Africa Trade Development Forum (ATDF) 2026
Are standards bankable?
A single pest can prevent a shipment of fresh flowers from entering an export market. Aflatoxin contamination in maize puts consumers at risk and disrupts cross-border trade. And without internationally recognised testing and certification, goods will face repeated inspections, delays, and, subsequently, additional costs at borders.
For African businesses, failing to meet international standards means rejected shipments, higher costs and lost market opportunities.
Yet meeting these standards requires investment in accredited laboratories, modern production facilities, cold-chain infrastructure, traceability systems, testing technologies and the skills to operate them.
But who finances these standards? And can these investments be made bankable?
These are the questions Trade Catalyst Africa (TCA) is bringing to the Africa Trade Development Forum (ATDF) 2026, taking place on 23–24 November in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Under the Forum’s theme, Building Africa’s Exports Through Quality, TCA will lead two important conversations.
Plenary: “Are Standards Bankable?”
We will bring together businesses, investors and development finance institutions to examine the investments required to meet international standards, identify financing gaps and explore how different forms of capital can help address them.
TCA Investment Conference
Held on the sidelines of ATDF 2026, our Investment Conference, From Standards to Prosperity: Unlocking Investment and Financing for African Trade, will take the conversation further, exploring practical financing solutions, investment opportunities and partnerships that can help African businesses compete in regional and international markets.
The conference will also feature EASETRADE, our SME trade finance initiative, showcasing how financing partnerships are helping businesses access the working capital they need to trade and grow.
Because standards make trade possible. Investment makes meeting them possible.
Africa Trade Development Forum (ATDF) 2026
- 23–24 November 2026
- Ethiopian Skylight Hotel, Addis Ababa
TCA Investment Conference|24 November
- 8:30 am–12:00 pm EAT
- Abyssinia Hall, White Building