lEvelyn Paul
On November 12, over 100 export-ready brands from Africa and the Caribbean gathered at the Grand Hyatt Dubai for the inaugural African Marketplace Dubai 2025 – a groundbreaking platform reshaping how global audiences experience African and Caribbean excellence.
Spanning beauty, fashion, agribusiness, technology, interior décor and food innovation, the exhibition showcased the depth of creativity, craftsmanship and manufacturing capacity across both regions.
Beyond the vibrant displays was a deeper mission: to unlock global market access for SMEs, shift long-standing perceptions of the continent and position homegrown brands as globally competitive players.
The Problem We Set Out to Solve
SMEs create 80 percent of jobs across Africa, yet their contribution to foreign exchange earnings remains minimal. More than 90 percent lack access to the logistics, networks, credibility and platforms required to break into international markets.
For decades, Africa’s trade narrative has been boxed into raw material exports or aid dependency and rarely recognized as a source of premium, finished products. African Marketplace Dubai was designed to challenge and change that narrative, curating Africa’s and the Caribbean’s finest brands—across fashion, agribusiness, creative arts, intellectual capital and more—into a unified, high-impact global trade platform.
Why Dubai?
The location was deliberate, not aspirational. Dubai hosts over 200 nationalities and operates as one of the world’s top-tier business and logistics hubs. Its unmatched air and sea connectivity to Asia, Europe and the Middle East—the very markets African SMEs struggle to penetrate independently. For brands in Lagos, Accra or Port-au-Prince, Dubai reduces prohibitive logistic barriers and signals a bold message: Africa is entering the global arena on competitive terms.
Who Showed Up
A powerful delegation of category-defining brands attended, including: House of Tara, Winston Leather, Hans & Rene, Tropical Naturals Limited, Ambience by Talata, Mrembo Naturals, Belliche, Onyx Hair, Krabhouse gallery, Pine & Ivory, Tote London, Arami Essentials, Oriki Spa, Nissi Foods, Amatchiwa, Femi Handbag, Secure ID, FashionEdge, SaveenahImage, Nichole by Haguana among others. A standout was Togo Mall, led by Mrs. Tokunbo Ige, which sponsored about 14 Togolese brands – marking one of the strongest Francophone representations on a global stage.
“African Marketplace Dubai connects Francophone Africa with the global economy like never before,” Ige said. “This platform gives our brands visibility, credibility and the opportunity to expand beyond borders.”
Irene Simon Ivambi, the founder of Mrembo Naturals, an East African social enterprise in the organic beauty sector, said “This event provided vital visibility and new business contacts that will help us scale and empower more African smallholder farmers.”
What Attendees Discovered
“I knew African products were good, but seeing this level of quality and creativity all in one place is inspiring,” one attendee said. “It completely changes how you view the continent’s potential.”
CEO and Founder of Cakes N Chocolates Factory, Temitayo Eguabor, described the event as transformative.
“I met businesses and investors from across Africa and the Caribbean, and doors to international partnerships and funding opened in ways I never imagined. I now think of my business as bigger than myself.”
Winston Udeagha of Winston Leather, whose family legacy includes supplying leather to global luxury brands, captured the ambition behind the event: “Being here is about realizing the dream of a truly global African brand. We want to see more finished products from Africa that can compete anywhere in the world.”
Beyond Commerce: Cultural Moments That Mattered
One of the most memorable moments came from Chess Master Tunde Onakoya, who played simultaneous matches using a custom adire-crafted chessboard, symbolizing tradition fused with innovation. These cultural touchpoints reinforced the message that African excellence spans intellect, creativity, craftsmanship and leadership.
Vision Behind the Platform
Ibukun Awosika, founder and convener of African Marketplace, envisioned the initiative as a global stage designed to unlock opportunity, deepen intra-Africa and diaspora trade and build a long-term pipeline for economic and cultural exchange. “Africa’s future is bright because its most productive sector is its SMEs, largely driven by young people” Awosika said. “This marketplace unlocks that potential and shifts the narrative from aid recipient to valued trade partner. It is designed not as a one-off exhibition, but as a sustainable platform that continually elevates African and Caribbean creators, expands global access, and strengthens long-term commercial pathways to the world.”
Who Made It Possible
The success of the 2025 edition was enabled by strategic partners including Afreximbank, Access Bank, Lagos State, through Lagos State Tourism, Wema Bank (SARA), Bank of Industry, GText Holdings, Moniepoint, Nexim Bank, and Sterling Bank. Partners also included Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), African Business Heroes (ABH), TVC Communications, Togo Mall, Ecobank Ghana and FCMB (SheVentures). These institutions backed more than an event, they invested in a bold vision for Africa’s commercial future.
Looking Ahead
African and Caribbean SMEs cannot scale globally without access, visibility and enabling infrastructure; the core gaps African Marketplace was built to bridge. By positioning over 100 brands before international buyers, investors and distributors, the 2025 edition offered inspiration and delivered proof of concept at scale, demonstrating that Africa’s productive sector is not emerging – it is ready.
As the team shifts into the next phase, one thing is certain: 2026 will be bigger and better. Plans are already underway to welcome an expanded delegation, with even more of the continents and the Caribbean’s finest brands poised to take center stage. The goal is clear: deepen the marketplace, strengthen the pipeline, and accelerate the journey from local production to global presence.
African Marketplace Dubai 2025 has set the foundation and shifted the narrative. The next chapter is about conversion, continuity and scaling an ecosystem where global access is a permanent pathway for African and Caribbean excellence to reach the world.
Paul is the Project Director, African Marketplace
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