Middle East Africa (MEA), especially Egypt as a hub to the entire region, is an attractive sales market for the international packaging sector and the related process industry. pacprocess MEA and Food Africa provide the perfect platform for this. Exhibitors from Germany also benefit from the German participation.
A 20-percent increase in demand in the Middle East and Africa - these are the growth rates currently forecast by the German Engineering Federation (VDMA). The demand for packaged food in the region is expected to grow to 93 million tonnes within the next four years. This shows the great potential that this market segment alone holds for the international packaging sector and the related process industry.
The pacprocess MEA and Food Africa are therefore coming at exactly the right time. The trade fair duo will be held together under the umbrella of the interpack alliance from 5 to 7 December 2022 in Cairo. The synergies of the events are great, as the food industry is the largest consumer of packaging products.
"You could already feel the enormous dynamism of the Middle East Africa market at the past events," says Thomas Dohse, Director of the interpack alliance. "Now is an ideal time to enter this exciting market."
Gaining further in importance: pacprocess MEA
Since 2019, pacprocess MEA has been the most important trade fair for processing and packaging in the region. In 2021, around 16,000 visitors came to pacprocess MEA and Food Africa in Cairo. Both events also benefit from support from the local business community, authorities, associations and Egyptian government organisations.
No. 1 for the African food industry: Food Africa
As the largest trade fair for the food industry in Africa, Food Africa offers a unique platform for accessing the African mega market for food and agriculture. Due to the looming global food crisis, the topic is gaining additional relevance. Exporters can expect targeted networking with local, regional and international industry representatives at the fair.
Food Africa has been part of the interpack alliance portfolio since last year. Here, as with pacprocess MEA, Messe Düsseldorf works together with the organisers IFP Egypt and Konzept.
Exploiting the opportunities in Middle East Africa
After South Africa, Egypt is the most industrialised country on the continent and one of the fastest-growing food markets worldwide. Numerous trade agreements and a geographically advantageous location on one of the most important trade routes, the Suez Canal, offer optimal conditions. For manufacturers of food processing and packaging machinery, Egypt, but also the whole of North Africa and the Middle East, is an important sales market. The African food market is expected to grow more than threefold to one trillion dollars by 2030. Accordingly, investments are being made in production capacities. Especially manufacturers with a larger export share attach great importance to modern technology in order to meet the requirements of their sales countries.
Federal participation underlines importance
The German government's participation at both trade fairs underlines the importance of the market for Germany. Exhibitors at pacprocess MEA and Food Africa benefit from the support of the Federal Ministries for Economic Affairs and Energy and for Food and Agriculture. In the "German Pavilion" they present themselves together with other German companies under the "Made in Germany" brand at reduced rates and thus receive additional attention.
