More than 1,000 regional and global
leaders from politics, business, civil society and academia will discuss at the
28th World Economic Forum on Africa, from 4 to 6 September.
Numerous of Africa's leaders will be
gathered in Cape Town for #AF19 theme this year is ‘Shaping Inclusive Growth
and Shared Futures in the Fourth Industrial Revolution’. The agenda will
cover four key areas: innovation, sustainable development, digitization and
governance.
Africa’s regional priorities are:
Sipho M Pityana, chairman of AngloGold Ashanti in South Africa; Arancha
Gonzalez Laya, executive director of the International Trade Centre, Geneva;
Jeremy Farrar, director of the UK-based Wellcome Trust; André Hoffmann,
vice-chairman of Roche, Switzerland; Ellen Agler, CEO of The END Fund; Jim
Ovia, chairman of Nigeria’s Zenith Bank; and Alex Liu, managing partner and
chairman of AT Kearney.
In March, the African Union launched the African
Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). This landmark agreement aims
to create a single market expected to generate a combined GDP of more than $3.4
trillion and benefit over 1 billion people.
In
April, the South African government announced the launch of a new Affiliate
Centre of the World Economic Forum’s Centre for
the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR).
Even with these investments, important challenges will
remain. Many of Africa’s 54 countries are marked by fragile and conflict
affected contexts, extreme poverty and widespread inequity. Priority attention
must be given to resolving these issues even as the continent grows apace.
If Africa can develop these clusters further and create an integrated
innovation ecosystem to tackle the 4IR, it stands to supercharge its economies,
its societies and the livelihoods of millions.
Edited by intern:
Mandlenkosi Mde
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