"Participation Builds Unity"
"MADE IN AFRICA - FOR AFRICA"
"Participation Builds Unity"
"MADE IN AFRICA - FOR AFRICA"
PRESENTS
BUSINESS DAY - NEPAD CONFERENCE
CAPE TOWN - SOUTH AFRICA
5-6 DECEMBER 2002
Comment:
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Peter Metcalfe
CEO
The Foundation for the Development of Africa
Information emerging from the BUSINESS DAY - NEPAD CONFERENCE held in Cape Town on 5 and 6 December 2002, is concerning! Doubt on the success of this very important Africa Initiative (NEPAD) is prevailing!
South Africa is regarded (by the rest of the world) as Africa’s economic gateway! The perception of this NEPAD ‘uncertainty’, very evident within SME (small, medium enterprises), is now starting to emerge from ‘BIG BUSINESS’. This ‘uncertainty’ will have a detrimental effect on the ‘partnership process’ and the consequence could be devastating for the successful sustainable development of our continent.
The objective of the BUSINESS DAY - NEPAD CONFERENCE, available only to a select few due to an unrealistic entrance/participation fees, even though the event was sponsored by most corporates in South Africa, was to address the following:
The Involvement of the Private Sector in Africa
Was this event just another opportunity for the elite of corporate business to showcase their organisations? - knowing very well that they do not have the time, within their very busy schedules, to implement whatever the outcome of these deliberations may be!
In July 2002 the South African Department of Trade and Industry part sponsored an event THE AFRICA UNION BUSINESS SUMMIT - This event preceded the inaugural summit of the Africa Union, held in Durban South Africa - The objectives of this ‘THE AFRICA UNION BUSINESS SUMMIT’ was ironically similar to the latest BUSINESS DAY - NEPAD CONFERENCE - this was how the July event was promoted:
“This all important summit will focus on: How business in Africa will/could interact with each other, with the (new) AFRICAN UNION and therefore NEPAD; relationships between Government/s and Business in Africa; doing Business in AFRICA and a host of other related topics”
The objectives of the AFRICA UNION BUSINESS SUMMIT were, after three days of deliberation, eventually ‘captured’ in a ‘23-point outcomes document’ and reluctantly made available to participants!
Detail of this document is available at:
The outcome of this AFRICA UNION BUSINESS SUMMIT (hailed as an ‘indisputable success' by the South Africa Minister of Trade and Industry Mr. Alex Irwin) remains a pipedream!
Never have any of these ‘outcomes’ been referred to, acknowledged by or utilised by organisers or participants of the numerous summits, conferences, indaba’s, breakfast presentations and other gatherings using NEPAD as a ‘draw card’ to ‘cash in’ on the hype surrounding the “Promise of Nepad”
The way forward?
Lets start Walking the Talk!
Opportunities for Private Sector
Facilitation and Funding
AU BUSINESS SUMMIT OUTCOMES DOCUMENT
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