The AfCFTA Business Forum, taking place in Cape Town, is a collaborative effort between The African Continental Free Trade Area AfCFTA Secretariat and the Government of South Africa. The aim of the event is to bring together various stakeholders, including governments, private investors, and civil society, to facilitate investment in bankable projects that promote climate action and generate high-integrity carbon credits. This will, in turn, accelerate investments and financing for sustainable development in Africa.

The biggest business event in Africa, AfCFTA Business Forum, will take place in Cape Town from April 16th to 19th 2023. The event, co-hosted by AfCFTA Secretariat and the Government of South Africa, has been designed to focus on private-sector engagement and promote a private-sector-friendly environment. The Forum will prioritize sectors such as agro-processing, automotive, pharmaceuticals, transportation and logistics, and digital trade. The program includes panel sessions, dialogues, and side events aimed at creating awareness of the current business and investment opportunities in AfCFTA among Africa’s business community. The Forum will also connect businesses to funding opportunities for AfCFTA value chains, creating structures through the Secretariat that serve as a private sector engagement platform for continued consultations on private sector needs. The event will also highlight the importance of MSMEs, particularly those led by women and youth.

Attendees of AfCFTA Business Forum can expect to network with other African businesses, trade experts, and government officials while taking in the unique beauty of Cape Town. The side events, covering priority sectors such as agro-processing, automotive, pharmaceuticals, transportation and logistics, and digital trade and payments, will provide an opportunity to explore key trade and investment opportunities in these sectors. The event has been rescheduled to provide an expanded program that covers key sectors and issues crucial to the success of AfCFTA, with plenary sessions, roundtable discussions, fireside chats, and side events.

It is worth noting that the 36th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly concluded in Addis Abeba in February 2023, and the African Union (AU) vowed to advance a continental free trade agreement AfCFTA.