Cape Town, 16 September 2021: – After Johannesburg on 14 September 2021, the organisers of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2021) met with the business community in Cape Town on 15 September to raise awareness about the substantial benefits of attending the continental trade fair. Organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in collaboration with the African Union (AU) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, IATF2021 will take place in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, from 15 to 21 November 2021.
In her opening remarks, Oluranti Doherty, Director for Export Development at Afreximbank reminded the guests of the immediate and future opportunities offered by IATF2021 now that the historic African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) has come into force.
“Unlocking the AfCFTA market will require a change of mindset, it will require courage on the part of traders to seek out new market opportunities on the continent, rather than the current convention of jumping on a plane to China and other countries overseas,” said Ms. Doherty. “we see the IATF playing a significant role in making intra-African trade a reality thereby supporting the implementation of the AfCFTA by providing a platform for buyers and sellers, investors and governments, to connect, exchange trade, investment and market information and conclude business deals,” she added.
In his Keynote speech, Nhlakanipho Nkontwana, Head of Department at the South African Ministry of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, said: “We are confident that IATF2021 will be hosted safely in November in Durban. Our government has been working closely with IATF2021 organisers to determine the measures to be taken in planning and hosting such big events.”
“We are committing to expediting beneficiation of our precious metals and not allow them to be exported as raw material and come back as finished product. This is critical for localisation, for job creation, skills development and our youth and women,” he added.
From left to right, Mr. Neville Matjie, MEC for Economic Development, Tourism & Environmental Affairs; Ms. Tsepiso Matwetla, Panel Moderator; Ms. Oluranti Doherty, Director Export Development, Afreximbank; Mr. Nhlakanipho Nkontwana, Head of Department Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs; Mr. Dave Coffey, Chief Executive Officer, African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM).
The IATF2021 Roadshow in Cape Town featured a panel discussion under the theme ‘Unlocking Regional and Global Value Chains Through the Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)’ with the participation of Mr. Andrew Masuwa, Head of Client Relations at Afreximbank’s Southern Africa regional Office; Ms. Lara Utain-Preston, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of The Ladima Foundation; and Mr. Salman Katjie, Head of InvestSA, One Stop Shop (Western Cape).
Closing Remarks at the Roadshow were made by Ms. Oluranti Doherty who said that IATF2021 would provide the networking opportunities and the new business contacts that will help businesses to take advantage of the opportunities to grow and create employment.
“We believe that South Africa is poised to be a major beneficiary of this. It would be wrong not to mention some of the challenges, however we believe that these challenges would in fact create investment and business opportunities: the infrastructure gap, the need to modernise and industrialise, the need for diversification and beneficiation,” Ms. Doherty told guests.
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About the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2021)
Organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in collaboration with the African Union (AU) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the second Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2021) will take place in Durban from 15 to 21 November 2021.
IATF2021 provides a platform to promote trade under the AfCFTA. It will bring together continental and global buyers and sellers, and 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 the economic integration of the continent. In addition to establishing business-to-business and business-to-government exchange platforms for business deals and advisory services, IATF2021 also operates IATF2021 Virtual, an interactive online platform that replicates the physical event. IATF2021 will also focus on Africa’s creative economy as well as the automotive industry with dedicated programmes. A conference will run alongside the exhibition and will feature high-profile speakers and panellists addressing topical issues relating to trade, trade finance, payments, trade facilitation, trade-enabling infrastructure, trade standards, industrialisation, regional value chains and investment.
To register as a delegate or as an exhibitor for IATF2021 please visit: www.intrafricantradefair.com
Media Contacts
Amadou Labba Sall: asall@afreximbank.com
Lennox Mabaso: lennox.mabaso@kznpremier.gov.za