The second Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2020) which was initially set to take place from September 1 to 7 2020 in Kigali will be held in December this year following postponement in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The decision was reached after consultation by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the African Union (AU) and the Government of Rwanda.

The second Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2021) is now set to take place from 8 to 14 December 2021.

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the African Union (AU) and the Government of Rwanda decided to shift the date of the continental trade fair, which was previously scheduled to hold from 6 to 12 September 2021, to allow for a broader roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines across the continent and ensure that the event is held under the most optimal health conditions.

 The decision was made at the extraordinary meeting of the IATF2021 Advisory Council held virtually on 18 March 2021.

Organisers say that the new date will enable organizers to take stock of all the latest safety precautions, allow for wider roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines and to put in place effective Covid-19 safety and prevention protocols.

Olusegun Obasanjo, IATF2021 Advisory Council Chairman and former President of Nigeria, said that the new date would also give countries and businesses more time to prepare for  the fair. 

"Our intent is that all participants garner the full benefits of the abundant networking, trade and investment opportunities that will arise at IATF2021. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a lot of enthusiasm for the event. The extra time given to preparatory activities and effective roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines will allow IATF2021 to be held under favourable conditions, giving more confidence to participating governments, exhibitors, buyers, conference delegates and other visitors,”.

"IATF2021 will bring together continental and global players to showcase and exhibit their goods and services, and explore business and investment opportunities enabled by the single market created by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) to accelerate Africa’s integration and industrialisation agenda,” he added.

The second edition of the biennial Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) aims at providing a platform for entry into a single market of over 1.2 billion people joined together by the African Continental Free Trade Area, serving as a marketplace bringing together continental and global buyers and sellers and showcasing goods and services.

It will enable stakeholders to share trade, investment and market information as well as trade finance and trade facilitation solutions designed to support intra-African trade and African economic integration.

IATF2018 attracted more than 1,000 exhibitors from 45 countries and across 20 sectors, generating in excess of $32 billion in deals, some of which Afreximbank has already financed.