The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is set to bring together trade finance and compliance experts, policymakers, and industry leaders from across Africa to strengthen intra-African trade and support the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The event, scheduled to take place from November 16 to 18, 2026, at the Gaborone International Convention Centre in Botswana, will combine Afreximbank's annual Trade Finance Seminar and Compliance Forum in a single programme. This programme is organised in partnership with the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC).
The programme will provide a platform for financial, regulatory, and trade communities to examine how stronger trade finance and compliance frameworks can support trade, investment, industrialisation, and economic integration across the continent. The event will also include a Factoring Workshop on November 19, focusing on factoring and other alternative trade finance solutions as tools for improving businesses' access to finance. The seminar will examine how trade finance can support the implementation of the AfCFTA, strengthen regional value chains, finance trade-enabling infrastructure, and promote economic integration across Africa.
The Afreximbank Trade Finance Seminar 2026 will be held under the theme, "Trade Financing in the AfCFTA Era: Resilient Value Chains, Infrastructure and Market Integration." Executive Vice President, Global Trade Bank at Afreximbank, Haytham El Maayergi, stated that the seminar was coming at a critical time for African trade. He said the AfCFTA was creating a larger and more integrated market, but its success would depend on the ability of African economies to finance trade, value chains, and infrastructure connecting them.
According to El Maayergi, by bringing together trade finance, compliance, and market practitioners, the goal is to turn opportunities into more bankable transactions, stronger regional value chains, and increased intra-African trade. Chief Executive Officer, Botswana Investment and Trade Centre, Keletsositse Olebile, said the programme would provide Botswana with an opportunity to welcome delegates from Africa and beyond while showcasing the country's growing role in regional trade and investment.
The Afreximbank Compliance Forum 2026 will be held under the theme, "Better Compliance, Better Trade: Leveraging Compliance to Promote African Regulations that Advance Intra-African Economic and Trade Integration." Afreximbank's Compliance Director, Idrissa Diop, stated that compliance should not be viewed only as a regulatory requirement but also as an important part of building trusted and sustainable trade. Diop said the forum would bring together institutions shaping Africa's financial and trade architecture to identify practical ways of aligning compliance standards.
The combined programme is expected to provide a platform for participants to share knowledge and explore practical solutions to Africa's trade finance gap while supporting stronger regional value chains and the implementation of the AfCFTA. The events will highlight Botswana's commitment to economic development and continental cooperation. Olebile said Botswana was proud to partner with Afreximbank to host the Compliance Forum, Trade Finance Seminar, and Factoring Workshop.
The events are expected to attract delegates from Africa and beyond, providing an opportunity for Botswana to showcase its growing role in regional trade and investment. The programme aims to turn opportunities into more bankable transactions, stronger regional value chains, and increased intra-African trade.
Key points
- Afreximbank to host trade finance and compliance experts in Botswana to boost intra-African trade and support the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
