For those wanting to access opportunities on the African continent, risk is often cited as a key challenge. However, risk is a widely used but nebulous term. To this end, the Africa Risk Conference brought together various expert stakeholders to unpack risk and discuss how it can be managed and mitigated on the continent in the process of doing business. The important role of engaging in nation branding as an exercise to proactively raise nation competitiveness, manage country perceptions and, invariably, risk was also deliberated on. It was concurred that there is a significant re-branding opportunity for many countries on the continent as external perceptions of "old‟ Africa have not entirely caught up with the realities of the "new‟ emerging Africa.

Written by Dr Jacqueline Chimhanzi, Lead: Africa Desk and Anushuya Gounden, Partner: Head of Africa Desk, Deloitte