Agenda

Open to all participants

Open to all participants

During the NYFA, we will host three workshops, focusing on mining. These sessions are open to all. 

Open to all participants

During the NYFA, we will host two workshops, focusing on finance. These sessions are open to all. 

This workshop will examine the financing of infrastructure projects, including working with international donors and international banks. How can we mobilise long-term resources and what are the implications for the banking sector, both State-owned and private corporations?

Open to all participants

This workshop will invite representatives from economic operators partnering with the state to share their insights.

Open to all participants

This workshop will examine the financing of private projects and PPPs, including looking at innovative financing initiatives within the private sector, measures that could be taken to encourage private investment flows, and the legal and institutional frameworks required for PPPs.

Open to all participants

This opening “power introduction” session will enable participants to meet one another, have a chance to network, but also discuss the issues that they deem important, and play a part in shaping the discussions of the Forum. Participants will work in groups, aided by our brainstorming technology. Topics that could be discussed: innovations in healthcare, encouraging more private sector investment in Africa, and generating more jobs for women.

Market Place Live - connect 1 on 1 and learn from your fellow participants

Market Place Live - set up your own one-on-one meetings here http://nyfa.e-180.com/#/profiles and then come meet with other participants live over a coffee at the Market Place Live, located between registration and main conference room. If you need help, our staff, Manu and Alina will be there to assist!

The New York Forum AFRICA community of business, finance, policymaker and political leaders met for the first time in Libreville a year ago. What projects, ideas, initiatives and business emerged in the year since we last met?

The last 15 years have signalled a tide of progressive change across Latin America, thanks to a new wave of leaders bringing about radical democratic change and huge social and economic benefits to their countries. Along with the rise of China, the emergence of an independent Latin America is one of the most significant global shifts of the last few decades. Their leaders have moved away from imperial domination towards regional integration and independent alliances. And while the region remains underdeveloped, with a third of its people living in poverty, the last decade has brought about prosperity thanks to the combination of a wealth of commodities, fast and sustained output growth, and big improvements in social conditions.

What can Africa draw from the Latin American experience?

These conversations, held at intervals during NYFA, are in-depth dialogues with unique personalities – across business, politics and culture – covering their careers, their ideas and vision, and their proposals for Africa

Two landmark agreements will be signed at the official opening in the presence of official government delegations.

During this interlude, we will announce the winner of the first ever Africa Design Award, under the patronage of President Bongo, with the presentation the winner’s trophy. We will also announce the creation of an award in collaboration with Le Point Afrique.

Infrastructure development is critical for Africa’s economic growth and poverty reduction, but government funding is unable to fulfil this need, and private sector involvement has been limited because of a lack of policy framework and sound public institutions with effective levels of governance. Development agencies allocates more than a fifth of Official Development Finance (ODF) for Africa’s infrastructure to focusing on raising the levels of governance and improving the investment environment. These agencies, through a wide range of financing instruments, are drawing in private investors as well as other emerging economies – such as China, India and the Arab countries – to partner on meeting this gap in infrastructure investment.

-  How can development agencies and nations work together more efficiently?

-  What else is required to increase private sector involvement?

During this interlude, we will announce the winner of the first ever Africa Design Award, under the patronage of President Bongo, with the presentation the winner’s trophy. We will also announce the creation of an award in collaboration with Le Point Afrique.

These conversations, held at intervals during NYFA, are in-depth dialogues with unique personalities – across business, politics and culture – covering their careers, their ideas and vision, and their proposals for Africa.

These conversations, held at intervals during NYFA, are in-depth dialogues with unique personalities – across business, politics and culture – covering their careers, their ideas and vision, and their proposals for Africa.

Capital flows and the nature of deals have shifted in the last few years in much of Africa. While investment from the US, Europe and China remains important, an increasing number of intra-African deals are happening. What is the likely impact of the intra-African investment trend? 

- Which sectors are seeing the most intra-African investment activity? 

- What are the advantages and disadvantages African investors bring to the table?

- Are intra-African investments set to increase in coming years?

These conversations, held at intervals during NYFA, are in-depth dialogues with unique personalities – across business, politics and culture – covering their careers, their ideas and vision, and their proposals for Africa.

African sovereign wealth funds are increasingly using their finances to fast-track infrastructure development in the continent, while aiding socio-economic development. As an example, the Gabonese Strategic Investment Fund (FGIS), which was created two years ago, has already financed a dozen projects in line with the country’s development plan.

-  What are the positive lessons that can be taken from emerging economy SWFs?

-  How can we ensure that equity investors are contributing to the growth of the African private sector?
What are the requirements for the development of private equity in Africa?

-  How can these SWFs mobilise more resources to invest in high added-value strategic projects?

These conversations, held at intervals during NYFA, are in-depth dialogues with unique personalities – across business, politics and culture – covering their careers, their ideas and vision, and their proposals for Africa.

These conversations, held at intervals during NYFA, are in-depth dialogues with unique personalities – across business, politics and culture – covering their careers, their ideas and vision, and their proposals for Africa.

TRANSFORMING THE LAND FOR AGRICULTURE: The African vision for agriculture has been clearly laid out: dynamic markets within regions and countries, and farmers active in the market economy, while the continent becomes a net exporter of agricultural projects. Following from this would be a fairer distribution of wealth for rural populations, and environmentally sound agricultural production and sustainable land management. Is this an agricultural pipe dream – or is Africa close to achieving this? Are government, the private sector and the farmers delivering – and are they accountable?

-  How do we build value-added sectors to keep more revenues at home?

-  How do we integrate and support small farmers?

-  What can be done to protect from price hikes, and against environmental disasters?

-  How do we increase capacity and storage of water?

-  What needs to be done to improve access to market (financial and infrastructure/transport)?

-  Can we ensure food security?

These conversations, held at intervals during NYFA, are in-depth dialogues with unique personalities – across business, politics and culture – covering their careers, their ideas and vision, and their proposals for Africa.

Although Africa’s economy has grown rapidly in the last decade, questions have been raised about whether this growth is sustainable – and inclusive. Many are concerned that the growth will fail to create sufficient jobs and raise living standards, and that the huge infrastructure projects will damage the eco-system irreparably.

-  How can Africa develop, build and grow in a way that is inclusive to all citizens, but also maintains ecological balance?

Climate change has had an overly adverse effect on African agriculture, which is rain-fed, but blighted by droughts and floods that have become more and more unpredictable. But less than 10 per cent of finance goes to adaptation strategies, according to the African Development Bank.

-  How can we develop more efficient use of land, water, soil nutrients and genetic resources?

-  How can governments help – whether through changes in legislation or financial mechanisms?

Despite the discovery of significant underground aquifers in several regions of Africa, as much as 40 per cent of the continent’s population lacks access to clear water.

-  Are there ways to jumpstart water infrastructure?

-  How can the public and private sectors work together to solve Africa’s water dilemma?

Entrepreneurs are a force to be reckoned with in Africa. Whether solving socio-economic problems or creating new products specially designed for the continent, this is a generation of risk-takers and innovators. And, in the process, they are exporting African products and culture to the world while creating jobs at home.

Media in Africa is one of the fastest-growing industries, but investors have been slow to support its growth. And, the media industry has undergone huge changes in the past five years, with the rise of digital media – including video on demand, and an increased consumption of news via social media – and a lack of trust in traditional media outlets. Meanwhile, the revenue potential has changed, as people become increasingly unwilling to pay for content on news sites when they can get so much for free.

These conversations, held at intervals during NYFA, are in-depth dialogues with unique personalities – across business, politics and culture – covering their careers, their ideas and vision, and their proposals for Africa.

HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE TOTAL LOCAL TRANSFORMATION OF MINERAL RESOURCES IN AFRICA? The National Industrialization of Gabon Strategy, developed in 2013 by the Ministry of Industry and Mines, emphasizes the importance of the local development of natural resources in order to make Gabon an emerging country by 2025. Today, the mining sector contributes just 4% of Gabon’s GDP, 11 % of exports and 1.3% of budget revenues excluding oil). But Gabon has the potential to build an industrial base for the local processing of mineral resources and thus significantly increase the mining sector's contribution to GDP, job creation and fiscal revenues. For example, Gabon is the fourth largest producer of manganese behind China, South Africa and Australia. But a lack of local processing means the country does not draw enough wealth from the manganese. The National Industrialization Strategy has set an ambitious target of tripling local added value by 2025.

-  How can the continent create value-added industries and diversification?

-  Are Gabon’s targets realistic?

-  Is 100% local transformation achievable?

-  How are other African countries dealing with this challenge / opportunity?

THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF NATIONAL OIL COMPANIES: Natural resources have accounted for roughly 35 per cent of Africa’s growth since 2000, but 80 per cent of Africa’s export products are resource-based raw or semi-processed goods (compared with 40 per cent in India and 14 per cent in China). Despite a strong comparative advantage in natural resources (with the high level of prices for these resources), Africa has kept its place in the global economy but has not leveraged this natural resource wealth into structural transformation that will enable the continent to create more value by transforming these resources, providing more jobs and more income for all.

-  How can Africa achieve growth that delivers more productive jobs?

-  How can the continent create value-added industries and diversification?

-  What role can governments play in leveraging these strong natural resources? What are the right conditions for transformation?

-  Is increased co-operation (pan-African and between public and private sector) the solution?

UNESCO estimates that less than 5 per cent of Africans enroll in formal technical or vocational training programmes – yet there is a huge deficit in qualified local labour across all sectors. As a result, skilled foreigners have to be recruited, or companies have to reassess their operations – both of which stunt Africa’s growth. Why is there such a disconnect?

These conversations, held at intervals during NYFA, are in-depth dialogues with unique personalities – across business, politics and culture – covering their careers, their ideas and vision, and their proposals for Africa.

TRANSFORMING CONNECTIVITY INTO DIGITAL INNOVATION: Over the past few years, fiber-optic networks have sprung up over Africa, connecting the continent, slashing the cost of online access, and kickstarted new markets in IT, content, software, mobile phones, social media and apps. Africa’s Generation Y is using ICT to create opportunities and build businesses. But this is just the beginning: Africa is the second-biggest mobile market in the world, and smartphones sales are 400 per cent bigger than computer sales (estimates state there will be a billion mobile phones in Africa by 2016). And six of the 10 fastest-economies are in sub-Saharan Africa. How can we combine these two elements to use spiralling mobile use and online access to generate more innovation and a thriving, profitable, digital industry?

-  IT and communications can create new opportunities for income and jobs. How much effort and resource allocation should we place here?

-  And should IT and connectivity be the number 1 issue, above all else?

-  How do we create local centres of excellence based around technology?

These conversations, held at intervals during NYFA, are in-depth dialogues with unique personalities – across business, politics and culture – covering their careers, their ideas and vision, and their proposals for Africa.

TRANSFORMING THE AFRICAN BRAND: The value of a well-defined, trusted brand is unquestioned: supporters of a Brand Africa state that it will unlock sustainable growth, improve reputation, and increase competitiveness for the continent.

-  52 countries, but how much benefit would they get from the creation of one brand, a brand Africa?

-  Would it be better to focus on branding regional associations, like CEMAC?

-  Made in Africa: would this label add value?

-  Or, is Africa simply too diverse to be labelled as one – and is a “forced homogeneity” exacerbating the problem?

These conversations, held at intervals during NYFA, are in-depth dialogues with unique personalities – across business, politics and culture – covering their careers, their ideas and vision, and their proposals for Africa.

BRINGING GREAT IDEAS TO SCALE: There are pockets of innovation and exciting business ideas all over Africa – but the challenge is to keep the ideas in Africa, rather than losing their creators to opportunities in the West, and then to bring those ideas to scale. Africa as a market is big enough to handle any new product (bigger than the US) as long as the marketing is targeted and awareness is created. We invite a panel of inventors to share their stories with us, and ask how we can better support and encourage the creation of the Next Big Thing.

- Do banks and public sector financing organisations understand the value of investing in R&D;?

- Is the solution to devolve the issuing of financial support to local rather than national governments?

These conversations, held at intervals during NYFA, are in-depth dialogues with unique personalities – across business, politics and culture – covering their careers, their ideas and vision, and their proposals for Africa.

UNESCO estimates that less than 5 per cent of Africans enrol in formal technical or vocational training programmes – yet there is a huge deficit in qualified local labour across all sectors. As a result, skilled foreigners have to be recruited, or companies have to reassess their operations – both of which stunt Africa’s growth.

-  Why is there such a disconnect?

-  How can we involve the private sector in creating vocational training schemes that deliver graduates with the appropriate skillset?

What is the best way for companies to focus on developing Africa-specific treatments and invest in R&D to produce localised diagnosis tools?

-  Mobile diagnosis centres and e-healthcare systems

-  Mosquito deterrent systems

There are pockets of innovation and exciting business ideas all over Africa – but the challenge is to keep the ideas in Africa, rather than losing their creators to opportunities in the West, and then to bring those ideas to scale. Africa as a market is big enough to handle any new product (bigger than the US) as long as the marketing is targeted and awareness is created.

- Do banks and public sector financing organisations understand the value of investing in R&D;?

- Is the solution to devolve the issuing of financial support to local rather than national governments?

A World Bank report, released at the end of 2013, has stated that African countries can compete with other tourist-rich regions of the world if tourism is a fully integrated cornerstone of their economies. To close the gap between regions registering a high share of tourism such as Asia Pacific (over 20 per cent) and those with a lower share like Africa (5 per cent), requires collaboration from governments and private sector to address obstacles such as land access and visa regulation.

-  How can we expand tourism opportunities and transform business climates in Africa?

-  How can we use tourism to stimulate job creation, especially for women and young people?

As African governments are increasingly focused on creating sustainable and inclusive economic transformation, the opportunities for the private sector to match demand for technology and expertise. The private sector already generates two-thirds of Africa’s investment, three-quarters of its economic output and nine-tenths of its formal and informal employment (African Development Bank figures). A competitive private sector in Africa will power the sustainable growth, poverty reduction, and opportunities for all citizens.

-  How can governments nurture the growth of the private sector?

-  And how can the private sector deliver growth that is sustainable and inclusive?

While the African media sector is growing in numbers, it still has some way to go in terms of meeting international standards, respect of intellectual property, and a commitment to factual reporting. This growth has come alongside an explosion of social media and unofficial sources and blogs – “citizen journalists” – that aren’t moderated or accountable. Is this the result of a globalised, online world, where everyone has a voice, or has a combination of circumstances mean African media is more to blame?

- How can we bring an international ethical framework to Africa? 

- How can we moderate, but not censor?

The world’s biggest economy needs structural changes – including a rethink of its macroeconomic policy and education system – in order to maintain its competitive edge in the face of fast-growing emerging markets. How can we maximise the benefit to Africa from working more efficiently with the United States? What are the opportunities that are most easily accessible?

Previously focused on tourism and agriculture, Morocco has diversified its economy over the last decade to attract investment and deliver a rise in added value, through building centres of excellence and undergoing a programme of comprehensive reforms to improve the business climate. Morocco is now one of the most competitive economies in the world – so what lessons can the rest of the continent learn?

Today’s African citizens are faced with a set of unique challenges: an unpredictable job market and poor global economic conditions. They choose to voice their opinions through social media, or more vocally in the streets. New generations of women and young people throughout Africa are emerging and developing innovative strategies to overcome daily problems at a local and national level, but their combined capacities have not been fully harnessed. And alongside this increased activism is an increased entrepreneurial spirit, a willingness to cross borders to seek opportunities, and an understanding of the increasingly interconnected world. How do today’s leaders (corporate and government) communicate with them?

-  How can we tap the full potential of women and young people?

During the NYFA, we will listen to world leaders in their fields, who are challenging conventional systems and thinking to encourage creativity and fresh thought.

What projects, ideas, initiatives and business have emerged during the NYFA – and what does the next 12 months hold?