The New Partnership for Africa's Development - 
Africa's Passport to Prosperity

 

28 January 2002
London
01 February 2002
Berlin
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Conference Summation

 

These conferences in London (28 January 2002) and Berlin (1 February 2002) were the first public opportunities interested Europeans had to learn something about The New Partnership for Africa’s Development.  

 

Some 120 delegates, drawn mainly from the private sector but with a good representation from government and international organizations, attended the London conference, which was organized in association with South African Business Association.  

 

The Berlin event, drew around 90 delegates – also mainly from the private sector but with a strong diplomatic representation.  This conference was organized in association with the Afrika Verein and SAFRI. 

The main presenters in London included: 

  • Baroness Amos, Minister at the FCO I/C Africa.

  • The Hon. Lt-Gen Mompati S Merafhe, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Botswana.

  • Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu, Economic Advisor, Officer of the President of South Africa.

  • Quentin Peel, Foreign Editor, Financial Times.

  • Tony Trahar, Chief Executive, Anglo American plc.

  • Russell Loubser, Chief Executive Officer, JSE Securities Exchange

  • Paul Fletcher, Managing Director, Commonwealth Development Corporation.

In association with:

 

 

  


AFRIKA VEREIN

 

 

 

 

Official airline carrier:

 

Presenters at the Berlin event included:

  • Günter Steffens, Head: Dresdner Bank in South Africa.

  • Ambassador Sibusiso Bengu, SA Ambassador to Germany.

  • Minister Thomas Thabane, Minister: Foreign Affairs, Lesotho.

  • Dr Xolile Guma, Deputy Governor, South African Reserve Bank.

  • Koosum Kalyan, Business Development Advisor Africa: Shell International.

  • Josef C Gorgels, Head of Chairman’s Office, SAFRI.

  • Michael Spicer, Executive Director, Anglo American.

  • Abraham Van Der Loeff, Senior Information Officer: European Investment Bank.

The lead sponsors for the two conferences were Anglo American and Dresdner Bank.  Other sponsors included Coca-Cola, De Beers, Ferrastaal, JSE, Mnet, Old Mutual, Rolls-Royce, SA Airways, Shell, South African Breweries and Spoornet.

 

From the presentations and the resulting discussions, we would draw the following conclusions:

 

1) Europeans acknowledge the critical importance of NEPAD as a development programme.  And there is general recognition that it is in everybody’s interest – including the G8 nations – to see it succeed.  (This point was also strongly conveyed at the recent World Economic Forum meeting in New York:  poverty reduction is an essential feature of international economic and political policy.)

 

2) But what is also clear is that not much known about NEPAD, and its proponents have got a great deal of marketing to do.  NEPAD’s content aside, which is still being developed, we detected an underlying scepticism among the Europeans:  African leadership is seen to have failed Africa over and over again, and a heavy onus now lies with leadership that this time it is serious.  (In this regard, the dominant African attitude and policy towards President Robert Mugabe and the Zimbabwe Government featured in discussions at both the London and Berlin conferences.)

 

3) On the positive side, there is widespread recognition – also by the African advocates of NEPAD – that NEPAD’s success depends on what happens in Africa itself and what Africans themselves do.  NEPAD is a formula for a partnership with the developed countries not, a basis for “handouts”. Private sector representatives at both conferences eloquently highlighted the business opportunities Africa offers, illustrating this with specific success stories; and several representatives – notably Tony Trahar of Anglo American – used the occasion in London to commit Anglo to The New Partnership for African Development.

 

Conference speakers and their topics:

London:

 

Conference Opened by - Martin Hogg, Chief Executive, Southern Africa Business Association 

 

The New Partnership for Africa’s Development: Its Political and Social Goal

The Hon. Lt.-Gen. Mompati S. Merafhe, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Government of Botswana 

 

The New Partnership for Africa’s Development: The Economic Goals

Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu, Economic Advisor, Office of the President of South Africa

 

The Challenges to African Leadership:  Four Points of View
1.   Michael Spicer, Executive Vice President: 
      Corporate Affairs, Anglo American Corporation  
2.   Koosum Kalyan, Business Development Advisor
      Africa: EP and Gas & Power, Shell International,
      London  
3.   Quentin Peel, Foreign Editor, Financial Times  
4.   Prof David Welsh, formerly Professor of Political
      Studies, University of Cape Town

 

Business Opportunities in Africa  
1.   Franchising and Local Partnerships – 
      Robert Ahomka Lindsay, Vice-President: 
      Public Affairs
      & Communications, Coca Cola   
2.   Financial Services: Julian Roberts, Group Financial
      Director, Old Mutual plc  
3.   African Stock Exchanges:  Russell Loubser, CEO, 
      JSE Securities Exchange  
4.   Power Generation in Africa: Paul Carey, 
      Vice President, Rolls – Royce Power Ventures  
5.   South African Airways’s Strategy for Africa: 
      Pansy Mekwa, Manager: UK and Ireland, 
      South African Airways  
6.   Mining and Natural Resources: Michael Smith, 
      Chief Financial Officer, The Termite Fund 

 

Funding and Facilitation.  
1.   Haydee Celaya, Director: Africa, 
     IFC Washington DC,
      International Financial Corporation  
2.   Paul Fletcher, Managing Director, Commonwealth
      Development Corporation  
3.   Nick Howard, Manager, The Infra – Structure Fund:
      Standard Bank  
4.   Frabrizio Donatella, Head: ACP Economic
      Co-operation, Europe Aide Co-operation Office,
      European Commission Bruxelles

Berlin:

 

Conference Opened by - Mr Günter Steffens, Group Representative and Geographic Head, Dresdner Bank

 

The New Partnership:  Its Political and Social Goals / Die Neue Teilhaberschaft: Die Politischen und Sozialen Ziele  

Minister Thomas Thabane, Minister: Foreign Affairs, Lesotho

 

The New Africa Partnership:  The Economic Goals / Die Neue Afrikanische Teilhaberschaft: Die Ökonomischen Ziele  

Dr Xolile Guma, Deputy Governor, South African Reserve Bank

 

The Challenges to African Leadership:  Five Points of View / Die Herausforderungen zur Afrikanischen Führung: 5 Ansichtspunkte  
1.   Koosum Kalyan, Business Development Advisor
      Africa: EP and Gas & Power, Shell International,
      London  
2.   David Welsh, former Professor of Political Science at
      the University of Cape Town  
3.   Heiko Schwiderowski, Regional Manager for Southern
      Africa, Afrika Verein  
4.   Prof Dr Dirk Bergschlosser, Professor of Political
      Science, University of Marburg   
5.   Dr Immo Stabreit, former German Ambassador to
      South Africa, Washington and Paris

 

Business Opportunities in Africa / Geschäftsgelegenheiten in Afrika  
1.   Mr. Stefan Kratz, Director, Ferrostaal   
2.   Prof Dr med. A. Charles Yankah, 
      Deutsches Herzzentrum, Berlin  
3.   Automotive Industry  
4.   Mr Stephan Gotta, Trade Manager, South African
      Tourism 

 

Funding and Facilitation / Finanzierung und Erleichterung  
1.   Mr Abraham Schim Van Der Loeff, Senior Information
      Officer in the Information Department, European
      Investment Bank   
2.   DEG  
3.   Dr H. Bernhard Pfannenberg, Director, North-South
      Consulting (NSC)  
4.   Dr Rudolf Gruber, Investment Advisor, 
      Gruber International

  

Sponsors

Many thanks to our fantastic sponsors for all their support:

  

Masoud Alikhani, Chairman, Swan Overseas plc and 
Dr Denis Worrall
, Chairman, Omega Investment Research

John Kempster, Omega Investment Research UK with
 Michael Spicer, Executive Director, Anglo American Corporation

Alistair Boyd, SABA and Nick Howard, Standard Bank in conversation with a delegate

For further details contact Liezel Cronje on 
tel: (27) 21-689-7881 or email liezel@omegainvest.co.za 

 

Copyright © Omega Investment Research (Pty) Ltd, 2003