Africa’s drive to generate inclusive economic growth and the leadership this requires, will be the focus of the 27th World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa, taking place in Durban, South Africa, from May 3 to 5, 2017.
Among the key issues that will come under the spotlight in Durban are food and water security, preventing the deforestation of tropical forests, securing investment to tackle Africa’s large infrastructure gap, bridging the digital divide, improving delivery of healthcare, helping Africans gain access to financial services, and facilitating better intra-regional trade.
Key participants from the region include South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, King Mswati III of Swaziland, President of Mauritius, Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, and President of Zambia, Edgar Chagwa Lungu, among other leaders.
The forum on Africa will convene over 1,000 leaders from more than 100 countries, representing business, government, academia, civil society, media and the arts for the meeting which is themed
“Achieving Inclusive Growth through Responsive and Responsible Leadership”.
In a statement on Friday, WEF said Africa’s imperative was to generate truly inclusive economic growth that “provides everyone with the same opportunity to prosper and achieve.”
WEF said the Durban meeting aimed to move leaders to change the way they approach development planning by designing policies that allowed everyone to benefit from economic growth.
“Until now, the benefits of global economic growth have been disproportionately distributed within regions and countries, which has led to a crisis for market capitalism and a proliferation of populist and nativist political movements.”
The Durban meeting’s other priority is to help Africa prepare for the huge changes the world is about to experience as a result of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“Rapid technological advances in the physical, digital and biological worlds are giving rise to a new era that will have a profound effect on how humans live, work and interact with one another,” WEF said.
“Building the right institutions, developing relevant skills and enhancing access to knowledge will all be crucial to Africa’s future prospects.” The statement said.
Representatives from international organisations include actor and activist Forest Whitaker, who is the UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace as well as a social activist with the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, Mamadou Biteye, managing director, Africa Regional Office, of the Rockefeller Foundation, Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Ellen Agler, CEO of The END Fund, and Mukhisa Kituyi, secretary-general for
the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
“The best way to secure a sustainable and prosperous future for Africa is to build an economic transformation centred on inclusive growth and equality of opportunity for everyone,” said South African finance minister, Malusi Gigaba.
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