Africa Collective, in collaboration with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, is set to launch a series of activities coinciding with the World Economic Forum from January 15 to 19 in Davos.
The Africa Collective program will also include the Digital & Art Showcase Networking Cocktail, offering partners and guests an opportunity to delve into key African topics throughout the week. The Networking Cocktail and a dedicated Networking Area will feature the artwork of four talented African artists: Eno Bassey (Nigeria), Elie Hatungimana (Rwanda), Sanjo Lawal (Nigeria), and Kwaku Opoku (Ghana). This collaborative effort with the leading African art media platform, Art News Africa, will unfold in the lobby of the Hard Rock Hotel.
In Davos during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, the initiators and partners of the Africa Collective sparked the idea. They had long observed that the overall representation of Africa at the Forum, other global events, and in international media did not commensurate with its global importance and the opportunities the continent represents.
The activities will encompass thematic engagement sessions on commodities, health, and capital investments. Starting with a welcome luncheon and roundtable focused on ‘Paving the Way: Commodity-led Industrialization on the African Continent,’ the program will also include a breakfast roundtable in partnership with Novartis, titled ‘Moving the needle: From health ‘spend’ to healthcare as an investment,’ and a breakfast roundtable themed ‘Unleashing potential: Africa’s place in attracting future allocation of capital pools’ in collaboration with Standard Bank Group.
The Africa Collective Davos 2024 agenda will conclude with the yearly High-Level Closing Luncheon, examining the theme ‘Navigating Business Realities for Scalable African Solutions.’ High-level panelists, including H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of AfCFTA Secretariat; Nonkululeko Nyembezi, Chairman of Standard Bank Group; and Lutz Hegemann, President – Global Health & Sustainability, Novartis, will further discuss outcomes from the Davos week sessions and offer an outlook for the future. The luncheon will bring together 80 key African and global decision-makers.
“The AfCFTA Secretariat is delighted to continue as patronage partner of the Africa Collective,” says H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, “This is an important platform to have an ongoing exchange with global and African businesses on regional integration and the AfCFTA.”
Throughout the week, African and global leaders in business and government, along with other thought leaders, will contribute to the Africa Collective sessions. Partners, including Lead Partners Novartis and Standard Bank, and Corporate Partners Old Mutual, Ringier AG, as well as Tristar, will play a significant role in shaping discussions. Media Partners Business Insider Africa, CNBC Africa, and African Business will report on relevant topics covered during the Africa Collective events in Davos, keeping the broader African and global business community informed.
About Africa Collective
The initiators launched Africa Collective in 2023 as a business-driven initiative to globally showcase African opportunities. Co-initiators of the initiative, including H.E. Wamkele Mene (AfCFTA Secretariat), Larry Madowo (CNN), Biola Alabi (Acasia Group), Michael Rheinegger (Africa Unlimited), and Leonard Stiegeler (Africa Unlimited), drove its inception.
On January 19, 2023, the Africa Collective hosted its inaugural luncheon during the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting. The event brought together African Ministerial Delegations, CEOs, and senior executives from leading international and pan-African companies. Early supporters of the initiative include Ian Williamson, CEO of Old Mutual, and Marc Walder, CEO of Ringier AG.
