By Antoinette Connell
Barbados joined 68 other countries in the third edition of the African continent elite Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) 2023, a showcase of the massive investment potential for billions through intra-Africa alliances. In the capital city of Cairo, Egypt, 1,600 exhibitors, more than 35,000 expected visitors and a projected US$43 billion in trade and investment deals – up from US$42.1 billion in 2021 – are expected to be realised by the end of the seven-day IATF which started yesterday.
Running simultaneously with the business aspect of the fair is the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX), the channel facilitating the development of growth of the creative and cultural industries in Africa and the diaspora. The organizers have incorporated the star power of Africa’s beloved former international football striker from the Ivory Coast, Didier Drogba, and German actor Boris Kodjoe, whose parents are German and Ghanaian, to speak on the arts, sports and humanitarian efforts.