Kigali gets ready to host the agrifood community for VIV Africa 2026

Rwanda's capital is about to become the epicentre of East Africa's agrifood conversation

From 7 to 8 October, the Kigali Convention Centre will host VIV Africa 2026, preceded by a Leadership Conference on 6 October that sets the tone for two days of dealmaking across the feed to food value chain.

What makes this edition worth watching isn't just the scale, it's who's in the room. Around 150 exhibitors are expected on the floor, spanning five sectors that mirror the industry's full journey: Animal Health, Feed Ingredients & Additives, Processing, Farm Production, and Feed & Grain Technology, plus a growing Dairy Pavilion rounding things out. Each sector reflects where the region's investment is flowing, from biosecurity to milling technology built for scale.

Names like Ceva/Laprovet, Aviagen, Big Dutchman, Cargill, De Heus and Bühler sit alongside a deep bench of regional specialists, companies like Soproda Poultry Feed, MG2Mix Premix Nutrition and Hy-Line/Kenchic/Hybrid, a mix that speaks to VIV Africa's real value proposition: global technology meeting local expertise, in the same hall, at the same time. That pairing matters in a market where imported equipment often needs adapting to local climates and infrastructure, and the specialists best placed to do that are usually based down the road rather than overseas.

That's echoed in the visitor mix too. Farm owners, feed millers, veterinarians, processors, distributors and investors are expected to walk the floor, many steered toward exhibitors through two structured programs: the Investment & Market Access Forum, pairing investors and policymakers with regional businesses, and the Hosted Buyer Program, scheduling direct introductions between senior purchasers and exhibitors. It's a format built for efficiency, less wandering, more matchmaking.

Rwanda's own agriculture sector is woven into the show rather than sitting on its sidelines. The Rwanda Poultry Industry Association and the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources have both been closely involved in shaping the event, and local exhibitors and delegates will be present throughout, a signal that VIV Africa is as much about strengthening the host country's own industry as it is about drawing in the international crowd.

For those wanting more than the trade floor, the Technical Best Practice Seminar program runs alongside the exhibition, covering topics from feed efficiency modelling to gut health in broiler production. The Leadership Conference, held the day before, tackles the bigger picture: market outlook, poultry sector transformation and animal health, giving investors and policymakers a forum to set the agenda before the floor opens for business.

Registration is open now at africa.viv.net and early sign-up comes with a practical perk: a free badge plus shorter onsite queues. Visitors also have access to the exhibitor list and program via the website, so visitors can map out their two days in Kigali before they land.