By Hamza Kyeyune
The 15 th edition of the World Cooperation Industries (WCI) ended on Friday, with the
organizers pledging to to expand to more African countries.
Organized by Bosphorus Expo, at WOW Istanbul hotel, the two-day forum was attended
by more than 500 visitors from several African countries, participating in more than 100
direct business meetings with Turkish companies.
Several participants aid the forum helped them connect directly with several manufacturers, and potential partners, easing the demand and supply chain gap.
Utku Bengisu, president of the forum, said that during the past decade, WCI has made tremendous contribution in directly linking hundreds of Turkish businesses to potential African markets.
He added that the forum will continue to bridge the gap and strengthen trade relations between Turkish producers and exporters directly with African importers, distributors, government institutions, and investors in order to increase mutual trade collaborations and grow export volume.
Trade between Türkiye and Africa surged to $13.3 billion in the first seven months of 2026, representing a 12.6% increase compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye (DEIK).
Utku also noted that the coming year, business forums will be held in different African countries including Uganda. He announced that the maiden forum will be held in Kenya’s capital Nairobi in January, followed by another Abija, Nigeria in April and Accra, Ghana in September. Discussions are still underway to have Uganda on board, in next year’s schedule.
Uganda, often described as the Pearl of Africa for its natural beauty and fertile landscapes, positioned at the heart of East Africa makes it a natural logistics, trade, and investment gateway for the region. It borders Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), positioning it as a transit and distribution hub.
This location supports access to the East African Community (EAC) market of around 300 million consumers, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) with over 600 million people, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) of 1.3 billion people with a combined GDP of about $3.4 trillion, multiplying the market for any enterprise that establishes production, processing, or distribution capacity inside
Uganda.
Turkish exports to Uganda are concentrated in electrical machinery, transformers, control equipment, pharmaceuticals, and selected consumer goods, while Uganda’s principal shipments include coffee, cocoa, and related agricultural products.
Throughout the business sessions, participants shared their market experience and exchanged views on customer needs, areas for growth and opportunities to work together.
The forum ended with a tour to Modoko, a major furniture and home decoration marketplace located in Ümraniye, Istanbul, giving participants the opportunity to discover the "Capital of Furniture, and the city’s natural beauty and cultural heritage.
