The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the Government of Algeria have agreed to co-convene the Africa Start-up Conference in Algiers from December 5 to 7, 2026, following talks on the sidelines of the Africa Investment and Trade Conference (AFIC12) aimed at strengthening support for the continent’s growing start-up and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) ecosystem.
AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene met with Algeria’s Minister of Knowledge Economy, Start-Ups and Micro-enterprises, Noureddine Ouadah, in Algiers to discuss deepening collaboration around enterprise development, market access and Africa’s regional integration agenda.
The planned conference is expected to bring together entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and development partners from across the continent to explore opportunities for scaling African businesses and strengthening regional value chains under the AfCFTA framework.
Mene briefed the minister on SME-focused programmes being implemented by the AfCFTA Secretariat at national and regional levels, designed to improve market access, enhance competitiveness and expand intra-African trade participation for smaller enterprises.
Both leaders stressed the critical role of start-ups and SMEs in driving innovation, job creation and economic transformation, particularly among Africa’s growing youth population, and agreed on the importance of enabling environments that allow emerging businesses to thrive within the AfCFTA framework.
Speaking at AFIC12 on May 9, 2026, Mene said the AfCFTA had entered a new phase, moving from negotiations to active implementation, with mechanisms now in place to support private sector participation. He called for more inclusive trade policies that better integrate women, youth and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) into the AfCFTA preferential market.
He also commended Algeria for its progress in implementing the AfCFTA and urged Africa to position itself strategically within a global landscape marked by geopolitical tensions and market uncertainty.
