Programme
Tuesday 4 June
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL
09:00 - 11:00 | Business Roundtable: Empowering Women for Resilient Global Supply Chains*
09:00 - 12:00 | Invest in Rwanda: The Green Investment Opportunity*
Wednesday 5 June
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL
09:00 - 11:00 | Navigating Africa’s Foreign Exchange Landscape*
09:00 - 11:00 | Project Showcase: Driving FDI into the Continent
13:30 - 18:00 | Morocco Investment Forum
*This event is private and by invitation only. For further details, please email theafricadebate@investafrica.com
Thursday 6 June - Programme
Guildhall, Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7HH
09:15 | Welcome Remarks
The Rt Hon Mark Simmonds, Chairman, Advisory Board, Invest Africa
Sanjeev Gupta, Board Member & Executive Director for FInancial Services, Africa Finance Corporation
Karen Taylor, Executive Chair, Invest Africa
09:45 I Fireside Chat: Investing in Africa – Navigating Risk and Reward
Africa’s investment outlook is showing gradual improvement after a turbulent period, with growth projected to reach about 4% in 2024. Still, despite positive signals, including stabilised public debt ratios and significantly reduced inflation, challenges persist – from funding shortages to high borrowing costs. In this session, speakers will delve into these challenges and opportunities, deconstructing investment-inhibiting views on risk, reward, and return across Africa.
Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President, African Development Bank Group
The Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell, Deputy Foreign Secretary & Minister of State (Development & Africa), Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO, Africa Finance Corporation
10:30 | Debate: Taking Stock of Africa’s Economic Outlook
Despite steering clear of severe market turbulence amid post-pandemic challenges and geopolitical shifts, Africa faces a complex economic landscape in 2024. Growth prospects are subdued by instability, lacklustre performance in major economies, and a backdrop of global economic uncertainty. In 2023, economic growth on the continent decelerated to 2.5%, and while a modest improvement is forecast at about 4% in 2024, it remains below pre-pandemic growth levels. The shadow of debt also looms large, with many countries grappling with high external debt risk or already entrenched in debt-related issues. Still, glimmers of optimism are apparent: inflation is expected to recede, and prudent macroeconomic policies are bolstering fiscal balances in key markets. In this session, speakers will take stock of Africa's economic outlook, discussing and debating key trends and opportunities that investors need to consider in 2024 and beyond.
Marie Diron, Managing Director & Global Head of Sovereign & Sub-Sovereign Risk, Moody’s Ratings
Gagan Gupta, Co-Founder, ARISE Group
Sarmad Lone, Head of Banking & Coverage, Middle East, Pakistan & Africa, Standard Chartered
Babatunde Soyoye, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Helios Investment Partners
Rishi Ramesh Kansagra, Chairman, Lagata Group
Admassu Tadesse, Group President & Managing Director, Trade and Development Bank (moderator)
11:15 | Break
11:45 | Fireside Chat: Trade, Investment, and Climate Resilience in Africa
Africa is experiencing a decline of 5% to 15% in its per capita economic growth due to the impacts of climate change. The continent also faces considerable risks of decreased agricultural productivity, with potential losses of up to 2.9% by 2030 and 18% by mid-century, as indicated by the Center for Global Development. And yet, despite these formidable challenges, Africa receives only a fraction of global climate finance flows, with a shortfall that severely hampers the continent's capacity to adapt, mitigate, and bolster resilience against climate change's adverse effects. In this session, speakers will explore strategies to concurrently foster resilience and propel growth amidst the climate crisis, highlighting tools such as carbon taxation and the promotion of sustainable supply chains, as well as broader ways in which the trade, investment and climate agenda can be aligned on the continent to realise a climate-resilient and prosperous Africa.
Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice-President, Intra-African Trade Bank, Afreximbank
Diana Layfield, Chair, British International Investment
The Rt Hon Mark Simmonds, Chairman, Advisory Board, Invest Africa (moderator)
12:15 I Spotlight on Morocco
H.E. Dr Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Kingdom of Morocco
12:30 | Debate: Africa’s Role in the Global Energy Transition
As the world grapples with the climate crisis, Africa has emerged as a key player in shaping the global energy transition. With abundant reserves of critical minerals like cobalt, essential for electric vehicle batteries, and a wealth of solar resources, the continent holds immense clean energy potential. However, a stark reality persists: Africa receives a mere 2% of global clean energy investments, and the processing of its transition metals is largely outsourced, depriving the continent of its rightful benefits. In this session, speakers will discuss and debate Africa’s role in the global energy transition, the geopolitics of clean energy supply chains, and how the continent can strengthen its presence along the value chain and build downstream capacity.
Victor Gonzalez, Managing Director, Europe, Xcalibur Smart Mapping
Amadou Hott, Former Senegalese Minister of Economy; Special Envoy for the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa, African Development Bank Group
Mohamed Ismail Mansour, Chairman, Infinity Power
Akinwole Omoboriowo II, Chairman & CEO, Genesis Energy Group
Sameh Shenouda, Executive Director & CIO, Africa Finance Corporation
13:15 | Lunch
14:15 I Fireside Chat: Idris Elba in Conversation with Zeinab Badawi
Idris will share his insights on the need for strategic and sustainable investment across Africa, touching on the eco-friendly smart city he is building off the coast of Sierra Leone, his cutting-edge film studio taking shape in Tanzania, and broader efforts to drive sustainable development on the continent.
Idris Elba, Actor, Filmmaker, Musician, Entrepreneur, and Activist
Zeinab Badawi, Award-winning Broadcaster, Journalist, and Filmmaker; President of SOAS, University of London
14:45 | Fireside Chat: Cherie Blair in Conversation with Runa Alam
Cherie Blair and Runa Alam will explore the major macro trends shaping Africa’s trade and investment landscape. They will discuss a range of topics, including climate change and sustainability, democratic backsliding and political crises, access to finance and capital flows, and macroeconomic stability.
Cherie Blair CBE, KC, Co-Founder & Chair, Omnia Strategy
Runa Alam, Co-Founder & CEO, Development Partners International
15:15 | Debate: Driving Growth – Capital Flows into African Markets
While Africa is often lauded for its massive investment potential and labelled the last frontier for global growth, the continent continues to be overlooked by investors. In a global financial landscape with over $10 trillion in negative yield bonds and private equity funds holding nearly one trillion dollars in dry powder, investors are seeking new markets for sustainable returns. Africa's demographically dynamic profile and consistent growth of 4.5 to 5 percent over two decades present an enticing, yet untapped, opportunity. However, private capital flows continue to be concentrated, hampered by a lingering and often inflated perception of risk. In this session, speakers will discuss and debate the intricacies of luring private capital to African markets, exploring strategies for local capital market development, responsible investment approaches, and the creation of innovative financial instruments.
Runa Alam, Co-Founding Partner & CEO, Development Partners International
Cheryl Buss, Chief Executive Officer, Absa International
Simon Huckle, Senior Vice President; Head of Emerging Market Financial Institutions, Crown Agents Bank
Dr Federico Galizia, Vice President, Risk & Finance, International Finance Corporation
Abi Ajayi, Head of Primary Markets – Middle East and Africa, London Stock Exchange Group (moderator)
16:00 | Expert Insights: Building a Responsible Business in the DRC
Monique Gieskes will share her journey in cultivating a socially responsible and sustainable business in the DRC, touching on new policies and initiatives undertaken to foster success that extends beyond profit margins – contributing positively to local communities.
Monique Gieskes, Chief Executive Officer, Plantations et Huileries du Congo
16:15 | Break
16:45 | Expert Insights: Employment Outsourcing – An Enabler for Market Expansion and Growth in Africa
This session will cover the fast-growing Employer of Record (EOR) market, with a particular focus on how multinationals, international development organisations and global NGOs are leveraging the EOR solution in Africa to effectively manage an increasingly distributed workforce across the continent. The benefits of the EOR solution will be explained, including how it supports market expansion and empowers service delivery by knowledge workers across the continent. Key trends and insights from Africa’s largest provider of EOR services will also be shared.
Edan Latzelsberger, Managing Director, Africa HR Solutions
17:00 | Debate: AI on the Rise – Exploring the Opportunities and Risks in Africa
Africa’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) ecosystem may be small, but it is growing quickly. From assisting cashew farmers in Ghana to optimising solar panels in Namibia and enhancing healthcare delivery in Rwanda, AI is already proving transformative. Investment into the sector is also gaining momentum as the global AI market is predicted to skyrocket from $387 billion in 2022 to a projected $1,394 billion by 2029, boasting a compelling CAGR of 20%. The promise of AI in Africa is not without perils, however. The continent’s persistent infrastructure constraints, from power grid deficits to limited internet connectivity, present challenges, while AI is also being deployed for negative purposes, including autonomous weapons systems and surveillance platforms in armed conflicts. In this session, speakers will discuss and debate the promise and perils of AI in Africa, analysing investment opportunities, risks, ethical and security challenges, and the African Union’s draft Continental AI Strategy.
Karim Beguir, Co-Founder & CEO, InstaDeep
Adaora Ikenze, Director of Public Policy, Anglophone West Africa, Meta Holdings Inc.
Alex Okosi, Managing Director, Africa, Google
Hardy Pemhiwa, President & Group CEO, Cassava Technologies
Yinka Adegoke, Editor, Semafor Africa (moderator)
18:00 | Close
Chantelé Carrington, Chief Executive Officer, Invest Africa
18:00 | 10th Anniversary Reception
H.E. Jeremiah Mamabolo, High Commissioner to the UK, Republic of South Africa