This archive report was first published on 7 July 2021.
On July 7, 2021, the Intra-African Trade Fair 2021 (IATF2021) was relocated from Kigali to Durban, with the event set to take place in November. The decision was made due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced governments and corporates to take unprecedented measures to ensure public safety and keep economies running.
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, IATF2021 Advisory Council Chairman and former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, commended the Government of Rwanda, Afreximbank, the AU, the AfCFTA Secretariat, and all IATF stakeholders for showing great resilience in adapting to the uncertain environment arising from the COVID-19 pandemic situation.
Relocation to Durban ¶
Relocating IATF2021 to Durban saves time on the calendar and will enable African countries and corporates to take full advantage of the Trade Fair, which is also an important component of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement under which trading commenced this year.
Chief Obasanjo stated, "We have once again been able to shoulder the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is affecting all sectors worldwide and forcing Governments, corporates and individuals to take unprecedented measures to ensure public safety and keep economies running."
Preparations for the Event ¶
Having undertaken a comprehensive assessment of the measures being taken by the AU and Afreximbank under the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT) as well as other initiatives to procure vaccines for the continent, the IATF2021 Advisory Council believes that a significant number of people would have been vaccinated by November, allowing for a successful event.
Welcoming the conference, Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Sihle Zikalala said, "As KwaZulu-Natal, we are honoured to host this important gathering of the world as we implement our own Economic Reconstruction, Recovery and Transformation Plan. Our approach is to carefully balance the protection of lives against promoting and sustaining livelihoods."
Based on plans announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on rolling out the COVID-19 vaccination programme in South Africa, Premier Zikalala stated that they will be ready in November to host their brothers and sisters in Durban for IATF2021.
