Africa Collective

With South Africa hosting the Group of Twenty (G20) Summit this year, Africa Collective attended the launch of the Business 20 (B20) – the official G20 dialogue forum for domestic and international business communities. The event took place on 24–25 February in Cape Town, marking the first time the B20 has been hosted on the African continent.🙌🌍   👉Building on our G20/B20 discussions in Davos last month, Africa Collective’s presence at the B20 launch reinforces our commitment to having a presence at key business and economic events across the African continent and beyond. 👉G20 members include the world’s major economies, representing 85% of global GDP, over 75% of international trade, and about two-thirds of the world population. African G20 members include South Africa and the African Union as one of two regional bodies besides the European Union.   👉The B20, established in 2010, is one of the most influential G20 engagement groups, bringing together business leaders from member countries and beyond. Each year, it provides a platform for companies and business organisations to influence global economic and trade policy as well as to foster new business-to-business relationships around the globe.🌐   👉The main objective of the launch event was to inform the South African business community about the B20 South Africa year and to call for collective action to mobilise the business community to actively participate in the process, yearly program, and task forces. 🌍👥 👉During the sessions, South Africa also invited the pan-African business community to join the discussions to develop a stronger pan-African business narrative jointly.  🌍💪 Key insights from the discussions included: ✅Recognition of a challenging year ahead amid multiple geopolitical crises ✅The private sector’s critical role in shaping policy, given its long-term perspective ✅The necessity for collective action and will to continue developing the global architecture ✅South Africa’s 2025 G20 presidency, the last global South Presidency of the G20 for many years, serves as a pivotal opportunity to consolidate the emerging market perspective, position Africa’s business potential on the international stage, and emphasise its global comparative advantage as a business destination. Congratulations to South Africa for hosting an impactful opening event! 👏🇿🇦 📸 Image credit: B20 South Africa Secretariat

Exactly a month ago today, we wrapped our Africa Collectives Davos 2025 programme on the margins of the World Economic Forum. 🌍 We are excited to share on-camera insights from some of the esteemed speakers from the Africa Collective Davos 2025 programme on why convening the Africa-focused annual Davos Programme on the margins of the World Economic Forum is essential. 🎥 They also share their thoughts on key African business and investment opportunities that were topical at Davos 2025 and remain significant to the continent's agenda beyond Davos. 📝  To our interviewees: thank you for your support and engagement and for sharing your insights on camera with us: H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat , Prof. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Dr. Lutz Hegemann, President of Global Health and Swiss Country Affairs, Novartis, Luvuyo Masinda, CEO of Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking at Standard Bank Group, Thierry Déau, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Meridiam, Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA. Once again, a big thank you to our Host Partner, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), our Patronage Partner, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and our Lead Partners for co-creating the thought-provoking content for this year's Davos programme and ongoing invaluable collaboration as we continue to amplify the importance of African Business topics on global platforms.🤝 Thanks to Toba Oduwaiye and David Bonine for your stellar production and editing work. 🎥👏 Thanks again to everyone who attended—your insights, energy, and engagement made Davos 2025 unforgettable! We can't wait to build on this momentum and see you again for even bigger conversations next year! 🚀 🔥 #RoadtoDavos2026✨

Reflecting one month after we kicked off our Africa Collective Davos 2025 programme, we're revisiting key moments and insights from this impactful gathering. The Africa Collective Davos 2025 programme, held in partnership with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, showcased Africa's growing role in shaping global economic conversations as well as thought-provoking discussions on industrialisation, infrastructure, the future of healthcare on the continent, investment trends and opportunities, amongst many topics. Now, we look back at the key takeaways from our dynamic programme—insights that will continue shaping Africa’s business agenda beyond Davos. Here's the recap and key takeaways from this powerful week! https://lnkd.in/dYkvuS-Y #AfricaCollectiveDavos2025 #AfricainDavos Image Credit: Chinwe Egbe

Iain Williamson, CEO of Old Mutual, shared why the 2025 WEF stood out as one of the best in years, highlighting the spirit of collaboration and meaningful engagement with international counterparts.🌐🤝 Thank you, Iain, for also commending the work of the Africa Collective in Davos this year. 🙌 We deeply appreciate Old Mutual’s longstanding and continued partnership in driving impactful Africa-focused business conversations!💪🌍 Watch the full interview conducted by Palesa Mofokeng for CNBC Africa (one of our media partners) here: https://lnkd.in/d_UG6Fqf #WEF2025 #AfricaCollectiveDavos2025 #AfricainDavos

🎥Looking back at an inspiring and forward-focused Africa Collective Davos 2025 Closing & Outlook Lunch🍽️ Our Closing & Outlook Lunch brought together 60 distinguished African and global business executives and political leaders inside the iconic Chapel at the Africa Collective Hub, Hard Rock Hotel Davos, to explore actionable ideas for driving sustainable growth and investment across the continent.🌱 The discussions reinforced Africa’s readiness to embrace innovation, foster partnerships, and drive transformative change across sectors. This highlight reel captures the energy and spirit of collaboration that wrapped up our Davos 2025 weeklong programme.🌍🚀 #AfricaCollectiveDavos2025

Last week Africa Collective in collaboration with Digital Network Africa hosted DNA x Africa Collective - 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 & 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵. 🚀 With the theme; Navigating investment opportunities on the African continent in times of global uncertainty. Thank you for the expert input from, Zurieda Atkinson, COO of Old Mutual for her wisdom on the open opportunities in the African market. Check out Africa Collective for more! #digitalnetworkafrica #davos2025 #africacollective #africanstartups

Leadership Voices | Africa Collective at Davos 2025 Concluding our Africa Collective Davos 2025 Leadership Voices series on a high note! 🙌 Prof Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), shared key insights on why Africa must shape its own narrative and the power of collective voices in driving change: ✅Shaping Africa's Narrative: For too long, others have told Africa's story. Davos provides a platform for Africa to define itself—through its own lens—rather than being shaped by external perspectives.🔍🌍 ✅Power of Collective Voices: Our voices are stronger together. The Africa Collective unites top businesses, international organisations, and global partners to create a powerful, authentic dialogue.🤝 ✅Learning Beyond Talking: It's not just about telling Africa's story—we must also listen. Engaging with diverse perspectives enriches the conversation and fosters meaningful learning.✍️ We are proud to wrap up on such a positive note, one that captures the essence of why we convene in Davos and beyond: to amplify African voices and the continent's business agenda while fostering collaboration on the African continent's opportunities. 🌍🚀 We are grateful to H.E. Wamkele Mene (Secretary General, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat), Lutz Hegemann (President, Global Health and Swiss Country Affairs, Novartis), Luvuyo Masinda (CEO, Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking), Iain Williamson (CEO, Old Mutual), Kola A. (Founding Partner, Ventures Platform Fund), H.E Amani Abou-Zeid أماني أبوزيد ( Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy & Digitalisation, African Union), @Dr AGNES KALIBATA (President, AGRA), Thierry Déau (Founder and CEO, Meridiam) for contributing their time and sharing their insights on key African business and investment topics that shaped discussions during the World Economic Forum week—and will remain central to Africa's agenda beyond Davos. 🙌🌍 🎥 Video Credit: Toba Oduwaiye and David Bonine #AfricaCollectiveDavos2025 #LeadershipVoices

Last week Africa Collective in collaboration with Digital Network Africa hosted DNA x Africa Collective - 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 & 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵. 🚀 With the theme; Navigating investment opportunities on the African continent in times of global uncertainty. Thank you for the expert input from, Wale Ayeni, Managing Partner of Helios Digital Ventures Old Mutual for her wisdom on the open opportunities in the African market. Check out Africa Collective for more! #digitalnetworkafrica #africacollective #davos2025 #africastartups

Leadership Voices | Africa Collective at Davos 2025 🌍 With African cities urbanising rapidly, public transportation will play a vital role in the continent's economic growth and sustainability story. 🚎🌱 Thierry Déau, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Meridiam, shares key insights on the urgent need for investment in public transport, highlighting two significant opportunities underscoring this investment: 👉Improving Urban Mobility – Cutting travel time so people can access jobs and essential services more efficiently.🚏 👉Energy & Sustainability – Reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions through providing cleaner mobility solutions.🔋 Scaling the electric BRT system from Dakar to other African capitals would accelerate economic efficiency across the continent! 🚀💡👏 Video Credit🎥: Toba Oduwaiye and David Bonine #AfricaCollectiveDavos2025 #Leadershipvoices

Leadership Voices | Africa Collective at Davos 2025 We spoke with Luvuyo Masinda, CEO of Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking at Standard Bank Group and panellist at our Africa Collective Davos 2025 Closing and Outlook Lunch, about key opportunities in his sector shaping the continent's future. He specified two: 🔹 Infrastructure Development: Infrastructure remains a key enabler for sustainable economic growth across the continent, and the opportunities in infrastructure lie across vast sectors. 🛣️🔌🏗️ 🔹 Energy Transition: Africa has a significant role to play in the global shift to cleaner energy. The opportunity lies in both expanding energy generation—including providing sustainable access for all African citizens—and harnessing critical minerals essential for transitioning from fossil fuels to renewables.♻️🔋 A thriving Africa requires strong infrastructure. Here's to all private and public stakeholders working together to accelerate this critical infrastructure development. 💪🌍🚀 #AfricaCollectiveDavos2025 #Thoughtleadership