The 6th Business Fair and Business Conference of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is set to take place in Addis Ababa from May 7 to 9, 2025. Organized by the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration (MoTRI) in collaboration with COMESA, the event aims to empower women entrepreneurs and youth by creating market opportunities and fostering skills development.
Held under the theme “A Thriving COMESA Through Gender-Responsive Regional Integration: Unlocking Opportunities in Green Investments, Value Chains, Tourism, and Mining,” the conference will focus on sectors such as agribusiness, textiles, tourism, digital marketing, intellectual property services, and financial delivery, with a special emphasis on green development and sustainable growth.
The event is expected to attract over 500 participants, including 300 women entrepreneurs, 100 government officials, and 100 representatives from partner organizations. Additionally, more than 200 business-to-business (B2B) discussions will be held during the conference, which is projected to generate $260 billion in GDP across the region.
Despite its ambitious goals, the conference highlights ongoing challenges faced by women entrepreneurs and youth in the COMESA region. Speaking at a media briefing ahead of the event, Yasmin Wohabrebbi, State Minister of Trade and Regional Integration, acknowledged that women and youth are key drivers of innovation and economic growth but continue to face significant barriers.
“Limited access to financing, market shortages, and socio-cultural barriers have hindered women’s ability to fully contribute to trade and investment in the region,” Yasmin noted. She emphasized that addressing these challenges is critical for achieving sustainable regional economic integration.
Maureen Sumbewe, Chairperson of the COMESA Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB), echoed this sentiment. “While this program will significantly enhance the empowerment of businesswomen and entrepreneurial youth, more efforts are needed to overcome persistent obstacles,” she said.
The COMFWB Trade Fair is recognized as one of Africa’s largest gatherings of women and youth entrepreneurs. It provides a platform for networking, knowledge sharing, business pitching, matchmaking, and B2B interactions. The event also aims to strengthen economic ties among member nations while showcasing products and services from across the region.
This year’s fair will feature participation from women’s business associations across COMESA’s 21 member states. Exhibitors will include representatives from various industries such as agribusiness, textiles, tourism, cutting-edge technologies, digital commerce, and financial services. The focus on green investments aligns with global sustainability goals while promoting inclusive economic growth.
The event underscores the importance of regional integration in unlocking opportunities for women entrepreneurs. By fostering collaboration among member states through initiatives like the COMESA Free Trade Area (FTA), which serves a market of over 600 million people with a combined GDP of $260 billion, the fair seeks to enhance intra-regional trade and investment.
“We look forward to seeing African women entrepreneurs connect with international buyers and partners,” Sumbewe added. “This is an opportunity to create business linkages that will drive growth across borders.”
