SA to host 2021 Intra-African Trade Fair

The IATF was previously slated for Kigali, Rwanda, from 8 to 14 December, but formal consultations with Rwanda indicated that logistical constraints related to the COVID-19 pandemic had adversely affected the construction of a new facility to host the event.

CANEX is a programme by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), which seeks to enable investments in Africa’s creative and cultural economy through finance, capacity building, export and investment promotion, digital solutions, linkage and partnership promotion, and policy advocacy. Afreximbank believes that with the appropriate investments, Africa’s cultural and creative industries can contribute to the continent’s structural change, generating employment and increasing exports, among other development benefits.

IATF 2021 will focus on the newly launched African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a single market for goods and services across 55 countries seeking to boost trade and investment. South Africa will be presented with the opportunity to promote its business sectors, trade credentials, cultural and tourism opportunities, best products and services for export markets and opportunities for capital investors.

Film and the overall film value chain will form a significant part of the event. The organisers have programmed a live theatre with informal conversations and showcases, creative sector masterclasses, a full-scale exhibition, and the two-day, high-level CANEX Summit.

“Relocating IATF 2021 to Durban saves us time on the calendar and will enable African countries and corporates, as part of their recovery strategy, to take full advantage of the trade fair, which is also an important component of the implementation of the AfCFTA under which trading commenced this year,” the chairman of the IATF advisory council and former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, said.

“We congratulate the government of South Africa and KwaZulu-Natal provincial government and thank them for the swift efforts being made to ensure that IATF safely accommodates the growing number of participating governments, exhibitors, buyers, conference delegates, and visitors that have confirmed their participation in the event.”

Commenting on this development, the premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Sihle Zikalala, said: “As KwaZulu-Natal, we are honoured to host this important gathering of the world as we implement our own Economic Reconstruction, Recovery and Transformation Plan. Based on plans announced by our President Cyril Ramaphosa on rolling out the COVID-19 vaccination programme, we will be ready in November to host our brothers and sisters in Durban for IATF.”

Registration for the event is ongoing.