Business for Africa and the World, Africa 2018 held under the theme “Bold Leadership and Collective Commitment: Advancing Intra-African Investment” took place in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt on the 8th– 9th December 2018, and was hosted by His Excellency Abdel Fattah El Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt. The objective is to accelerate equitable and sustainable growth through deeper regional integration and collaboration to boost investment in Africa, as Egypt prepares to take the Chairmanship of the African Union in 2019. More than 1000 participant from over 50 countries and several international institutions attended the summit.
The agenda of summit comprised of two broad sections: Youth Entrepreneurs Day (YED), and Women Empowering Africa Day (WEA). YED started with a ted style talk with Craig Wing (Entrepreneur/ Keynote Speaker) with a keynote on what the future will look like and how best to prepare for it, after which Issam Chleuh (the moderator) invited the panellist for the “Strengthening Regional Ecosystems in Africa” to kick-start the event. One of the panellists is a young and vibrant Nigerian Bosun Tijani, Founder and CEO, Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB). Other key panellist includes Akinwumi Adesina, President, African Development Bank; Philippe Le Houerou, CEO, IFC, World Bank Group; Youssri Helmy, CEO, Eonite Perception; among others.
“Literacy is no longer just about words; it’s also about connectivity. The narrative has changed, we don’t only need IQ but digital IQ”, says Craig Wing.
A Parallel Session for WEA was held at the Red Sea and Sinai, also in the International Congress Center. The opening plenary kicks off with Bineta Diop, Special Envoy of the African Union Chairperson. Some of the key topics discussed include; Women Driving Policy, Women in the Boardroom, Implementing a Pro-Women Policy Agenda, amongst others. Panellists invited to share their experiences and stores to help shape a clear roadmap into the future includes; Chileshe Kapwepwe, Secretary-General, COMESA Regional Investment Agency, one of the organizers of this event. Others include Fatoumata Ba, founder & CEO, Janngo; Professor Maggie Kigozi, President, Business & Professional Women (BPW), Kampala; Daphne Nkosi, Executive Chairman, Kalagadi Manganese, just to mention a few. The gathering was geared to ensure that Africa continues to play a lead role in putting women at the centre of all policy.
“The approach to policymaking must be inclusive”, says Dr Margo Thomas, CEO Women’s Economic Imperative.
Another side invents are Country Investment Showcases featuring Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Eswatini, Uganda and Ethiopia display of current developments in their countries, and the latest opportunities that are arising and seeking investors and partners. There was also two book signings, one by Acha Leke, Chairman for Africa at McKinsey, and also Ndaba Mandela. The authors gave a short presentation of their book, talked about what inspired them to write it and what impact they hope they will have.
The day was a full one featuring some of the continent’s brightest minds and practical workshops on leadership, branding and what it takes to succeed. The day closes with a presidential dialogue and presentations from 5 start-ups doing transformative work in Africa.