Forging African partnerships for growth
21 January 2009
Politicians and businesspeople from across Africa will be in attendance at the first Gauteng Nepad Summit taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg from 3 to 5 March.
An initiative of the Gauteng Economic Development Agency (Geda) and the Gauteng provincial government, supported by the Nepad Business Foundation, the summit will bring together a wide range of African business leaders, investment agencies and development finance institutions to promote tangible projects and opportunities across the continent.
It will also be attended by African government representatives and observers from international economic development agencies.
The summit "will focus on promoting regional integration on the continent at a time when the need for such initiatives is more pressing than ever," Geda head of investment and trade facilitation Mudunwazi Baloyi says on the Geda website.
"We are looking at discussions at this prestigious event culminating in the establishment of the first ever African Economic Development Agencies Secretariat and practical showcasing of investment and trade opportunities by African countries to meaningfully support the Nepad agenda," says Baloyi.
The African Trade and Investment Expo, taking place at the summit, will feature more than 200 stands displaying products and services from over 42 African countries.
The New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), a strategic framework for Africa's renewal, is designed to address the social and economic challenges facing the continent.
Adopted as the development blueprint of the African Union (AU), Nepad promotes good governance as a basic requirement for peace, security and sustainable development.
According to acting Gauteng Premier Qedani Mahlangu, the provincial government will use the summit as a platform to promote regional integration in Africa, helping African countries to work together to tackle their challenges and to deepen democracy.
SAinfo reporter and BuaNews
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