Summit brings business leaders together to talk transforming Africa
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, December 10, 2019/ — “By 2030, Africa will have a larger workforce than China, and by 2050, it will have the largest workforce in the world. One billion people will need jobs in Africa, so if we don’t grow our economies fast enough, we’re sitting on a ticking time bomb, not just for Africa, but for the entire world,” said Africa Leadership Group Founder and CEO Fred Swaniker, keynote speaker at the Africa Shared Value Leadership Summit taking place in Rwanda in June 2020.
Swaniker, whose belief in the importance of entrepreneurial, ethical African leadership led to his founding of African Leadership Group. A World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and one of TIME Magazine’s most influential people of 2019, Swaniker believes that “unless we can create our own wealth and prosperity, we will forever be dependent on the rest of the world”.
On 4-5 June 2020, the Africa Shared Value Leadership Summit (https://www.AfricaSharedValueSummit.com/) will bring together business thought leaders from across the continent to share ideas about how companies can use the Shared Value business model to drive profits while solving social problems at scale. The 2020 Summit also features AfroChampions Initiative executive committee member Dr Edem Adzogenu, Nestlé Regional Head of Regulatory & Scientific Affairs John Bee, and AgriLedger Founder and CEO Genevieve Leveille, among other high-level speakers.
“Increasingly, corporates operating in Africa are driven to making the continent a success, economically and socially,” says Tiekie Barnard, CEO of Shared Value Africa Initiative. “Not only are companies facing growing investor pressure to recognise that social inequality creates problems for businesses. Employees and clients are also supporting a shift towards purpose-led business practices. These practises focus not only a business’s bottom line but also on the impact its operations have on the society in which it operates.”
The Summit will focus on the role of business – and specifically women and youth – in building sustainable businesses and creating the Shared Value ecosystems needed to create an inclusive, prosperous future for our continent, as well as business alignment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The Summit will feature business thought leaders from across Africa sharing insights, experiences and opportunities from the worlds of agriculture, health care, infrastructure and manufacturing, mining, financial services and technology. High-level keynote speakers will share their wealth of experience and examine topics such as the importance of strengthening relations across borders in the era of the African Continental Free Trade Area and whether gender equality can be achieved in Africa – and why business should care.
In 2020, the Summit will feature interactive Solution-Seeking Sessions – opportunities for delegates to become a part of creating solutions for some of our continent’s greatest challenges. These sessions will bring delegates and speakers together in a more intimate setting, setting the scene for greater engagement, thoughtful discussion on a specific, relevant topic. Feedback and conclusions from each session will be shared in the main plenary hall, giving all delegates the opportunity be inspired by and learn from each other and cross-pollinate ideas.
A Shared Value strategy can be implemented in businesses across the spectrum, from finance and telecommunications to agriculture, health care and manufacturing – and beyond. The Summit brings together over three hundred people from a variety of practices and professions across the continent, including CEOs and other members of the C-Suite, sustainability managers, corporate affairs management, strategists, business consultants, compliance officers and other members of middle and upper management. To learn more – and take advantage of the early-bird special on ticket prices – visit https://www.AfricaSharedValueSummit.com/.
