Africa’s government and business leaders gathered in Durban South Africa for today’s opening of the 2017 World Economic Forum on Africa will be attempting to create a comprehensive plan for achieving inclusive growth in the continent through responsive and responsible leadership.
Africa’s working age population is expected to be the largest in the world by 2040 but little or nothing concrete is being done by government across the continent to promote job creation for their teaming youth population.
Organisers of the forum believe the business leaders can learn one or two things from the experience of mobile phone technology and aim to resolve the challenge of “how can the region move beyond incremental improvements to ground breaking changes by leveraging the fourth industrial revolution.”
Given that disruption is happening faster than ever and changing the nature of risks, from drought to unemployment to financial market instability, Africa must adapt faster to transform adversity into opportunity.
About 1,000 business, civil society and government leaders are attending the meetings, including ten heads of state led by host president Jacob Zuma and Ameenah Gurib-Fakim of Mauritius.
As Africa develops, analysts say it is crucial to ensure that the currently underserved majority feels the benefits, especially since the continent’s future will increasingly be defined by the ability to harness the innovative spirit of its youthful population.
By focusing on growth strategies at the intersection of new disruptive technologies, opportunities abound to unlock entrepreneurial talent and leapfrog existing models for economic development.
The 27th World Economic Forum on Africa is convening under the theme Achieving Inclusive growth, bringing together one of the most diverse gatherings of leaders from all stakeholder groups across the continent and highlighting the long-term economic and human potential of Africa to the world community.
Security is right around the International Conference Centre venue of the Durban meetings ending on Friday.
As delegates arrived Tuesday, South Africa’s Police Services (SAPS) announced it had set up a National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) to ensure that the World Economic Forum on Africa (WEF Africa) in Durban takes place in a safe and secure environment.
