The Africa Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Forum wraps up in Rwanda, with business and political leaders calling for faster regional integration and bigger African-owned companies to compete globally.
Held under the theme “Scale or Fail”, the summit focused on moving Africa beyond fragmented markets toward a more united economic force capable of attracting investment.
Exhibitors from across Africa and beyond showcased the innovations, investments and partnerships driving the continent’s growth ambitions.
Many say Africa has the talent, opportunities and capital but now needs the scale to unlock growth.
Boston Consulting Group Trudi Makhaya says, “For scale to happen, we need to think about integration better, and we heard stories of business that have taken advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and we are really starting to trade with countries in Africa but would not have been historical trading partners.”
High-level discussions, debates and strategic engagements centred on the private sector’s role in driving Africa’s growth and development.
For Chief Marketing Officer at Brand South Africa, Mmaphuti Rankapole-Tshifularo, attracting greater investment and strengthen economic partnerships are key.
“Because of the geopolitical instability, there is lots of mistrust, lots of things are being reset in terms of the economy, people are looking for new partnerships around new sectors. So it was most not what people are scared about but where the new opportunities, new partnerships given the reset that is happening around the world in terms of what we have to offer around that,” explains Rankapole-Tshifularo.
Acting Deputy Director-General of the Export Branch at the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, Willem van Der Spuy, on the tangible outcomes that can be unlocked.
“One of the key issues we are looking at is accelerating investment and also industrialisation, value added manufacturing in the continent is the issue of industrial value chains. Also, the implementation of the AfCFTA means that what we are starting to offer as investors is a coherent, larger market and through that we will support industrialisation and employment with the region as a whole,” adds Van Der Spuy.
The message is clear, Africa’s growth story will depend not just on big ideas, but on consistent delivery.-Reporting by Blain Herman
–SABC–
