African businesses seeking buyers, investors and opportunities beyond their domestic markets will gather in Pretoria on 8 and 9 September 2026 for the third annual Embassies Business Fair and Conference. The two day event at the CSIR International Convention Centre will bring businesses together with embassies, trade representatives, buyers, investors and policymakers, with economic diplomacy and access to international markets forming a central part of the programme.
The conference comes as businesses across the continent look for practical ways to expand trade through frameworks including the African Continental Free Trade Area and the Southern African Development Community.
For Gauteng, the gathering also highlights the role business events can play beyond delegate spending by creating opportunities for local enterprises to establish commercial relationships with buyers and investors.
Economic diplomacy moves closer to business
Economic diplomacy traditionally involves governments using international relationships to advance trade, investment and economic interests.
For businesses, embassies and trade representatives can provide information about unfamiliar markets, trade requirements and commercial environments. They can also help establish connections between companies and potential partners in other countries.
The conference will focus on turning those diplomatic and trade relationships into practical business engagements.
Sihle Dube, founder and managing director of the Embassies Business Fair and Conference, said access remains a challenge for African businesses capable of supplying larger markets.
“Many African businesses have products and services with the potential to reach wider markets, but access remains a challenge,” Dube said.
“Economic diplomacy can help connect businesses with the buyers, investors and networks needed to turn market opportunities into sustainable growth and jobs.”
More than 80 buyers targeted for Pretoria conference
According to organisers, the 2026 conference aims to connect participating businesses with more than 80 local and international buyers.
It is also targeting more than 60 investors, over 25 opportunities for businesses to pitch export ready products and access to more than 30 global markets. The targets are also listed by conference organisers as intended outcomes of this year’s event.
Buyer engagements, investor discussions and business pitches will form part of the programme.
For established businesses as well as small, medium and micro enterprises, such engagements can provide an opportunity to explore relationships beyond a once off transaction.
A manufacturer receiving a substantial order, for example, may need additional production capacity, logistics services, suppliers, workers or investment to fulfil it.
AfCFTA forms part of trade discussions
The conference will also place the African Continental Free Trade Area agenda within its discussions about market access.
Governments can establish trade frameworks and bilateral agreements, but businesses are responsible for much of the commercial activity that follows through producing, buying, selling, investing and distributing goods and services.
The event is being held under the theme “Direct Business Exchange Amongst Embassies: Meet Suppliers, Manufacturers and Distributors: The Future Global Economic Impact while Advocating for the AfCFTA Agenda.”
Organisers say the programme will examine the relationship between economic diplomacy, trade, investment and access to new markets.
The conference website confirms that the event will take place at the CSIR International Convention Centre on Meiring Naude Road in Brummeria, Pretoria, on 8 and 9 September.
Business tourism brings delegates to Gauteng
The event is taking place during both Tourism Month and Heritage Month, putting attention on the economic contribution associated with people travelling for meetings, conferences and other business events.
Business visitors generate demand for accommodation, transport, venues, restaurants, retail and other services during their stay.
The longer term value can come from the relationships established while delegates are in the province, particularly where meetings result in business agreements, investment discussions or new supply relationships.
Gauteng Tourism Authority Acting CEO Crezelda Venter said tourism activity should also be considered in terms of its impact on local enterprises and communities.
“When tourists visit Gauteng’s townships, they are not just experiencing authentic culture, they are investing in local dreams, supporting small businesses and changing lives,” Venter said.
She added that township tourism can connect economic inclusion with cultural experiences while creating opportunities for communities and businesses.
Tourism economy extends beyond accommodation
Tourism Month and Heritage Month also place attention on businesses that form part of the wider visitor economy.
Visitor spending is not limited to hotels and attractions. Demand can extend to food, transport, retail, fashion, locally produced goods, creative industries and other services used by travellers.
Business events add another component by bringing delegates who may require these services while also travelling for meetings, conferences and commercial engagements.
For entrepreneurs and producers, interaction with international delegates can also provide exposure to potential commercial contacts outside South Africa.
However, whether those connections result in contracts, investment or exports depends on the businesses and parties involved after the event.
What This Means for Gauteng Residents
Hosting the Embassies Business Fair and Conference in Pretoria places Gauteng businesses within direct reach of the buyers, investors and international representatives attending the event.
This is particularly relevant for smaller businesses seeking information about entering markets outside South Africa but which may not have established international networks.
The event also contributes to Gauteng’s business tourism calendar, with delegates travelling to Pretoria potentially using accommodation, transport, restaurants, venues and other local services during their stay.
For Gauteng entrepreneurs attending the conference, the main opportunity will be access to business engagements. The commercial results of those meetings will depend on whether discussions progress into orders, investment, distribution agreements or other partnerships.
How to attend the Embassies Business Fair and Conference
The third annual Embassies Business Fair and Conference takes place on 8 and 9 September 2026 at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Brummeria, Pretoria.
Businesses and individuals can register in several categories, including as exhibitors, buyers, delegates or investors.
Embassies Business Fair and Conference registration
Members of the media can apply separately for accreditation.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Embassies Business Fair and Conference 2026?
The conference takes place on Tuesday, 8 September and Wednesday, 9 September 2026.
Where is the conference taking place?
It will be held at the CSIR International Convention Centre on Meiring Naude Road in Brummeria, Pretoria.
Who is the conference aimed at?
The event brings together businesses, small enterprises, embassies, trade representatives, buyers, investors, manufacturers, distributors and other participants interested in trade and market access.
What is the focus of the 2026 conference?
The programme focuses on economic diplomacy, international market access, investment, trade and business exchange, with the African Continental Free Trade Area forming part of the broader discussion.
How can businesses register?
Businesses can register through the official conference registration platform as exhibitors, buyers, delegates or investors.
Pretoria event puts market access in focus
The Embassies Business Fair and Conference brings the discussion around African trade into Gauteng at a time when businesses are looking for buyers, investment and routes into new markets.
While trade agreements establish frameworks for cross border commerce, the Pretoria conference will focus on the business relationships needed to turn those frameworks into commercial activity.
For Gauteng, hosting the gathering also links international trade discussions with the province’s business tourism economy, bringing businesses, diplomatic representatives, buyers and investors together in Pretoria over two days.
