Algerian Enterprises Shine at the Intra-African Trade Fair: From Importers to Continental Export Leaders
✍️ BY: Dr. Hana Saada
Algiers – September 2025 – Algerian enterprises have seized the continental spotlight at the 4th Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF), where they secured investment contracts and agreements worth over $11.4 billion—a record performance that underscores Algeria’s transformation from a nation of importers to one of competitive producers driving African export markets. Out of more than $48 billion in deals concluded at the fair, Algeria’s share stands as a decisive marker of its expanding role within the African economic arena.
A Strategic Leap into Africa’s 1.4 Billion-Consumer Market
Observers have been quick to note that Algeria’s participation this year eclipsed its earlier engagement in Cairo, signaling a strategic breakthrough. By promoting the competitiveness of its products—ranging from home appliances and electrical equipment to spare parts—Algeria has managed to project both industrial credibility and commercial strength to African partners. The $11.4 billion in agreements represents nearly fifteen times the current volume of Algeria’s non-hydrocarbon trade with Africa, which hovers around $850 million annually.
This pivot reflects a deliberate shift in Algeria’s external economic strategy. After decades of trade orientation toward Europe and Asia, the country is now recalibrating its ambitions to embrace a continental market of 1.4 billion consumers.
Competitiveness Backed by State Support
The strong demand witnessed at Algerian stands is attributable not only to the quality and competitive pricing of national products but also to state measures designed to boost exporters’ confidence. Simplified procedures, logistical support, state-subsidized transport, export credit insurance, and the establishment of showrooms across Africa have created an enabling environment for Algerian enterprises to expand with determination. The single-window mechanism, introduced on the direct instruction of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, has further streamlined export operations and reinforced Algeria’s position as a credible economic partner.
The ripple effect is already evident. While large national groups spearheaded major contracts, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) now find pathways opening to markets in neighboring states such as Niger, Mauritania, and Nigeria. The IATF thus confirmed Algeria’s stature as an indispensable player in African trade.
“Africa Demands Our Products”
Mohamed-Moncef Bouderba, Vice-President of the Algerian Confederation of Citizen Employers and President of the Algerian Ceramists Association, expressed pride at Algeria’s performance: “We participated with immense pride in this grand gathering. It is an extraordinary event for the revival of Algeria’s foreign trade. Africa demands our products, and Algeria is now moving in the right direction.”
Highlighting promising sectors such as pharmaceuticals, agro-food, and household appliances, Bouderba noted that Algeria’s exports have already penetrated markets in West Africa, Chad, Ethiopia, and South Africa, with advanced talks ongoing with Nigeria. During the fair, Algeria also hosted high-level economic delegations from Côte d’Ivoire and other nations, underscoring the growing demand for Algerian goods across the continent.
Toward a Permanent African Presence
Bouderba called for sustained institutional backing, particularly through banking reforms and updated foreign trade legislation, to allow Algerian firms to establish permanent subsidiaries across Africa, much like their Egyptian and Tunisian counterparts. He argued that such measures are vital for embedding Algerian enterprises into African markets, enabling them to compete fairly, expand distribution networks, and use Algeria as a strategic gateway to Asia and the Mediterranean.
A New Era in Algeria’s Foreign Economic Policy
This surge in visibility and confidence comes against the backdrop of President Tebboune’s policy of diversifying Algeria’s external partnerships and promoting non-hydrocarbon exports. The creation of a continental fund for African startups, alongside the expansion of maritime, air, and land transport networks, reflects Algeria’s long-term vision: to consolidate its role as a central hub for African trade while reshaping its economic model to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing global order.
In the words of Bouderba: “Things are moving. The Nigeria file is advancing, South Africa is in discussions, and other countries—Senegal, Mauritania, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Cameroon, Rwanda—are all showing keen interest. We place high hopes in this new economic policy, which is steering Algeria firmly toward sustainable growth and continental leadership.”
Translated from:
https://www.horizons.dz/?p=349152
📡🌍 | About Dzair Tube Media Group | 🌍📡
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
📰 Dzair Tube is a trailblazer in Algerian digital journalism, delivering high-quality content in Arabic, French, and English. With more than 📈 500,000 daily clicks, it ranks among the most influential media platforms in the country.
🏆 Awarded the President of the Republic’s Prize for Professional Journalist in the Electronic Press category (🗓 October 22, 2022), Dzair Tube is widely recognized for its editorial excellence and integrity.
📱 Massive Digital Reach:
🔴 350,000+ YouTube subscribers
🔵 6 million+ followers across Facebook pages
📸 70,000+ Instagram followers
🎥 Operating from state-of-the-art studios, Dzair Tube broadcasts rich and diverse programming, including:
🗞 News | ⚽ Sports | 🎭 Entertainment | 🕌 Religion | 🎨 Culture
🗣️ Featuring interactive talk shows and exclusive interviews with prominent figures from politics, business, arts, and more, Dzair Tube serves as a key platform for public discourse and civic engagement.
📰 Its print sports daily, “Dzair Sport,” enjoys over 50,000 daily downloads via the official website—further cementing the platform’s multimedia leadership.
🎖️ Honored with the Media Leadership Award by the former Minister of Communication, Mohamed Laâgab, and celebrated at the Hilals of the Television awards, Dzair Tube continues to lead with innovation, influence, and impact.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🌐 Stay Connected:
🔗 Website: www.dzair-tube.dz
🔗 English: www.dzair-tube.dz/en
📲 Follow us on Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
