The much-anticipated African Marketplace Dubai 2025 has opened at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Dubai, assembling over 200 export-ready brands, entrepreneurs, and small businesses from Africa and the Caribbean for a four-day international showcase of trade, culture, and enterprise.
The event has drawn exhibitors from Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Senegal, Seychelles, Tanzania, Rwanda, the UAE, the UK, and the US, representing diverse industries including fashion, beauty, wellness, agriculture, technology, art, and lifestyle. Organizers say the marketplace aims to spotlight the creativity and innovation driving Africa’s new economic narrative and expand its footprint in global markets.
In her opening remarks, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, Founder of the Ibukun Awosika Leadership Academy (IALA) and convener of the event, emphasized the strategic choice of Dubai as a launchpad for Africa’s global trade ambitions.
“Dubai represents the world; a nation of nearly 200 nationalities, built on trade, structure, and inclusivity. It offers the right environment to showcase Africa’s excellence to global buyers and investors. I believe it’s the perfect stage for us to build a mother platform that carries the weight of Africa’s productivity to international markets,” she said.
Delivering a keynote address on “Exploring the African Tech Story – Past, Present, and Future,” Juliet Ehimuan, Founder of Beyond Limits Africa, traced the continent’s rise in the global digital economy.
“The African tech ecosystem is no longer emerging, it’s maturing. We’ve moved from isolated success stories to strong, interconnected systems powered by innovation, local partnerships, and resilience. The next decade will be defined by African solutions transforming global industries,” Ehimuan noted.
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Representing the financial sector, Ody Akhanoba, Director of SME Development at Afreximbank, reaffirmed the bank’s role in driving continental growth.
“SMEs are the backbone of Africa’s economic transformation. At Afreximbank, our commitment to advancing Africa’s trade vision goes beyond words. In 2024 alone, we disbursed over $18.7 billion across Africa, including 111 trade lines that enabled 127,000 SME subloans. We are building the ecosystems that will power Africa’s industrialization and global competitiveness,” Akhanoba said.
The 2025 edition is powered by the Ibukun Awosika Leadership Academy (IALA) with support from Afreximbank, Access Bank, Lagos State Tourism, Wema Bank (SARA), Bank of Industry, GText Holdings, Moniepoint, Nexim Bank, and Sterling Bank. Institutional partners include the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), African Business Heroes (ABH), TVC Communications, Togo Mall, Ecobank Ghana, and FCMB (SheVentures).
Running from November 12 to 15, the exhibition features product showcases, investor networking, business panels, and cultural exchanges designed to promote investment, collaboration, and global visibility for African and Caribbean enterprises.
Organizers expect the marketplace to strengthen trade partnerships and position Africa and the Caribbean as leading sources of creativity, innovation, and enterprise on the global stage.
