Market Access Africa 2025: Paving the Way for Africa’s Agricultural Transformation

Africa’s agricultural sector is brimming with potential, yet market inefficiencies, infrastructure limitations, and persistent trade barriers continue to hold the sector back. Despite holding 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land (World Bank, 2023), the continent remains a net food importer, with food import bills expected to reach $110 billion by 2025 (UNECA, 2021). While agriculture contributes at least 17% to Africa’s GDP (OECD & FAO, 2022), its ability to drive inclusive growth depends heavily on access to regional and global markets.

Market Access Africa (MAA) 2025, taking place on 2 and 3 June 2025 at the Durban International Convention Centre, is designed to accelerate Africa’s trade and investment potential by addressing key barriers and unlocking new opportunities across the agri-food value chain.

Hosted by the African Agri Council (AAC), the event will bring together agribusinesses, investors, policymakers, development finance institutions, and international buyers to enhance agricultural trade, promote value addition, and position African producers for global competitiveness.

“Africa’s agricultural future hinges on how effectively we connect producers with high-value markets,” says Ben Leyka, CEO of the African Agri Council. “Market Access Africa is more than an event—it’s a platform to create real trade outcomes, foster investment, and drive long-term sector transformation. Durban is the ideal host city, offering world-class logistics, trade infrastructure, and direct access to global shipping routes.”

Key Features of Market Access Africa 2025:

• Plenary Sessions & Thought Leadership Conference
  Engage with leading voices in agribusiness, trade policy, and investment as they unpack strategies for boosting African agricultural exports, enhancing competitiveness, and scaling regional value chains.

• Exhibition Showcase
  Explore cutting-edge technologies, export services, and solutions from across Africa and beyond. The exhibition will highlight agro-processing innovations, logistics providers, agritech developers, and key market enablers.

• Workshops & Technical Sessions
  Practical, expert-led workshops designed to equip participants with actionable insights on export readiness, trade compliance, standards certification, digital marketplaces, and investment packaging.

• Business Matchmaking Programme
  A dedicated matchmaking platform will connect African suppliers and agribusinesses with,  development partners, and investors—facilitating deal flow and trade partnerships.

With a strong focus on market access, innovation, and investment, MAA 2025 offers a unique opportunity to catalyze transformation in Africa’s agricultural sector. The time to act is now—by connecting stakeholders across the value chain, Market Access Africa will help unlock Africa’s agricultural potential and build more resilient, competitive, and export-driven food systems.

For more information on sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, visit:
👉 https://access-africa.com/sponsor-exhibit/
📩 Or contact: Manuel Singano | manuel.singano@agricouncil.org