Checking in or Checking out? Financing Africa’s Hotels in 2021 - 16 March 2021 (online event)
Despite grounded flights and shut borders throughout much of 2020, Africa’s hotel sector has continued to attract investor attention, bucking the overarching concern from the public and private sectors alike that Covid-19 would spell the end for Africa’s hotel industry. With African governments now pushing for greater intra-Africa trade in 2021 through the AfCFTA framework, hotel investors have taken a long-term view on the sector, and the benefits of intra-continental business travel for greater economic development are hard to ignore.
Invest Africa is delighted to invite you to our deep dive into the future of financing for Africa’s hotel sector, to examine what strategies investors and financial institutions can implement to mitigate the effects of the pandemic and the consequential impact on Africa’s tourism and hospitality sectors.
Ambassador’s Briefing with Norway’s Ambassador to Nigeria - 22 April 2021 (online event)
NABA members are welcome to a 30 minutes briefing conversation with Norway’s Ambassador in Nigeria, H.E. Knut Eiliv Lein.
Update on economy, politics, coronavirus-situation – with time for your questions.
Nordic companies x African Development Bank: Meet Executive Director Paal Bjørnstad - 11 March 2021 (online event)
Nordic companies are welcome to meet Executive Director Mr. Paal Bjørnestad (representing the Nordic countries) in the African Development Bank. We will get an update on African economies, and discuss how Nordic companies can partner with the bank.
Commission RSE-ODD - Femmes aux Boards Africains. Plafond de verre dans les économies et industries en Afrique ? - 25 Février 2021 (online event)
Organisé en collaboration avec Women in Africa et Africa Mutandi, ce webinaire abordera le thème de la place des femmes dirigeantes dans les organisations en Afrique. Avec la participation de plusieurs personnalités féminines éminentes, nous nous pencherons sur leur parcours afin de répondre à plusieurs questions. Comment ont-elles fait ? Quelles ont été les clés de leur succès ? Comment changent-elles la donne dans le management du business en Afrique ? Quels sont les leviers pour accroître la place de femmes dans la gouvernance des entreprises en Afrique ?
Intervenantes :
Vanessa MOUNGAR, Directrice du département Genre, Femmes et Société civile de la Banque Africaine de Développement, membre du Conseil présidentiel pour l’Afrique
Yalis SANE, Directrice du Capital Humain et de la Communication du Groupe Cofina
Isabelle BEBEAR, Directrice des Affaires internationales du groupe Bpifrance
Amel CHADLI, Directrice Stratégie de Schneider Electric Africa
Awa DIASSE, Associate Meridiam Dakar, Sénégal
Commission Sûreté - Le défi de la logistique en Afrique - 23 Février 2021
En s’appuyant sur l’exemple de l’acheminement des vaccins contre la COVID-19 en Afrique, nous vous proposons d’aborder le thème des défis de la logistique sur le continent :
- Protocoles de Sûreté entre le client et l’équipe locale de Sureté du transporteur
- Sécurisation des phases de transport terrestres, analyse des compétences et fiabilité des prestataires de sécurité privée
- Implication des autorités locales compétentes
- Protection des informations relatives aux opérations de transport contre la cybercriminalité
Intervenant :
Leon JANKOWSKI, Vice president, Regional Security & Operational Resilience Head for Middle East and Africa, DHL Global forwarding/Freight
Is There a Different Way of Approaching Debt in Africa? - 18 March 2021 (online event)
Sub-Saharan Africa’s debt crisis had been building up since the 2008/2009 crash and accelerated following the 2014 oil shock to the point that, even before the Covid-19 pandemic, one third of countries in the region were either in or at risk of debt distress. With the added pressure of Covid-19, the International Monetary Fund now estimates that the region needs to find an additional $345 billion of funding through 2023. Though the G20 has extended the Debt Service Suspension Initiative through to June 2021, for many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa the support available falls far short of the needs. Already Zambia has defaulted while oil dependent nations sit in a precarious position and South Africa’s debt is in danger of hitting 10% of GDP. In this webinar, we will discuss how multilateral institutions can go further to meet their promise to support the world’s poorest economies and explore the role of private sector lenders and capital markets in supporting sustainable fiscal balance sheets.
Unlocking the Blue Economy: The Key to Sustainable Growth? - 4 March 2021 (online event)
The world’s maritime spaces define our economies and geographies; sea routes account for 90% of global trade and half of the world’s population lives less than 60km from the sea. With 38 of 54 African States on the coast, the Continent is an important strategic conduit for international trade. Alongside trade, Africa’s aquatic spaces present opportunities in fishing, aquaculture, energy, mineral resources and tourism.
Unlocking the potential of Africa’s blue economy while maintaining environmental stability forms an important part of the African Union’s Africa 2063 strategy but also presents a significant challenge. The blue economy includes a wide range of sectors, each with their own impact on coastal and marine environments. Sustainable investment and development of these resources calls for close collaboration between the private sector, governments and local communities. In this Invest Africa webinar, stakeholders will discuss how to build better frameworks for the sustainable development of Africa’s blue economy and highlight the opportunities that it presents.
"Focus on Business in UGANDA” - 25 February 2021 (online event)
Regarding the country's economic situation, developments and trends, the business environment, export and investment opportunities in Uganda and more generally the conditions and prospects for co-operation between Uganda and Greece.
The conference will bring together leading government and business officials from Uganda as well as Greek businessmen active in that country.
The conference can be attended by members and non-members of our Chamber. Event participation is free of charge. Those interested are invited to fill out the form for their participation in order to receive the passwords to the videoconference (via zoom).
Please note that the conference will be free and will be held in English.
Intra-African Trade: A Path to Economic Diversification and Inclusion - 16 February 2021 (online event)
Can Africa do better with trade? The share of intra-African exports as a percentage of total African exports has increased from about 10 percent in 1995 to around 17 percent in 2017, but it remains low compared to levels in Europe (69%), Asia (59 %), and North America (31%). This is an important reason to expect that trade will be a key driver of growth in Africa. According to modelling results by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the AfCFTA is projected to increase the value of intra- African exports. AfCFTA will be a game changer for stimulating intra-African trade.
Key discussion points:
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What are the opportunities for Africa’s collaboration with other trading blocs for business development and growth?
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What ‘best practice frameworks’ can the other trading blocs share with Africa to ensure AfCFTA’s success?
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What are the key considerations that investors need to see from AfCFTA to ensure business continuation and investor success?
Blended Finance in Africa - 24 February 2021 (online event)
2020 provided many shocks to the global order, but it can be argued the year provided a second catalyst in encouraging many countries, cities and corporates alike to recommit on their climate and environment focused initiatives. Whilst this backdrop is positive it only reiterates that time is running out to achieve the SDGs.
In Africa, increased investment is required to stand any chance of achieving these goals. By leveraging blended finance solutions which can unlock catalytic funding (usually grants and donor backed capital) and subsequently crowd in private sector money, the SDGs have a better chance of being achieved. According to Convergence, Africa has consistently remained the most targeted regions for blended finance vehicles, but the trillions it promised to unlock have not been seen. With the Covid headwinds continuing to blow strong in 2021, what is the current state of blended finance solutions today in Africa? Will we be able to scale the amount of financing they receive up?