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NEW YORK FORUM AFRICA 2013 TASKFORCES
THE NEW YORK FORUM TASKFORCES WERE HIGHLY INTERACTIVE, SMALL DISCUSSION GROUPS THAT FOCUSED ON DEFINING TANGIBLE OPPORTUNITIES AND SOLUTIONS. THE OUTPUTS, LISTED BELOW, ARE A SET OF PRACTICAL, ACTIONABLE STEPS FOR ORGANIZATIONS’ LEADERSHIP TEAMS THAT WILL BE PREREQUISITES OR CATALYSTS FOR SUCCESS IN THE NEAR AND LONG TERM.
OUR EXPERT FACILITATORS MOVED PARTICIPANTS INTO SMALL GROUPS TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES ON THE TOPIC. TASKFORCES ALSO INCLUDED REMARKS FROM LEADING EXPERTS ON THE TOPIC. TO JUMPSTART THE DISCUSSIONS, MODERATORS FACILITATED PARTICIPANT DIALOGUE. AT THE CLOSE OF THE SESSION, THE SUMMARIZED LIST OF OPPORTUNITIES WERE DISCUSSED AND PARTICIPANTS WILL VOTED ON THEM.
TOURISM: Generating economic opportunities and employment
Tourism, one of the world’s top job creators and a lead export sector (especially for developing countries) will play a significant role in the achievement of several of the Millennium Development Goals, including eradication of poverty, gender equality, environmental sustainability and global partnerships for development. (...)
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E-AFRICA: Spreading connectivity, mobile business, access to communications
Tourism, one of the world’s top job creators and a lead export sector (especially for developing countries) will play a significant role in the achievement of several of the Millennium Development Goals, including eradication of poverty, gender equality, environmental sustainability and global partnerships for development. (...)
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Finance: Private Equity & Financing Growth
Are capital markets growing in depth as African companies and projects grow in increasingly
sophisticated economies? Where are the best practices in financing?
Are local institutions providing the necessary financing?
Has the growth of African-‐oriented private equity changed the landscape? (...) Read More
FINANCING FOR SMEs: From microfinance to banks – where will capital come from?
Despite the abundance of liquidity available to finance institutions in many parts of the world, too few SMEs have access to finance that allows for sustainable growth. And for those that are fortunate enough to operate in more developed markets where they can access a share of liquidity, there is
the risk of either having too little financing or becoming over-indebted due to irresponsible lending
practice. (...)
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INCREASING EASE TO MARKET: minimising the legal hoops
How can we adapt (or create new) business frameworks so SMEs and entrepreneurs can start operating as a business more quickly and easily, and minimising red tape? (...) Read MoreINTRA-AFRICA FINANCING
Policymakers have long lamented the comparative paucity of trade ties within Africa. But increasingly sophisticated financial institutions in many parts of the continent ‐ and the steady push for stronger intra‐African economic connections ‐ are fostering greater amounts of intra-‐African financing. (...)
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LUXURY BRANDS: The growth potential of labels – imported and exported
Africa's rapid growth, booming cities and an aspirational middle class, are prompting luxury brands
to look at entering new markets on the continent, despite the complexity of doing business in Africa, and the difficulty of finding suitable sites for their luxury stores. But the growth of the luxury market is tipped to be much slower than in the Middle East, even though the total investable wealth of high net worth individuals in Africa totaled $1.1 trillion in 2011, compared with $1.7 trillion for high-net worth consumers in the Middle East. (...)
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MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT
It’s not just Nollywood: what are the local opportunities for production and generating content, and
what are the global opportunities? (...)
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TELECOMS: what is the next phase of development?
With a population of just over a billion people, Africa has over 700 million SIM cards, but with most users owning at least two cards, penetration is only about 33 per cent. The unserved rural millions could represent another growth opportunity for Africa-‐focused operators, though they need to explore cost-‐effective ways to push into sub-‐Saharan Africa's remote corners. In rural Africa, the cost of running a network tower often exceeds the revenue it brings. Although roughly 73 per cent of Africa's land has cell phone coverage, that still leaves vast tracts of rural Africa without network access. But mobile phone usage has exploded across Africa over the last decade, transforming daily life and commerce for millions. (...)
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