The United Arab Emirates has been announced as the inaugural Guest Country of DIRECT EXPO, which will take place next year in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Kinshasa, DRC © Mena Today
Africa’s creative, entrepreneurial, and sporting industries are entering the global spotlight with unprecedented momentum.
Building on this energy, DIRECT EXPO is being launched as a new business-to-business marketplace designed to connect African and international players in entertainment, sports, fashion, and lifestyle with a consumer base of over half a billion people across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Set to debut in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, on September 1–2, 2026, the first edition will bring together 500 participants from 300 companies across 40 countries. The event will focus on generating tangible business outcomes by facilitating pre-scheduled meetings, curated networking, and direct engagement between buyers, sellers, investors, and policymakers.
The United Arab Emirates will be the inaugural guest country, underlining the growing ties between Africa and the Middle East in sports, entertainment, investment, and manufacturing. The official unveiling of DIRECT EXPO will take place at the UAE–Africa Tourism Investment Summit in Dubai on October 27, 2025, ten months ahead of the Kinshasa event.
Africa offers one of the world’s most dynamic consumer markets, driven by: a rapidly growing middle class with rising purchasing power, expanding digital infrastructure and mobile connectivity, with nearly 900 million mobile connections, strong adoption of mobile money and cross-border payment systems such as PAPSS, the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), easing tariffs and promoting regional trade.
These factors are enabling direct-to-consumer business models to scale faster than ever, making Africa a unique growth frontier for branded goods and intellectual property.
Kinshasa, with its 100 million Francophone consumers, cultural influence, and central location, is emerging as a crossroads for African trade and digital innovation. Its growing digital infrastructure, young population, and regional reach make it the ideal hub for launching a pan-African direct sales platform.
The initiative is spearheaded by Patrick Zuchowicki Jucaud, a veteran of over 35 years in building markets in emerging economies.
Known for founding DISCOP, which created television content markets across Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, Jucaud is applying his expertise to position DIRECT EXPO as a game-changing platform for Africa’s direct-to-consumer economy.
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Contact DIRECT EXPO
Patrick Zuchowicki Jucaud
Mail : [email protected]
T + 1 (310) 980 6872
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