Top East African Trade Shows in 2026
- Nov 12, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 23
From tech and telecom to energy, agribusiness, packaging, and construction, East Africa’s 2026 exhibition calendar is packed with high-impact events where deals are done and industries advance.
Intersolar Africa – Nairobi, Kenya
February 3–4, 2026 | Solar & Renewable EnergyAs East Africa rapidly scales clean energy deployment, Intersolar Africa brings together innovators and decision-makers in solar PV, energy storage, grid integration, and e-mobility. Expect ~100+ exhibitors and several thousand attendees engaging on investment, financing models, and project pipelines for the continent’s energy transition.
Why Attend:
B2B networking with solar developers, EPCs, and utilities
High-level conference sessions on market trends and policy
Business development across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and beyond
2. ProPak East Africa – Nairobi, Kenya
March 3–5, 2026 | Processing, Packaging & Supply ChainProPak East Africa is the region’s leading trade show for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and consumer goods processing and packaging technologies. It attracts suppliers, buyers, and technical specialists from across Eastern Africa.
Why Attend:
Discover innovations in bottling, filling, packaging automation
Meet OEMs, distributor partners, and MRO suppliers
Benchmark regional packaging standards and compliance needs
3. Big 5 Construct Ethiopia / East Africa Infrastructure Expo – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
April 23–25, 2026 | Construction & InfrastructureOne of East Africa’s largest construction and infrastructure showcases, this event covers building materials, heavy equipment, smart systems, urban connectivity, waste & water management, and communications technologies.
Why Attend:
Engage with contractors, government planners, and institutional buyers
Explore opportunities in Ethiopia’s booming construction sector
CPD-certified talks and technology showcases
4. GITEX / AI Everything Kenya – Nairobi, Kenya
May 19–21, 2026 | Tech, AI, Digital TransformationPositioned as East Africa’s premier digital economy and AI summit, this combined GITEX + AI Everything Kenya event draws innovators, startups, enterprise buyers, digital policymakers, and investors.
Why Attend:
Showcase and discover AI, fintech, cloud, and IoT solutions
Connect with venture capital and corporate tech buyers
Insight sessions and futurist keynotes on digital transformation
5. agrofood & Plastprintpack Ethiopia – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
June 25–27, 2026 | Food, Beverage & Packaging TechnologiesA major agricultural value-chain event, agrofood & Plastprintpack Ethiopia focuses on food processing, packaging, plastic technologies, and print solutions — essential for modernizing agribusiness supply chains.
Why Attend:
Access food tech, processing, and packaging machinery
Meet distributors and local processors scaling production
Understand emerging standards and investment trends
6. MWC Kigali – Kigali, Rwanda
June 16–18, 2026 | Mobile & Connectivity EcosystemMWC Kigali brings the global mobile and digital connectivity community to East Africa. Expect carriers, device makers, platform developers, infrastructure vendors, and startups converging to explore 5G, IoT, digital services, and enterprise telecom solutions.
Why Attend:
Engage with mobile operators and enterprise buyers
Showcase network infrastructure, applications, and services
Explore opportunities in data, connectivity, and smart regions
7. Agritech Africa – Nairobi, Kenya
June 17-19, 2026 | Agriculture & Agri-InnovationAgritech Africa is East Africa’s largest agribusiness expo, bringing farmers, processors, input suppliers, and tech innovators together to accelerate productivity, value chain linkages, and commercialization.
Why Attend:
Discover mechanization solutions and precision farming tools
Partner with agri-tech startups and solution providers
Benchmark regional agribusiness innovation
Big 5 Kenya – Nairobi, Kenya
October 21–23, 2026 | Construction & Building TechnologiesThe Big 5 Kenya exhibition is East Africa’s flagship building and construction trade show in Nairobi, featuring materials, machinery, sustainable building solutions, and green design innovations.
Why Attend:
Connect with regional architects, developers, and builders
Source products from global suppliers
Learn about trends in sustainable construction
ALEC – African Livestock Exhibition & Conference – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
October 29-31, 2026 | Livestock & Animal HealthALEC is a cornerstone gathering for Africa’s livestock value chain — covering cattle, poultry, dairy, animal health products, feed innovations, and farm-level services.
Why Attend:
Network with producers, feed suppliers, and veterinarians
Learn about up-to-date animal health and welfare solutions
Explore export opportunities for livestock products
Why These Matter in 2026
Together, these shows reflect East Africa’s multi-sector growth trajectory:
Energy & sustainability: Driving new solutions for electrification and decarbonization.
Tech & digital adoption: Scaling AI, mobility, and connectivity for competitive advantage.
Agribusiness & food systems: Modernizing value chains for productivity and export.
Construction & infrastructure: Supporting rapid urbanization and regional integration.
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