Iran is stepping up efforts to deepen its trade and investment engagement with Africa, with the country’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) preparing a set of operational programmes aimed at easing market access, strengthening logistics and expanding joint production with African partners.
The renewed push follows high-level discussions in Tehran between Mohammad Ali Dehghan Dehnavi, head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) and deputy minister of industry, and senior Zimbabwean officials. The meeting brought together Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Iran, Bright Kupemba, and Allan Tawanda Majuru, chief executive of ZimTrade, to review bilateral trade relations and identify practical areas for expansion.
According to the TPO, discussions focused on concrete, implementable measures rather than high-level declarations. Key priorities included improving financial settlement mechanisms, easing logistics and transport constraints, and identifying opportunities for joint production and industrial cooperation between Iranian and African firms.
Dehghan Dehnavi said both sides presented proposals aimed at accelerating trade flows and reducing barriers that have historically constrained Iran–Africa commerce. He noted that improving access to finance and logistics corridors would be critical to translating political goodwill into tangible trade outcomes.
Financial backing and risk mitigation
Iran’s broader Africa strategy is underpinned by new financial support mechanisms designed to reduce risk for private-sector investors. In December, Masoud Berahman, head of the Iran–Africa Joint Chamber of Commerce, said Tehran would actively support Iranian investments and exports to Africa through credit guarantees and development financing.
Berahman said the Export Guarantee Fund of Iran (EGFI) is expected to back up to $3 billion in Iranian investments across African markets, helping firms manage political and commercial risk. In parallel, Iran’s National Development Fund (NDF) is set to provide approximately €2 billion to support start-ups, entrepreneurs and trade-linked projects focused on African markets.
“These tools are essential if Iranian companies are to compete effectively and sustainably in Africa,” Berahman said, adding that the continent’s large population and growing consumer base present significant long-term opportunities for Iranian manufactured goods, engineering services and investment.
Africa’s potential — and structural constraints
Africa, with an estimated population of around 1.45 billion, is increasingly viewed by Tehran as a strategic growth market beyond Iran’s traditional reliance on neighbouring countries. However, Berahman warned that unlocking this potential would require more than financing alone.
He pointed to persistent structural challenges, including weak trade infrastructure, policy uncertainty and the absence of a comprehensive export roadmap, which make it difficult for Iranian exporters to systematically assess markets and track country-specific conditions.
“The lack of an integrated trade strategy has left our export sector reactive rather than strategic,” he said, cautioning that fragmented efforts risk reinforcing what he described as an “island economy” disconnected from global value chains.
Call for a unified trade roadmap
Berahman urged closer coordination between the Trade Promotion Organization, Iran’s economic diplomacy units and the Iran Chamber of Commerce, alongside deeper engagement with the private sector. He said stronger digitalisation, better market intelligence and a shared operational roadmap were essential to building a sustained presence in Africa.
He also highlighted the importance of economic diplomacy, noting that Turkey currently maintains 44 trade counsellors across Africa, compared with only three active Iranian counterparts. Expanding Iran’s network of commercial attaches, he argued, would significantly strengthen market access and on-the-ground support for exporters.
Beyond neighbours, toward diversification
Iran’s recent trade experience has underscored the risks of over-reliance on neighbouring markets such as Iraq. Berahman said sustainable export growth would depend on diversifying destinations and building deeper, longer-term relationships in emerging regions, particularly Africa.
“Iran must expand its trade with neighbouring countries, Africa and other emerging markets,” he said. “But this will only succeed with coordinated policies, professional export capacity building and long-term planning.”
From intent to execution
The latest engagement with Zimbabwe and the operational plans now being developed by the TPO suggest a shift from rhetoric toward execution in Iran’s Africa strategy. If supported by coherent policy, financing and diplomatic follow-through, Tehran’s renewed focus on Africa could translate into deeper trade ties, joint industrial projects and a more diversified export base in the years ahead.