İstanbul, Türkiye — Over 4,000 business leaders, government officials, and financial institutions from across Africa and Türkiye are set to gather in İstanbul for the fifth Türkiye-Africa Business and Economic Forum (TABEF), scheduled for 16–17 October 2025 at the Istanbul Congress Center.
Organized by the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) and hosted by Türkiye’s Ministry of Trade in coordination with the African Union, the high-level event will be held under the theme “Leveraging Türkiye-Africa Relations for Mutual Gains.”
The Forum will spotlight strategic sectors including agriculture, renewable energy, logistics, construction, mining, automotive, textiles, defense, and digital technologies.
Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye and João Gonçalves Lourenço of Angola—who also serves as Chairperson of the African Union—will headline the Forum alongside senior officials such as Türkiye’s Minister of Trade Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat, AU Commissioner H.E. Francisca Tatchouop Belobe, DEİK President Nail Olpak, and AfBC Acting Chairperson Dr. Amany Asfour.
The two-day event will feature thematic panels, country presentations, and bilateral business (B2B) and government-to-business (G2B) meetings. Key discussions will address food security, civil aviation cooperation, pharmaceuticals, logistics, textile value chains, and digital trade.
A dedicated panel on women’s leadership and entrepreneurship will include First Ladies Emine Erdoğan of Türkiye and Ana Afonso Dias Lourenço of Angola, highlighting female participation in economic transformation.
Türkiye’s trade with Africa has grown from USD 5.4 billion in 2003 to USD 32.8 billion in 2024, with exports reaching USD 21.5 billion and imports totaling USD 11.3 billion.
The country now targets a trade volume of USD 75 billion, aiming to deepen economic ties through a win-win approach that supports Africa’s industrialization and integration.
Participants will include representatives from Afreximbank, African Development Bank, Türk Eximbank, chambers of commerce, NGOs, diplomatic missions, and media outlets from both regions.
