A 20% increase in demand in the Middle East and Africa – this is the kind of growth that the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA) is currently expecting to see. The need for packaged food in this region will presumably increase to 93 million tons over the next four years. This shows the huge potential hidden in this segment of the market alone for the international packaging sector and the related process industry.
pacprocess MEA and Food Africa are coming at exactly the right time. The trade fair duo will take place in 2022, from December 5th to 7th in Cairo, under the umbrella of the interpack alliance fair. The synergy between the events is huge, as the food industry is the biggest consumer of packaging.
“The enormous dynamics of the market in the Middle East and Africa were already palpable during past events,” says Thomas Dohse, Director of the interpack alliance. “Now is the ideal moment to enter this fascinating market.”
A rising profile: pacprocess MEA
pacprocess MEA has been the most important trade fair for processing and packaging in the region since 2019. In 2021, around 16,000 visitors came to Cairo for pacprocess MEA and Food Africa. Both events profit from support by local businesses, public authorities, associations and Egyptian governmental organisations.
The African food industry’s number one: Food Africa
As the largest professional trade fair for the food industry in Africa, Food Africa is a unique platform for entry into the African mega-market for food and agriculture. This is even more relevant in the face of the burgeoning global food crisis. At the trade fair, exporters can engage in targeted networking with local, regional and international industry representatives.
Food Africa has been part of the interpack alliance portfolio since last year. Here, as well as for pacprocess MEA, Messe Düsseldorf is working with the event organisers IFP Egypt and Konzept.
Taking advantage of the opportunities in the MEA region
After South Africa, Egypt is the most industrialised nation on the continent, and one of the fastest growing food markets in the world. Numerous trade agreements and an advantageous geographic position on one of the most important trade routes, the Suez Canal, offer ideal conditions. For manufacturers of food producing machines and packaging machines from Egypt, but also from all of North Africa and the Middle East, this is an important sales market. The African food market is expected to more than triple by 2030 and reach one trillion dollars. Accordingly, investments in production capacities are being made. Manufacturers with large export quotas in particular are focusing on modern technology to meet the demands of their different national sales markets.
