Food Africa 2025 draws bigger crowds with fresh produce at the center
The tenth edition of the Cairo-based trade show increases its focus on fruits, vegetables, and dates.
EGYPT – The tenth edition of Food Africa will run from December 9 to 12 in Cairo, Egypt, with a strong focus on fresh produce, dates, grains, and processed foods.
Organizers say the event continues to attract growing interest from both local and international visitors.
According to Dalia Kabeel, co-founder of Food Africa, this year’s edition will welcome more participants than before. She says, “This year, we are welcoming more than 1,200 exhibitors from 45 countries, compared to more than 1,000 exhibitors from 35 countries last year. We are also expecting a higher number of visitors, up from 31,000 in 2024.”
Kabeel links the growth to the rising demand for fresh produce across global markets. She notes that visitors continue to show strong interest in the fair’s fresh produce-focused sub events, Fresh Africa and Dates Africa.
New campaign to promote African products
A new campaign titled Buy From Africa will make its debut at the show. Kabeel explains, “We are working with Afreximbank to organize an African pavilion this year that will welcome entrepreneurs from many African countries to showcase their wonderful products, ranging from fresh produce, herbs, and spices to processed foods, and connect them with potential buyers to promote Buy From Africa.”
She adds that the show gives both buyers and suppliers a clear space to form business links. “We know that fresh produce is of interest to a large proportion of our visitors. Egyptian fresh produce is of high quality and has strong export potential. That is why we launched the Fresh Africa sub four years ago. This edition has more than 90 exhibitors under the Fresh Africa and Dates Africa banners.”
Kabeel also highlights the growth of Egypt’s date industry. She says, “We also launched Dates Africa, a sub fair dedicated to promoting the brand image and the date sector in Egypt, as Egypt is the world’s leading producer and one of the top ten exporters. Many megaprojects have been launched in Egypt in the date sector, and it is a sector with real growth potential, particularly thanks to the diversity of the different varieties of dates that Egypt has to offer.”
She expects wide international interest at this year’s show. “We also anticipate strong international participation focused on fresh produce. We are expecting a large delegation from Europe, the GCC countries, and Eastern Europe visiting to source fresh produce from Food Africa, and plenty of business meetings to be concluded.”
India holds partner country position
Food Africa 2024 honors India as its partner country. Indian companies have shown steady participation since the first edition in 2015. Kabeel notes, “This year, we have 68 exhibitors from India covering more than 1,000 square meters at Food Africa, and many international buyers are coming from India to source Egyptian products.”
Recent activity in the local food sector builds further momentum ahead of the event. Several Egyptian producers have expanded their packhouse capacity while others have increased investment in cooling facilities worth about EGP 155 million (about US$3.1 million). Exporters also report stronger orders from the Gulf region as demand for Egyptian citrus and grapes grows ahead of the winter season.
These trends support the increased attention that Food Africa continues to receive, setting the stage for another strong year for Egypt’s fresh produce industry.
Be the first to leave a comment