More than 300 Tunisian and African companies were there to boost intra-African trade.
The Export Promotion Center (Cepex) organized the second edition of the “Tunisia Africa Business Meetings” in December under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Export Development and in partnership with the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). 6th and 7th 2022 in Tunis.
This event aims to strengthen the South-South partnership and accelerate inter-African economic and trade exchanges. With the aim of stimulating the dynamics of networking and networking of economic actors. This event aims to develop the flow of national products to countries on the African continent, especially after Tunisia’s accession in recent years to the African Continental Free Trade Area (Zlecaf) and the Common Market of East and South Africa (Comesa).
much hope
Lisa Menucha, Program Manager Promoting Export Activities to New Markets in Sub-Saharan Africa (Pema) at GIZ, said: “As a representative of GIZ and responsible for the Pema project, small and medium-sized enterprises play a crucial role in a modern and future-oriented Economy and society. They are the engine of growth and innovation that contributes to improving the employment situation of the population. That is why German cooperation is actively involved in activities to promote a more competitive and sustainable private sector.
As part of the Pema project, we have been working with our Tunisian partners to promote exports to Africa since 2018. Together with the Ministry of Trade and Export Development and Cepex, GIZ is running this project for the benefit of SMEs. While we are still in a niche and exports to sub-Saharan Africa still only account for 3% of Tunisia’s exports, the development of certain markets offers a lot of hope. Focusing on the current trend, Tunisian exports to sub-Saharan Africa recorded an increase of around 27% compared to 2020. However, there is great untapped potential that needs to be explored. The comparison between export potential and actual trade shows that the total untapped export potential of intra-African trade is approximately US$21.9 billion.”
The African market is a stroke of luck
Menucha added that in Tunisia, awareness of the importance of African markets has undoubtedly increased significantly in recent years. At least since Tunisia joined Comesa and Zlecaf, the topic of trade with Africa has aroused the interest of many companies. “We have come together to take the next step and give Tunisian companies a concrete opportunity to exchange ideas with African companies.” At the first “Tunisia Africa E-Business Meetings” event in 2020, 550 Tunisian companies had digital Format the opportunity to exchange ideas with potential business partners in different countries of sub-Saharan Africa. A total of more than 2,800 B2B appointments were arranged in three days. Many B2B meetings are now easier to conduct virtually than in face-to-face mode. “But what we have all learned during the pandemic is that there is no substitute for face-to-face contact. And that’s why we are expecting an even higher quality of exchange this year from the “Tunisia Africa Business Meetings”, also thanks to the excellent preparation of the Cepex team. All with the aim of generating concrete business opportunities for companies in Africa,” assured Lisa Menucha.