The city of Istanbul will play host to the 5th Turkey-Africa Economic Forum (TABEF), which is scheduled for October 16th -17th, 2025 at Istanbul Congress Centre (ICC) in Turkey.
Hosted by Turkey’s Ministry of Trade and organised by the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) in cooperation with the African Union, the event aims to foster stronger economic ties through investment, trade, and industrial partnerships.
The forum will be graced by the President of the Republic of Türkiye H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Chairperson of the African Union and President of the Republic of Angola H.E. João Goncalves Lourenço, Minister of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye H.E. Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat, Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals of the African Union, H.E. Francisca Tatchouop Belobe, President of DEİK, Nail Olpak, Coordinating Chairperson of DEİK/Türkiye-Africa Business Councils Fuat Tosyali, Acting Chairperson of African Business Council (AfBC) Dr. Amany Asfour, as well as H.E. First Lady Emine Erdoğan and Ministers of Economy, Trade and Finance from various African countries.
The event is expected to attract participants including Heads of State, ministers, and business leaders from both regions, as it looks forward to discuss crucial areas pertinent to the development of both sides notably; agriculture, digital infrastructure, and textiles, among a host of others.
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The theme for this year’s forum is “Leveraging Türkiye-Africa Relations for Mutual Gains”.
Overview
Launched in line with the decisions adopted during the Second Türkiye-Africa Partnership Summit held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea in November 2014, TABEF is a biennial event initiated since 2016.
Besides, TABEF aims to analyse the commercial and economic relations between Türkiye and African countries, assess Türkiye’s investment approach toward the continent, and enhance interactions between business communities. It also seeks to initiate dialogue between Turkish investors, the African Union (AU), and regional economic communities in order to reinforce investment ties between Türkiye and Africa.
In addition, it provides a valuable platform for leading public and private sector representatives from both Türkiye and Africa to share their experiences and policy recommendations for developing the private sector and fostering innovation-based Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).
Through this initiative, the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye and the African Union Commission are committed to enhancing cooperation opportunities through the success of this forthcoming forum to be held in Istanbul.
Thus, the event will focus on priority economic sectors in their bid to jointly address challenges, while identifying opportunities to establish stronger economic partnerships between Türkiye and African countries–always with a view to shared interests.
Agriculture being a dominant sector for most African countries, the delegates at the forum are urge to capitalise on the existing opportunities to spur investment opportunities for increased growth in the sector.
Other priority areas like artificial intelligence, defense, and digital and data infrastructure and automotive industry among a host of others, will also take centre stage.
In essence, TABEF seeks to offer a vital opportunity to develop innovative and win-win project partnerships, allowing Türkiye and Africa to emerge as indispensable global partners through effective investment incentives that support foreign direct investment (FDI) and public-private partnerships (PPPs).
Stronger collaboration in agro-industry, healthcare, and tourism holds the promise of advancing mutual prosperity and fostering economic diversification. In this respect, TABEF will play a key role in highlighting innovative approaches, policies, and initiatives that can unlock the partnership potential between Türkiye and Africa and lead to inclusive growth and shared welfare.
Furthermore, by encouraging knowledge-sharing between the parties, the Forum will contribute to the establishment of stronger and long-lasting partnerships.
The event will also feature panel session on key thematic areas notably; B2B Meetings, B2G Sessions as well as sessions on Türkiye-Africa Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship Dialogue.
Turkey-Africa Trade and Economic Relations
In order to assess the current stage of Turkey’s relations with African countries and to identify additional ways and means to further advance them, the First Türkiye-Africa Cooperation Summit was held in Istanbul on 18-21 August 2008 with the participation of 49 African countries and representatives of 11 international and regional organisations, including the African Union. This led to the formation of “Istanbul Declaration on Türkiye-Africa Cooperation: Partnership and Solidarity for a Common Future” and the “Framework for Cooperation for Türkiye-Africa Partnership” adopted at the Summit provided a sustainable structure for Türkiye-Africa relations.
In recent years, Türkiye’s relations with Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries have gained remarkable momentum. Initiated in 1998, accelerated by Türkiye’s observer membership to the African Union in 2005, and reinforced when Türkiye was declared a strategic partner of the African Union in 2008, the multi-dimensional Opening to Africa Policy achieved significant progress in political, economic, cultural, security, and development fields. This policy was successfully completed and was replaced in 2013 by the Africa Partnership Policy.
Economic ties have expanded rapidly over the last two decades. The Türkiye-Africa trade volume rose from USD 5.4 billion in 2003 to USD 40.7 billion by the end of 2022. In 2024, the trade volume stood at around USD 36.5 billion, with exports amounting to USD 21.8 billion and imports to USD 15 billion. Key partners on the continent include Egypt, Algeria, Libya, South Africa, and Nigeria. As of today, Türkiye has Free Trade Agreements in force with Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, and Mauritius. The FTA with Sudan is expected to enter into force following the completion of internal ratification procedures, while negotiations with Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and Libya are ongoing.
The backbone of Türkiye’s steadily growing bilateral relations with African countries since 2003 has been the Strategy for the Development of Commercial and Economic Relations with Africa. This Strategy was updated at the Second Türkiye-Africa Partnership Summit in Malabo in 2014 to reflect the continent’s evolving needs. At the Third Summit held in Istanbul in 2021, the 2022-2026 Joint Action Plan was adopted. The main objectives of the Strategy are to increase Türkiye’s direct investments in Africa, create more job opportunities, and foster a conducive environment for the continent’s economic development.
As of today, Türkiye’s direct investment stock in Africa has exceeded USD 10 billion. Turkish contractors have undertaken more than 2,000 projects across the continent, with a total value approaching USD 97 billion. Türkiye’s diplomatic presence in Africa has grown from 12 embassies in 2002 to 44 embassies today. Turkish Airlines currently operates flights to 51 destinations in 39 African countries. In addition, institutions such as TİKA, the Maarif Foundation, and the Yunus Emre Institute are actively engaged across the continent in education, cultural exchange, and development cooperation.
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The foundation of Türkiye’s Africa vision is based on the principles of equal partnership, mutual benefit, and sustainable development. The 5th Türkiye-Africa Business and Economic Forum (TABEF 2025) to be held in Istanbul in October 2025 will provide a critical platform to advance trade, investment, and development dimensions of our partnership. Furthermore, the 4th Türkiye-Africa Partnership Summit, to be convened in Africa in 2026, is expected to raise the trade volume beyond USD 45 billion, finalise new Free Trade Agreements, and establish a broader and more inclusive basis for economic cooperation across the continent.
Why Attend
The Forum will be an excellent opportunity to update the current relations among the business people of participating countries and set new targets for the further development of our economic, commercial and business partnerships.
It will greatly help in expanding one’s business and discover trade & business opportunities.
“It will also help introduce one’s company and projects, products & services; meet prospective partners and generate international exposure for your brand; establish relationships with Turkish investors, suppliers & contractors; connect with new buyers & distributors from Africa; engage with international media thus allowing access to major projects and financial instruments.”
Salam Financial Service staff participate in ‘Walk for Health’
