From 4 to 10 September 2025, I had the privilege of attending the @Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025) a powerful gathering that showcased Africa’s commitment to deepening integration, boosting intra-continental trade, and creating sustainable businesses that endure across generations.
Reflections from IATF2025
From 4 to 10 September 2025, I had the privilege of attending the @Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025) a powerful gathering that showcased Africa’s commitment to deepening integration, boosting intra-continental trade, and creating sustainable businesses that endure across generations.
Building Businesses That Transcend Generations
During this event, I was quoted in an article by journalist @Rabia Khattab for Al-Ayam News (Algeria). While my name was unfortunately misspelled as “Sydney Debet”, I would like to clarify that the insights shared were indeed mine. I value this mention as another marker of the growing international recognition of our work.
My takeaway from IATF2025 is recognizing the shared priorities we must continue to focus on together: simplifying trade procedures, leveraging digital platforms, strengthening transport networks, and expanding support for SMEs. These priorities align strongly with the vision of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and represent the practical steps that can accelerate the framework’s benefits for entrepreneurs and citizens.
It will take a village!
💡 This is exactly where our work at Business Awakening Conferencing (BAC), an offshoot of CoSec8 and MyBoardPod, becomes meaningful. Through BAC, we are designing value-creating travel missionsthat enable stakeholders to engage constructively with AfCFTA opportunities. These missions are intentional, informed, and designed to help African businesses plug into continental trade with confidence.
Ultimately, all of this is in service of our mission: helping build resilient businesses that transcend the founder’s generation.
The article link: [https://elayem.news/41061.html]
Grateful to Rabia Khattab for highlighting Africa’s trade journey and to AfCFTA for providing the framework that makes this vision possible.