For Kenyan businesses, the IATF provides a crucial gateway to an African market of over 1.3 billion people.
It allows small, medium, and large enterprises to showcase products and services, from agricultural produce and manufactured goods to financial technology and creative services.
The increased number of buyers and investors at the fair presents tangible opportunities for Kenyan exporters to find new markets, diversify their revenue streams, and scale their operations beyond the East African Community.
The trade deals facilitated at the fair contribute to the operationalisation of the AfCFTA, which aims to eliminate tariffs on 90% of goods and reduce non-tariff barriers.
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For the everyday Kenyan, this integration promises long-term benefits, including a wider variety of goods from across the continent at potentially lower prices.
Furthermore, it can stimulate local production and job creation as Kenyan industries gain access to cheaper raw materials and a larger consumer base.
The strong performance of IATF2025 provides a measure of the growing momentum behind intra-African trade.