MATRADE CEO Highlights Africa, New Markets and Global Ambitions for MIHAS

KUALA LUMPUR — Africa is emerging as an increasingly important frontier for Malaysia’s halal exports, with Nigeria and Egypt offering significant opportunities for Malaysian companies seeking to expand beyond traditional markets, MATRADE Chief Executive Officer Datuk Indera Abu Bakar Yusof told international media during a media engagement in Kuala Lumpur.

Speaking to international journalists on the sidelines of the 22nd Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS), Abu Bakar outlined MATRADE’s broader vision for Malaysia’s halal trade: to help Malaysian companies penetrate new markets, build stronger international partnerships and turn MIHAS into a more powerful platform for sustained global business.

A significant part of that strategy is the African market.

Abu Bakar highlighted the growing importance of Africa for Malaysian exporters, pointing to the continent’s large and expanding consumer base and the opportunities emerging across the halal economy, including food, ingredients, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, finance, tourism and other related sectors.

The growing African presence at MIHAS 2026 reflects that changing landscape. Countries participating from the continent include Nigeria, Egypt, Senegal, Rwanda, Comoros, Ghana, Kenya and Mauritius, with Senegal bringing the largest African delegation.

Nigeria and Egypt in focus

Among Africa’s diverse markets, Nigeria and Egypt stand out for their scale and strategic importance.

Nigeria offers Malaysian businesses access to one of Africa’s largest consumer markets and a potential gateway into West Africa. Its substantial Muslim population and expanding demand for halal products make it an important market for companies across Malaysia’s halal ecosystem.

Egypt presents a different but equally significant opportunity. Its geographical position provides access to North Africa and the wider Middle East, while its large domestic market creates opportunities for Malaysian halal businesses looking to establish a stronger presence in the region.

For MATRADE, developing these markets is part of a broader effort to diversify Malaysia’s export destinations and reduce dependence on established trading corridors.

Africa is therefore increasingly being viewed not simply as an emerging market, but as an important component of Malaysia’s future international trade strategy.

Could MIHAS go to South Asia?

The internationalisation of MIHAS could also take another major step in the future.

MATRADE Chairman Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican has indicated that discussions are taking place about potentially organising a future MIHAS edition in South Asia, with India, Pakistan and Bangladesh among the markets being considered.

Such a move would take MIHAS closer to one of the world’s largest concentrations of Muslim consumers and place the Malaysian halal trade platform directly within a region offering substantial commercial opportunities.

The proposal would also build on MIHAS’s increasingly international character. The event has already expanded beyond Malaysia, with previous editions held in Dubai and Shanghai.

A South Asian edition could further strengthen Malaysia’s role as a connector between international halal producers, buyers and markets.

A broader vision for MIHAS 2026

For Abu Bakar, the objective of MIHAS 2026 extends beyond bringing international buyers and Malaysian exporters together for several days in Kuala Lumpur.

The focus is increasingly on creating real commercial opportunities and lasting international relationships.

MIHAS 2026 has brought together hundreds of Malaysian exporters and international buyers, with a substantial programme of pre-arranged business meetings designed to facilitate direct commercial engagement.

The 2026 edition is being held under the theme “Shaping Trust, Driving Resilience,” reflecting the growing importance of trust, quality, standards and resilient supply chains in international halal trade.

MATRADE is targeting more than RM5 billion in potential business from this year’s edition, underlining the agency’s ambition to make MIHAS an increasingly important engine for Malaysian exports.

The scale of the event also reflects the transformation of MIHAS from a primarily Malaysian exhibition into an international meeting point for the global halal economy.

Beyond the traditional halal markets

The message emerging from MATRADE’s engagement with international media is that Malaysia’s halal export strategy is entering a new phase.

The traditional markets remain important, but the next wave of growth is increasingly expected to come from markets across Africa, South Asia, Central Asia and other emerging regions.

For Malaysian companies, that means understanding markets such as Nigeria and Egypt, establishing local partnerships and developing products and services suited to different consumer and regulatory environments.

For MIHAS, it means becoming increasingly international—not only in the companies and buyers it attracts to Kuala Lumpur, but potentially in where the showcase itself is held.

The possibility of taking MIHAS to South Asia would represent another significant step in that journey.

As Abu Bakar and MATRADE look beyond Malaysia’s established trading partners, the underlying ambition is clear: to make Malaysian halal businesses more globally connected and position MIHAS as one of the key platforms through which those connections are built.