Algiers Trade Fair: A chance Tanzanians shouldn’t miss

ALGERIE: Tanzanian businesses have been urged to take advantage of emerging international trade opportunities by participating in the 57th Algiers International Fair (FIA), one of the largest and most influential trade exhibitions in Africa and the Mediterranean region. The call was made by Tanzania’s Ambassador to Algeria, Mobhare Matinyi, who emphasised the importance of the upcoming event as a platform for Tanzanian companies seeking to expand their reach beyond domestic and regional markets. The 57th Algiers International Fair is scheduled to take place from June 22 to 27, 2026, in the Algerian capital, Algiers. The event is expected to attract approximately 700 companies from more than 40 countries across the world, providing a unique opportunity for businesses to showcase products and services, establish commercial partnerships, explore new markets and engage with potential investors. Ambassador Matinyi made the remarks following his visit to the ongoing Africa Business Fair in Algiers, which officially opened on June 6, 2026. The event was inaugurated by Algeria’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion, Kamel Rezig, and has brought together companies from Algeria and 27 other African countries. According to Ambassador Matinyi, while the Africa Business Fair has already demonstrated the growing appetite for intra-African trade and investment, the forthcoming Algiers International Fair will be significantly larger in scale and scope. He noted that Tanzanian businesses stand to benefit immensely by participating either as exhibitors or visitors. “The fair offers an important opportunity for Tanzanian enterprises to gain exposure to international markets, identify potential business partners, acquire knowledge about emerging trends and innovations, and negotiate commercial agreements that can help expand their operations,” Ambassador Matinyi said. He explained that participants will have opportunities to engage with companies operating in a wide range of strategic sectors. These include agriculture and livestock, manufacturing, mining, energy, transportation, construction, tourism, finance and various service industries. The ambassador noted that Tanzania possesses significant competitive advantages in many of these sectors and that participation in major international trade fairs is critical in helping local businesses showcase the country’s products, capabilities and investment potential. Among the exhibitors participating in the ongoing Africa Business Fair is Jordanian company Riad Hanieh Food Supplies, which already maintains business operations in Tanzania. The company specializes in marketing Tanzanian agricultural products to international markets and exclusively sells products such as coffee, cashew nuts, cloves, spices and vanilla. The company’s participation highlights the growing international demand for Tanzanian agricultural commodities and demonstrates how strategic partnerships can help local producers access global markets. Agricultural exports continue to play an important role in Tanzania’s economy, and expanding market access remains a key objective for both government and private-sector stakeholders. During his engagements in Algeria, Ambassador Matinyi also held discussions with senior management of GETEX, a major Algerian government-owned holding company. The discussions focused on potential areas of cooperation between Tanzania and Algeria, particularly in the leather and textile industries. During the meeting, GETEX officials expressed strong interest in Tanzania’s livestock resources and confirmed plans to visit the country to explore opportunities for sourcing animal hides and skins. “We will travel to Tanzania to explore sourcing animal hide and probe the viability of establishing a leather processing plant in Tanzania for our factories here in Algeria,” said Abdelkader Hamdi Mansour, Advisor and Assistant to the Director General of GETEX. Also present during the discussions was Ghersa Yahia, Director General of ACED, a subsidiary of GETEX that specializes in leather products and related manufacturing activities. The proposed investment could create new opportunities for value addition within Tanzania’s livestock sector. Rather than exporting raw materials, local processing initiatives could help generate employment, transfer skills and technology, and increase export earnings through the production of higher-value leather products. Ambassador Matinyi said such expressions of interest from international companies underscore the importance of sustained business engagement between Tanzania and foreign markets. He stressed that trade exhibitions and business forums provide valuable opportunities to initiate discussions that can later develop into concrete investments and long-term commercial partnerships. As Tanzania continues to strengthen its economic diplomacy efforts, p