Burundi’s commercial capital Bujumbura is preparing to host the annual 23rd East African Community (EAC) Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Trade Fair.
This year’s event, themed “Connecting East Africa MSMEs to Enhance Intra EAC Trade,” will take place from the 5th to the 15th of December 2023 at the Cercle Hyppique grounds in Bujumbura, Burundi.
More than 1500 MSMEs will be in attendance. The gathering according to organisers, promises to be an occasion for fostering forward linkages, strengthening regional integration and facilitating business exchanges.
The EAC region, with a market size of 300 million people and a GDP of approximately U$250 billion, represents a compelling opportunity to boost intra-EAC trade.
The geographical expansion of the EAC, which now stretches from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, makes it a competitive gateway to the larger African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Meanwhile, the 22nd Edition was held in Uganda’s capital Kampala.
The 1st EAC MSMEs Trade Fair was held in Arusha, Tanzania in November 1999 during the historic event of signing of the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC.
Subsequent to the success of the Arusha exhibition, the EAC Heads of State directed that the Exhibition be held annually on rotational basis among the Partner States so as to enhance and revamp the socio-economic integration of the people of East Africa.
