African investment showcase
14 November 2008
The high-profile 2008 Africa Investment Forum, taking place at Johannesburg's Gallagher Convention Centre on 18 and 19 November, will bring together business and political leaders from across the continent.
The conference, co-hosted by the Commonwealth Business Council and the Gauteng Economic Development Agency, will showcase major investment opportunities in 12 countries, namely: Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia.
A feature of this year's forum will be the large-scale participation, for the first time, of investment promotion agencies from east, central and southern Africa, who will market projects to international investment banks and financial institutions.
The focus of this year's Forum will be on strengthening linkages between African economies as a means of promoting new investment.
The lineup of confirmed and invited speakers features plenty of big hitters from African politics and business, including:
- Jacob Zuma, president, ANC, South Africa
- Bethul Pakalitha, prime minister, Lesotho
- Ephraim Inoni, prime minister, Cameroon
- Cyril Ramaphosa, chairman, MTN, South Africa
- Yoweri Museveni, president, Uganda
- Zdenek Turek, CEO, Citibank, South Africa
- Kgalema Motlanthe, president, South Africa
- Colin Coleman, CEO, Goldman Sachs, South Africa
- Henry Mussa, minister of industry and trade, Malawi
- Ernest Bai Koroma, president, Sierra Leone
- Kuseni Dlamini, CEO, Anglo American, South Africa
- Charles Dednam, group manager, ArcelorMittal SA
- Donna Oosthuyse, CFO, Citigroup, South Africa
- David Donaldson, head of infrastructure, IFC
- Archibald Lesao Lehohla, deputy prime minister, Lesotho
- Reginald K Mfula, CEO, Zambia Business Forum
The Commonwealth Business Council aims to harness the global network of the Commonwealth to promote global trade and investment for shared prosperity.
The council is spread across 53 countries on five continents and has 103 member companies. It features partnerships with many national governments, regional bodies and business networks.
Its board of management is chaired by Paul Skinner, chairman of mining giant Rio Tinto. Other members of the 15-member board include South African businessman Cyril Ramaphose and Mittal Steel chairman and CEO Lakshmi Mittal.
SAinfo reporter
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