Date: 18/10/2006
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Shilowa: African Business Leaders Forum
Speech by Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa at the opening of the African Business Leaders Forum
His Excellency President Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda
His Excellency President Yoweri Museveni of the Republic of Uganda
His Excellency Liu Guijin, Chinse Ambassador to South Africa
His Excellency Dr Kenneth Kaunda, former President of the Republic of Zambia
His Excellency Yaw Osafa Maafo, Ghanaian Minister of Education
Chairperson of the NEPAD Business Foundation, Dr Reuel Khoza
Professor Agyerman Baffour representing the Finance Ministry of Ghana
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
On behalf of the people of Gauteng, it is a pleasure for me to extend a warm welcome to all the guests who have come to the African Business Leaders Forum. Over the past three years your forum has created a unique opportunity for leaders in government and the public sector to exchange ideas on key challenges confronting our continent and its people.
We began this century with high hopes that this was going to be a period in which African children would taste peace, economic growth and a better life. As President Thabo Mbeki said, "Those who populate the poorest part of the world, Africa, have boldly declared that it will be an African Century. It is a century in which billions of the citizens of the developed world and other poor and marginalised people, would want to transform into a century for all humanity",
To give expression to the vision to of an African Century and to defeat the scourge of poverty and underdevelopment, a number of initiatives were undertaken, the most notable of being the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). Driving NEPAD is a desire to put African countries on a path to sustainable growth and development, to halt the marginalisation of the continent in the globalisation process and to accelerate the empowerment of women. By agreeing on NEPAD Africans have declared to the world that they are determined to seize the future and make it work for themselves.
As we come to the end of the six years in this African century and amidst a growing divide between the rich developed world and the poor underdevelopment and reluctance by the rich to fully implement the Millennium Development Goals, there is a glimmer of hope emerging on the horizon. A new dawn is breaking.
"After two decades of adjustment without growth, there are, at last, some real signs of improving economic performance in Africa" says a report released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development last month.
The report to say: "Not only has growth steadily accelerated since the turn of the century but new trade and investment opportunities, particularly arising from increasing demand in emerging markets such as China and India, hold out hope that this time round it might be sustained. Ongoing efforts at macroeconomic and political reform have been consolidated in many countries, and the launch of the New Partnership for Africa's Development signalled willingness on the part of African leaders to confront past mistakes but also to be held accountable for their side of the development bargain."
This statement represents an admission that Africa is making progress, on her own terms and embedded in the words that says "African leaders are willing to be held accountable for their side of the development bargain" and acknowledges that initiatives that Africa has taken are beginning to succeed in reversing Afro-pessimism.
This has opened a space for African leaders in the public and private sector to jointly act with renewed energy to drive the continent's economic recovery. To sustain growth will require a bold and visionary leadership capable of fully understanding Africa's comparative advantage and how this can be turned into a sharp and competitive edge.
This means we have to develop smart economic growth and development strategies to drive sustainable growth. It has been said that for the continent to meet the Millennium Development Goals it will require a sustained growth of eight percent per year for the next decade. This is well above the 5,5 percent growth in gross domestic product expected this year.
At the centre of our growth strategies should be a focus on public sector investment in strategic economic infrastructure to stimulate private sector investment, growth and job creation in key sectors. Through public-private partnership, the private sector business leaders need to examine the role they can play to speed up the provision of infrastructure.
We also have to critically look at the kind of talent that will be required for us to be able to compete in the new world dominated by globalisation. This means that our human resource strategies must be based on a clear understanding of the kind of skills we need to compete today and the skills that will keep us on the competitive edge 20 years from today.
I also believe that sustained growth and economic development will come if we also pay attention to the improvement of the transport network in our continent. The challenge is to integrate transport to enable our people to work and do business in different parts of continent without undue delays. We have to improve logistics to allow the movement of goods from the continent to international and local markets speedily and efficiently.
Most importantly we have to improve political stability and ensure the safety of citizens of our continent. We have made good progress to achieve reduced conflicts and wars on the continent but there are pockets of instability which are not good for economic growth. Crime levels need to be brought down to give our citizens a sense of safety and to create a climate for the economy to thrive. These issues must be attended to at the same time as we improve communication technology and connectivity.
One reason that has hampered economic growth on the continent is the lack of focussed attention on developing entrepreneurship. With proper support and development small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) can play a major role in reducing unemployment and poverty. Governments can play a role in this but clearly; it is a partnership with business that can spur this sector to higher levels.
In a climate of continuing agricultural protectionism by the developed world, SMMEs can play a decisive role in the recovery of agriculture on the continent. Because of their low overhead expenses SMMEs can energise a productive African agricultural sector. There is a need to also determine what needs to be done to support peasant farmers and keep them on the land.
All in all African business leaders need to do everything possible to boost intra-African trade and commerce. We must trade more with ourselves as Africans if we are to trade more effectively with the world.
I wish you well in your deliberations and may you have fruitful engagements and help our continent to prosper. Africa's time has come, let us seize the moment.
I thank you.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Gauteng Provincial Government
18 October 2006
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Shilowa: African Business Leaders Forum
Speech by Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa at the opening of the African Business Leaders Forum
His Excellency President Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda
His Excellency President Yoweri Museveni of the Republic of Uganda
His Excellency Liu Guijin, Chinse Ambassador to South Africa
His Excellency Dr Kenneth Kaunda, former President of the Republic of Zambia
His Excellency Yaw Osafa Maafo, Ghanaian Minister of Education
Chairperson of the NEPAD Business Foundation, Dr Reuel Khoza
Professor Agyerman Baffour representing the Finance Ministry of Ghana
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
On behalf of the people of Gauteng, it is a pleasure for me to extend a warm welcome to all the guests who have come to the African Business Leaders Forum. Over the past three years your forum has created a unique opportunity for leaders in government and the public sector to exchange ideas on key challenges confronting our continent and its people.
We began this century with high hopes that this was going to be a period in which African children would taste peace, economic growth and a better life. As President Thabo Mbeki said, "Those who populate the poorest part of the world, Africa, have boldly declared that it will be an African Century. It is a century in which billions of the citizens of the developed world and other poor and marginalised people, would want to transform into a century for all humanity",
To give expression to the vision to of an African Century and to defeat the scourge of poverty and underdevelopment, a number of initiatives were undertaken, the most notable of being the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). Driving NEPAD is a desire to put African countries on a path to sustainable growth and development, to halt the marginalisation of the continent in the globalisation process and to accelerate the empowerment of women. By agreeing on NEPAD Africans have declared to the world that they are determined to seize the future and make it work for themselves.
As we come to the end of the six years in this African century and amidst a growing divide between the rich developed world and the poor underdevelopment and reluctance by the rich to fully implement the Millennium Development Goals, there is a glimmer of hope emerging on the horizon. A new dawn is breaking.
"After two decades of adjustment without growth, there are, at last, some real signs of improving economic performance in Africa" says a report released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development last month.
The report to say: "Not only has growth steadily accelerated since the turn of the century but new trade and investment opportunities, particularly arising from increasing demand in emerging markets such as China and India, hold out hope that this time round it might be sustained. Ongoing efforts at macroeconomic and political reform have been consolidated in many countries, and the launch of the New Partnership for Africa's Development signalled willingness on the part of African leaders to confront past mistakes but also to be held accountable for their side of the development bargain."
This statement represents an admission that Africa is making progress, on her own terms and embedded in the words that says "African leaders are willing to be held accountable for their side of the development bargain" and acknowledges that initiatives that Africa has taken are beginning to succeed in reversing Afro-pessimism.
This has opened a space for African leaders in the public and private sector to jointly act with renewed energy to drive the continent's economic recovery. To sustain growth will require a bold and visionary leadership capable of fully understanding Africa's comparative advantage and how this can be turned into a sharp and competitive edge.
This means we have to develop smart economic growth and development strategies to drive sustainable growth. It has been said that for the continent to meet the Millennium Development Goals it will require a sustained growth of eight percent per year for the next decade. This is well above the 5,5 percent growth in gross domestic product expected this year.
At the centre of our growth strategies should be a focus on public sector investment in strategic economic infrastructure to stimulate private sector investment, growth and job creation in key sectors. Through public-private partnership, the private sector business leaders need to examine the role they can play to speed up the provision of infrastructure.
We also have to critically look at the kind of talent that will be required for us to be able to compete in the new world dominated by globalisation. This means that our human resource strategies must be based on a clear understanding of the kind of skills we need to compete today and the skills that will keep us on the competitive edge 20 years from today.
I also believe that sustained growth and economic development will come if we also pay attention to the improvement of the transport network in our continent. The challenge is to integrate transport to enable our people to work and do business in different parts of continent without undue delays. We have to improve logistics to allow the movement of goods from the continent to international and local markets speedily and efficiently.
Most importantly we have to improve political stability and ensure the safety of citizens of our continent. We have made good progress to achieve reduced conflicts and wars on the continent but there are pockets of instability which are not good for economic growth. Crime levels need to be brought down to give our citizens a sense of safety and to create a climate for the economy to thrive. These issues must be attended to at the same time as we improve communication technology and connectivity.
One reason that has hampered economic growth on the continent is the lack of focussed attention on developing entrepreneurship. With proper support and development small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) can play a major role in reducing unemployment and poverty. Governments can play a role in this but clearly; it is a partnership with business that can spur this sector to higher levels.
In a climate of continuing agricultural protectionism by the developed world, SMMEs can play a decisive role in the recovery of agriculture on the continent. Because of their low overhead expenses SMMEs can energise a productive African agricultural sector. There is a need to also determine what needs to be done to support peasant farmers and keep them on the land.
All in all African business leaders need to do everything possible to boost intra-African trade and commerce. We must trade more with ourselves as Africans if we are to trade more effectively with the world.
I wish you well in your deliberations and may you have fruitful engagements and help our continent to prosper. Africa's time has come, let us seize the moment.
I thank you.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Gauteng Provincial Government
18 October 2006
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