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Timed
to coincide with the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos,
Omega’s annual African theme conference series in Europe
aimed to promote trade and investment into Africa by
increasing understanding of Africa’s strengths.
Looking
at Africa region by region,
Southern Africa
stands out as a strong, stable symbol of hope for the
continent. Capitalising on the strengths of its neighbours
while providing the infrastructure and skills necessary for
development, South Africa
is central to the region.
A
regional approach to attracting FDI is necessary for African
countries to increase their share of global investment.
Southern Africa is already well-positioned for foreign
direct investment and South Africa attracts the region’s largest share.
THE
REGION
Southern
Africa
is, indeed, Africa’s
Region of Hope.
o Compared
to other regions of
Africa, it is politically stable
o There
is a high degree of regional integration and
inter-dependence
o It
is relatively peaceful
o It
is secure in terms of primary food production
o The
region holds the skills, infrastructure and professional
services required to achieve much higher levels of
development
THEMES
Power,
Transport & Shipping, Telecommunications, Tourism,
Regional Infrastructure Projects, Expanding Consumer Market,
Banking & Financial Network, Trade & Investment
Opportunities, Skills Transfer Through Trade Agreements.
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Southern
Africa, and in particular South
Africa, is doing well according to all accounts.
Despite concerns
about HIV/Aids and
Zimbabwe, the general population as well as local and international
businesses gave their vote of confidence to the region:
“Manufacturing
companies operating in the SADC region are optimistic and
expect imports and exports within the region to increase,
reveals the first regional business climate survey focusing on
regional integration, which was conducted by the Association
of SADC Chambers of Commerce & Industry (ASCCI) released
in Johannesburg on Thursday 30 September 2004. "We are
confident that there are many opportunities for companies
wanting to invest and expand their production facilities and
markets into
Southern Africa," said Cader Sayed Hossen, vice-president of ASCCI.” (www.gtz.de,
11 Oct 2004)
“For
the first time since 2000, more than half of South African
surveyed said they saw a rosy future for themselves and their
children in South Africa.
Some 56% of the 3500 people surveyed by Markinor said they
believed that moral, educational and economic standards were
improving. Only 12% felt that standards were dropping.” (The
South African, 25 Nov 2004)
“South Africa
has received a low political and security risk rating from
Control Risks Group, an international business risk
consultancy. The London-based group said that the business
environment in
South Africa was positive.” (The South African, 25 Nov 2004)
“European
companies operating in SA have given the government and
economy a vote of confidence […] in a survey conducted by
seven bilateral chambers from Germany, France, the UK, Italy,
Sweden, the Netherlands and Finland among 252 of its member
companies in South Africa from May to June 2004.” (Business
Day, Oct 2004)
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London
Welcome
Howard Morris, CEO Elect,
Denton
Wilde Sapte
Keynote
Address:
Southern Africa
- A Region of Hope
Lazarus Zim, Deputy CEO, Anglo American
The
Southern Africa
Region: Future Prospects
James Sutcliffe, Chief Executive Officer, Old
Mutual plc
Johannesburg
:
Africa’s “Big Apple”
Sadiq Jaffer, Acting CEO,
Gauteng
Economic Development Agency (GEDA)
Financing
Growth in
Southern Africa
Gert Gouws, Chief Operating
Officer, IDC
Session
Chairperson:
Mary Boakye, Head Africa Financial Markets,
Denton
Wilde Sapte
Looking
forward to another 100 years in
Africa
Malcolm Hewitt, Managing Director – Sub-Saharan
Africa
& the Indian Ocean Islands, Barclays Bank
Session
Chairperson:
John Battersby, Director, International
Marketing Council
Towards
a Regional Water Policy
Minnie Venter-Hildebrand, General Manager:
Africa/South
Africa
, Umgeni Water
Session
Chairperson:
Charles Josob, Acting
High Commissioner
,
Namibia
High Commission
Diamond
Partnerships in
Southern Africa
: A Vehicle for Development and Growth
Ghaleb Cachalia, Head of External Affairs, De
Beers Consolidated Mines
Oil,
Oil, Oil
Koosum Kalyan, Senior Business Development Advisor:
Africa
Exploration and Production, Shell International
Financing
Structures
Geoffrey Wynne, Head Trade and Export Finance,
Denton
Wilde Sapte
Funding
Business in
Southern Africa
Solomon Asamoah, Advisor and Head of International
Finance, Development Bank of
Southern Africa
Case
Study: The Sugar Industry in
Malawi
David Haworth, General Manager, Commercial,
Africa
Operations, Illovo Sugar
The
Powerhouse in
Southern Africa
Peter O’Connor, Senior General Manager: Capital
Expansion, Eskom
Session
Chairperson:
David Willers, Consultant, Inkezo Land Company
and Sugaronline
UK
Session
Chairperson:
Paul Gardiner, International Marketing Manager, The
Mantis Group
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Frankfurt
Keynote
Address:
Southern Africa
- A Region of Hope
HE Moses M Chikane, Ambassador, South African
Embassy,
Berlin
Keynote
Address: The Centrality of South Africa’s Transforming
Economy in
Southern Africa
Dr Gavin Keeton, Chief Economic Adviser, Anglo
American
Case
Study: Tourism in
Zambia
HE General Godwin Kingsley Chinkuli, Ambassador of the
Republic
of
Zambia
A
Vote of Confidence from SADC Businesses
Cader Sayed-Hossen, Past Vice-President, Association of
SADC Chambers of Commerce & Industry (ASCCI)
Perceptions
& Realities: A European Perspective
Dr Sabine Hepperle, Director Africa, DIHK
Session
Chairperson:
Jörgen Vogt, Regional Manager:
Southern Africa
, Afrika Verein
Johannesburg
:
Africa’s “Big Apple”
Sadiq Jaffer, Acting CEO, GEDA
Regional
Integrators: The Key to
Southern Africa
’s Development
Chris Hart, Senior Economist Treasury, ABSA
Financing
Growth in
Southern Africa
Gert Gouws, Chief Operating Officer, IDC
Looking
forward to another 100 years in
Africa
Malcolm Hewitt, Managing Director – Sub-Saharan
Africa
& the Indian Ocean Islands, Barclays Bank
Information
and Communication Technology
Wolfgang Jakob, Chief Executive Officer, T-Systems
Africa
Session
Chairperson:
Walter Engelmann, Deputy Head of International
Relations, Chamber of Commerce and Industry Frankfurt am
Main
Oil,
Oil, Oil
Koosum Kalyan, Senior Business Development Advisor:
Africa
Exploration and Production, Shell International
Case
Study: The Sugar Industry in
Malawi
Ray de Allende, General Manager, Marketing, Africa
Operations, Illovo
Diamond
Partnerships in
Southern Africa
: A Vehicle for Development and Growth
Ghaleb Cachalia, Head of External Affairs, De Beers
Group
Regional
Integration: An Overview
Thomas Bedenbecker, Senior Advisor, ASPB–GTZ
Funding
Business in
Southern Africa
Solomon Asamoah, Advisor and Head of International
Finance, Development Bank of
Southern Africa
Session
Chairperson:
Dr Michael Wimmer, Director Economic Division, German
Embassy,
Pretoria
Session
Chairperson:
Dr
Denis Worrall, Chairman, Omega Investment Research
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