Istanbul to host Turkish-African business gathering next month

By Tuba Ongun

The 4th Türkiye-Africa Business and Economic Forum is set to take place in Istanbul on Oct. 12-13.

The two-day event, organized by the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) in coordination with the Trade Ministry and the African Union, is expected to see 3,000 participants.

The forum with the main theme, Addressing Challenges, Unlocking Opportunities: Building Stronger Türkiye-Africa Economic Partnerships, prioritizes the energy, infrastructure, agriculture, agribusiness, healthcare, tourism, and digital marketing sectors.

The event will welcome Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and head of the African Union Azali Assoumani, Türkiye's Trade Minister Omer Bolat, and Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Industry, and Mining at the African Union Commission (AUC) Albert Muchanga.

On the second day of the forum, Turkish and African businesswomen will share their experiences in reshaping the landscape of the business world during the Türkiye-Africa Women Leadership Dialogue.

With the participation of Wamkele Mene, secretary general of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the impact of the pan-African trade pact on trade between Türkiye and Africa will be discussed.

The trade volume between Türkiye and Africa amounted to $40.7 billion in 2022, up from $1.35 billion in 2003. The figure is projected to hit $50 billion by the end of this year.