PRESS RELEASE TURNING AFRICA’S MISFORTUNES INTO FORTUNES
Posted Tue, 25 Oct 2005

“Now, more than ever, there is a greater urgency and a fresh impetus to turn African misfortunes into fortunes,” says Everest Ekong, Publisher of  Business in Africa magazine and organiser of the Eskom African Business Leaders Forum 2005.  “The Forum will convene for the third successive year from 1-2 November 2005 at the Sandton Convention Centre, and will address the crucial need to merge African and global leadership practice so as to speed up the much needed economic and social transformation of the continent.”

The highlights of the 2005 Forum, sponsored by Eskom, MTN, the National Ports Authority, Siemens and FirstRand, titled Leadership for Tranformation will include: 32 high-level keynote speakers; three breakaway sessions on gender issues, entrepreneurship and practical leadership; twenty-four interactive learning sessions; 400 high-profile delegates expected from at least 25 African countries; two days of high-level business networking; and Pan-African media coverage and broadcast of selected sessions.

The Forum will focus on three unique platforms ofconferencing to engage delegates in the following core areas:

1.      Women in leadership
African women are a largely unheard but nevertheless powerful force and an insufficiently tapped engine of development. In the last 20 years the changing fortunes of Africa have produced new challenges and opportunities. These opportunities have, however, not translated into tangible development for the women of Africa.

The Women in Leadership session will bring together a diverse group of African women, whose experiences will stimulate debate and a holistic approach to meeting Africa’s needs.

A few of the speakers and topics:

Namane Magau, Businesswomen’s Association of South Africa
Topic: Honouring Female Excellence In Business: Leadership Tips For Women

Evelyn Mungai, All Africa Business Women’s Association, Kenya
Topic: Women and Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

 

2.      Leading through entrepreneurship

• Nearly 2 million Africans die each year because they are too poor to stay alive.  What are African leaders doing collectively and individually to reverse the devastation that poverty is bringing to millions of people?  Where has the battle to fight poverty gone wrong?  What must be done immediately and in the long term?  Have we lost the war against poverty?

Entrepreneurship is key to the alleviation of poverty.  Pressing challenges facing African countries is that of unlocking the power of entrepreneurship.  A major focus of the 2005 Forum is to invite   some of Africa’s most successful entrepreneurs to share their practical experiences and insights on new and existing opportunities.

A few of the speakers and topics:

Ambassador Ekwow Spio Garbrah, CEO of Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation
Topic: Mobilising Funding for ICT projects in Africa

Michael Ade Ojo, CEO of Elizade Group, Nigeria
Topic: Growing Successful Small Businesses

Bryan Hattingh, CEO of Cycan
Topic: Risk Taking and Decision Making

 

3.       Practical leadership workshops

• The first major continent-wide study to measure and monitor “Progress towards good governance in Africa” undertaken by the United Nations, says bluntly that much more has to be achieved before we can say that the capable state is the norm in Africa.  The report by the ECA identifies 10 priority areas for action in building capable and accountable states.  A panel of experts will debate the challenges of governance on the continent.

• Are African leaders prepared and able to meet the new challenges posed by globalisation?   There is currently an intense debate going on as to whether Africa has the right quality of leadership to deliver its developmental objectives.  The practical leadership sessions will showcase Africa’s best examples of leadership, management and governance.

• What are the essential tools and tips for driving transformation in transition economies?   This high level session of well-respected speakers will give participants the opportunity to debate and decide the direction of sustainable transformation of the continent. 

A few of the topics and speakers:

Nick Binedell, Director, Gordon Institute of Business Science
Topic: Building sustainable African Organisations

Futhi Mtoba, Chairman of Deloitte,
Topic: The Role of Ethics in Business;

Charles Kebuchi, Kenya Reinsurance Corporation
Topic: Streamlining the Public Sector;

Mamphela Ramphele, Chair of Circle Capital Ventures
Topic: Change Leadership – How Leaders drive Organisational Change;

Malcolm Hewitt, Managing Director of Barclays Bank PLC,
Topic: Practical Leadership in Africa;

Achievements
During the past two years, the Eskom African Business Leaders Forum successfully engaged political leaders, legislators, entrepreneurs, the investor community, bankers, venture capitalists, multinational corporations, policy makers, business development partners and emerging business leaders in the search for sustainable leadership solutions on which growth and profits can be built.

The Forum provided a platform for the transfer of practical industry experience and fresh ideas and for the generation of a collective momentum to define leadership parameters on the continent.
It acknowledged and honoured the leading standard-bearers of the continent in the expectation that they would continue to serve as role models.

Ends
19 October 2005

For further information, or should you wish to register on line, kindly visit the website www.businessinafrica.net or contact:
 

Business in Africa Group Ltd
Contact:
Portia Mofikoe, Business Development Manager
 Tel: + 27 11 807 0948
Fax: + 27 11 807 0919
Cell: + 27 83 993 6120
www.businessinafrica.net

 

For further information contact:
Corporate Communications Consultants (Pty) Ltd
Contact: Sue Brewitt/Loraine Harris
Tel (011) 783 8926

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Business in Africa is a monthly magazine published by the Business in Africa Group – a multi-media consultancy which specialises in providing publishing, broadcasting and marketing communication solutions to clients seeking to profit from doing business on the continent. The magazine was launched in London in 1993 and today has offices in London, Johannesburg, Lagos, Abuja, Accra and Nairobi. It is read by business decision-makers in most of the successful businesses throughout Africa and is essential reading for everybody with an interest in Africa.

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