The Financial Times will hold its third Africa summit this October

The Financial Times will hold its third Africa summit this October after cementing the event’s reputation as the leading conference in the world on African business and economics. The FT, which prides itself on the depth and breadth of its Africa coverage, will again produce a special report to coincide with the summit. Last year’s […]

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The Financial Times will hold its third Africa summit this October after cementing the event’s reputation as the leading conference in the world on African business and economics. The FT, which prides itself on the depth and breadth of its Africa coverage, will again produce a special report to coincide with the summit. Last year’s event, chaired by FT Editor Lionel Barber, built on the success of the inaugural conference with a sell­out delegation and expert speakers and panellists from around the region.

Africa is entering a new phase. After a period of strong growth, underpinned by better policies and a favourable external environment, conditions are changing. Commodity prices have fallen and investors have fallen out of love with emerging markets, withdrawing money and making it more expensive for African sovereigns to borrow. Global growth is slow at best. Still, though some African commodity exporters have suffered, other African economies stand to gain from lower oil prices. Weaker African currencies may even be good news if countries are able to become more competitive and less reliant on cheap imports of manufactured goods. In the years ahead, those countries with the most effective policy frameworks and the most entrepreneurial private sectors are likely to pull away from the pack. This summit will look at the way ahead: whether by designing smart industrial policies, providing power for industry and residents, or creating a business­friendly environment, how can African economies turn the new, seemingly less benign environment, to their advantage? The FT will gather practitioners and opinion leaders from around the world to discuss these important topics.

Ha­Joon Chang Reader, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge Herman Chinery­Hesse C hairman, TheSOFTtribe Ltd
Bob Collymore CEO, Safaricom
Yvonne Ike Managing Director, Sub Saharan Africa, Bank of America Merrill Lynch Jay Ireland President and CEO, GE Africa
Razia Khan Chief Economist, Africa, Standard Chartered Bank Acha Leke D irector, Africa, McKinsey&Company
Justin Lin Director, Center for New Structural Economics, Peking University Carlos Lopes Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
Michael Macharia Founder and Group CEO, SevenSeas Technologies Group Strive Masiyiwa Chairman & Founder, Econet Wireless
Tito Mboweni Former Governor, South African Reserve Bank International Advisor, Goldman Sachs
Jesse Moore Chief Executive Officer and Co­Founder, M­KOPA
Bright Simons President, MPedigree
Kandeh K. Yumkella, PhD Former UN Under­Secretary­General & UNIDO Director ­General
Akinwumi Adesina President, African Development Bank Group
Ayman Asfari Group Chief Executive, Petrofac Limited
Arnold Ekpe Chairman, Atlas Mara Ltd.
Pravin Gordhan Minister of Finance, National Treasury, Republic of South Africa
Mo Ibrahim Founder and Chair, Mo Ibrahim Foundation
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf P resident of Liberia
David Ladipo Managing Director, Azura Power Holdings
Tope Lawani Co­Founder and Managing Partner, Helios Investment Partners LLP
Yaw Nsarkoh Managing Director, Unilever Nigeria PLC
Arkebe Oqubay Special Advisor to the Prime Minister, Government of Ethiopia
Aly­Khan Satchu Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Rich Management Limited

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