22 December 2023, Davos, Switzerland – Following a successful inaugural Luncheon in 2023, organized under the patronage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and in the presence of its Secretary General, H.E. Wamkele Mene, as well as 80 African & global decision makers, the Africa Collective in partnership with the AfCFTA Secretariat will once again be organizing its annual Closing & Outlook Luncheon in Davos on 18 January 2024 from 12:30 noon to 2:30 pm, during the time of the World Economic Forum.
This year, the Closing & Outlook Luncheon will conclude and reflect on a full week of programming by Africa Collective and its partners in Davos, including an opening luncheon, breakfast roundtables and a networking reception. The Outlook Luncheon will focus on the theme ‘Navigating Business Realities for Scalable African Solutions’ and highlight how the African private sector plays an essential role in the development of the African continent. It will explore how, in collaboration with the global business community, scalable, localized solutions are built, which drive economic development, in the context of key pan-African initiatives such as the AfCFTA.
Africa Collective partners, representing African and global private sector interests, will be shaping the content and discussion during the Luncheon alongside patronage partner AfCFTA Secretariat, including: Lead partners – Standard Bank and Novartis; Corporate partners – Old Mutual, Ringier AG and Tristar; as well as Supporting partners – Omnibiz and Fin. Media partners Business Insider Africa, CNBC Africa and African Business will be informing the broader African and global business community on key takeaways from the session.
With 80 key African and global decision makers representing pan-African industry champions, Fortune 500 companies, African Governments and leading global companies in attendance, the Outlook Luncheon will provide an opportunity to discuss outlook and priority topics for the private sector in the current context of African economic development.
About Africa Collective
Africa Collective was launched in 2023, as a business-driven initiative, to showcase African opportunities globally. Co-initiators of the initiative include H.E. Wamkele Mene (AfCFTA Secretariat), Larry Madowo (CNN), Biola Alabi (Acasia Group), Michael Rheinegger (Africa Unlimited) and Leonard Stiegeler (Africa Unlimited).
On 19 January 2023, the Africa Collective held its inaugural luncheon at the time of the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting where it brought together African Ministerial Delegations, CEOs and senior executives representing leading international as well as pan-African companies. Early backers of the initiative include Ian Williamson, CEO, Old Mutual and Marc Walder, CEO, Ringier AG.
To read more about the 2023 Africa Collective presence in Davos visit the following LINK.
About the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
The AfCFTA is the world’s largest free trade area bringing together the 55 countries of the African Union (AU) and eight (8) Regional Economic Communities (RECs). The overall mandate of the AfCFTA is to create a single continental market with a population of about 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of approximately US$ 3.4 trillion. The AfCFTA is one of the flagship projects of Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, the African Union’s long-term development strategy for transforming the continent into a global powerhouse.
The AfCFTA Secretariat coordinates and facilitates the implementation of the AfCFTA agreement among African states. It also engages stakeholders to promote the AfCFTA and undertakes trade and investment promotion activities to enhance intra-African trade, among other duties.