Event News

Addis Ababa is ideal for high-level deal-making potential.

Food and agriculture investments platform organised by the African Agri Council, African Agri Investment Indaba (AAII) will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 16-18 November at the Addis International Convention Center 

This year the guiding theme of the event will be 'Scaling for Impact: Transforming Private Sector Commitments into Zero Hunger Realities'. 

According to the Council, Ethiopia was chosen as the preferred venue over Durban, which was announced previously. This was a strategic decision, given Ethiopia is the headquarters of the African Union, and a critical hub for continental agricultural policy and trade negotiations. The region holds significant influence in the rapid digitalisation of the entire nation's agricultural sector because of its strategic positioning near the East African and Middle Eastern trade corridors. 

These factors make Addis Ababa ideal for high-level deal-making potential. "Relocating the Indaba to Addis Ababa represents a monumental step forward in our mission to catalyse private sector capital across the entire continent," said Ben Leyka, chief executive officer at the African Agri Council.

"While Durban served as an incredible launchpad for regional investment, moving to Ethiopia places our stakeholders at the direct intersection of policy, trade finance, and large-scale industrial expansion."

The move aligns with the Indaba's growing role as a platform that bridges policy, capital, and implementation; a space where the commitments made in continental policy frameworks can be translated into bankable investment pipelines. 

This year's edition will be introducing new segments for a better connected agribusiness value chain, from early-stage tech to industrial mega-projects. These include the Agribusiness CEO Forum where C-suite executives talk currency volatility, supply chain resilience, and operational strategy. The Agri-Trade Finance Congress aims to strategise on commodity finance, warehouse receipts, and digital trade tools to close US$80bn agri-trade liquidity gap.

Agro-Industrial Park Forum will be returning for its second edition, connecting global park developers, SEZ authorities, and anchor tenants to activate regional processing hubs. The exhibition will unite top ag-tech innovators and early-stage ventures from the region, giving them a platform to take their business concepts to venture capital and impact funds at the Seeds & Startups Showcase. 

Local commercial producers can directly approach international retail procurement heads and global off-takers at Market Access Africa.

The Investment Discovery Sessions will see pre-vetted Investment Discovery Session (IDS) connecting project owners with institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs).

The Agri Investment Indaba Awards will acknowledge excellence and innovations of the continent's agrifood sector.

To learn more and discover further information, visit www.agri-indaba.com

VIV Africa is sub-Saharan Africa's leading Feed to Food platform. (Image source: VNU Exhibitions Europe BV)

Something is shifting in Sub-Saharan Africa's animal protein sector

Demand for poultry, dairy and feed is climbing fast, yet producers across the region are still contending with real constraints: biosecurity gaps, patchy supply chains and limited access to the technologies that could ease both. Closing that gap is not a matter of good intentions. It takes the right people in the same room, comparing notes on what actually works.

That room is in Kigali this October. VIV Africa, the region's leading Feed to Food platform, returns to the Kigali Convention Centre on 7 and 8 October 2026, with a Leadership Conference kicking things off a day earlier on 6 October. About 150 exhibitors will fill 1,650 square metres of exhibition space covering the full animal protein value chain, from farm production and feed ingredients to processing and animal health. Poultry remains at the heart of the show, and a dedicated Dairy Pavilion this year signals just how far VIV Africa's ambitions now stretch across agrifood. Around 2,000 visitors are expected, travelling in from Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Africa, Cameroon, Sudan and beyond.

What makes the event worth three days out of an already packed calendar is not simply its size. It is the way the programme is built around outcomes rather than footfall. The Leadership Conference sets the tone before the exhibition floor even opens, gathering international experts to work through the trends and challenges shaping poultry, agriculture and dairy across the continent, for a registration fee of US$140. Senior buyers and decision makers can go further still through the Hosted Buyer Programme, which arranges scheduled introductions and dedicated support so that time on the ground translates into actual supplier relationships rather than a stack of business cards.

For an agrifood professional weighing whether to attend, the case comes down to four things. There is a chance to learn directly from global experts grappling with the same pressures on production and margins. There is the opportunity to discover technologies and solutions already proven in comparable markets, rather than reading about them second-hand. There is the ability to connect face to face with suppliers, partners and buyers who can move a business forward. And there is the prospect of growth that follows from all three, new partnerships and new deals that would be far harder to reach from behind a desk.

Natalie Taylor, Project Manager for VIV Africa, described the show as a place where the region's animal protein industry comes to make real decisions rather than window shop. That distinction is worth sitting with. Sub-Saharan Africa is among the fastest growing animal protein markets anywhere in the world right now, and the companies willing to show up and engage with it directly are the ones best placed to shape where it goes next.

Registration for VIV Africa 2026 is open now, and entry to the two-day exhibition is free for anyone who registers in advance. Doing so also means avoiding queues on arrival and getting early access to the exhibitor list, which is a small thing that makes a real difference once you are trying to plan a busy two days in Kigali.

For anyone with a stake in where this region's agrifood industry is headed, whether as a producer, a supplier or a technical lead with influence over what gets purchased, VIV Africa 2026 is where those conversations are actually happening. Registration is open at africa.viv.net.

Agribusinesses from East Africa can leverage technological scaling and market modernisation opportunity as the 47th edition of EIMA International gears up to return in Bologna from 10-14 November 

East Africa's export-driven agricultural sector will especially benefit from the event as it will expand the region's reach to Italy. 

The market opportunity: Untapped potential

Digital integration remains the need of the hour to effectively commercialise Ethiopia's vast agricultural potential, which is the region's backbone.

The country is blessed with a diverse climate suitable for everything from cereals and pulses to oilseeds, the country has already established itself as the world’s third-largest producer of Arabica coffee.

Despite this, agribusinesses face persistent operational bottlenecks like low mechanisation levels: Limited access to modern tools hinders large-scale productivity. There are infrastructure gaps with growth frequently stalled by insufficient irrigation and a lack of transport and storage infrastructure. There is a need for digital integration with a critical requirement for training technical staff to operate digital systems and next-generation machinery.

Strategic solutions and know-how transfer

The partnership with Italian industry is designed to go beyond simple equipment sales; it focuses on supply chain efficiency and the transfer of technical know-how.

Italian manufacturers are positioning themselves to offer advanced, sustainable technologies that can optimise production and improve the quality of agri-food supply chains.

For Ethiopian operators, the EIMA International exhibition in Bologna (November 10–14) serves as a vital procurement and networking platform. The scale of the event provides an unprecedented look at the global market with 1,800+ manufacturers offering more than 60,000 models of machinery. 14 product sectors are organised into seven thematic showcases to help businesses find specific technological solutions. Ensuring tailored technology, exhibitions are designed to match the specific production needs of the Ethiopian primary and gardening sectors.

Facilitating B2B growth

To ensure these technological advancements translate into commercial reality, an official delegation of Ethiopian business representatives will attend the Bologna event, organised by ICE and FederUnacoma.

This delegation will participate in structured business-to-business (B2B) meetings designed to match Ethiopian operators with the specific technologies prioritized for the country’s development.

As Claudio Pasqualucci, director of the ICE office in Addis Ababa, noted, EIMA International represents an "ideal platform for fostering new commercial and industrial relationships" that can increase productivity and efficiency across the entire supply chain.

For agribusinesses looking to modernise, this partnership offers a clear pathway to high-calibre industrial cooperation.

Visitor registration ensuring free entry is currently open for the 2026 edition. (Image source: VIV Africa)

Part of the VNU Europe-organised VIV Worldwide portfolio, VIV Africa 2026 has called for industry professionals to secure their free badge ahead of the show taking place on 7-8 October at the Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda

Visitor registration ensuring free entry is currently open for the 2026 edition, which is set to see a diverse range of exhibitors across the animal protein supply chain, including farm production, feed ingredients and additives, feed and grain technology, processing and animal health.

With a strong focus on poultry layers and broilers, the show also features a dedicated Dairy Pavilion reflecting its continued focus into broader agrifood sectors.

“VIV Africa has become a meeting point where the region’s animal protein industry comes to make real decisions, not just window-shop,” says Natalie Taylor, Project Manager for VIV Africa.

“Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the fastest-growing markets for animal protein in the world, and the businesses that get this region right today will be the ones leading it tomorrow. Our job is to make sure that when international suppliers and local producers are ready to do business, VIV Africa is where that happens. Every edition, we see more serious buyers, more depth in the exhibitor line-up, and more deals struck on the show floor — and 2026 is set to be our biggest step yet.”

The show is set to open with a high-level Leadership Conference on 6 October 6—one day before the official exhibitions starts—bringing together an international line-up of experts to unpack the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping poultry, agriculture, and dairy across the continent.

Click here for visitor registration. Registering in advance secures a free badge, avoids queues onsite, and gives early access to the exhibitor list and full onsite programme — helping visitors plan their visit in Kigali before they even arrive.