Sustainable growth, mobile technologies, private equity, and infrastructure development will all be on the agenda when some of Africa’s most powerful business leaders gather in the UK this weekend for the 2014 Oxford Africa Conference.
The conference, which runs from May 23-24 and carries the theme ‘African Transformations: Business and Society’, is being organized by the Oxford Business Network for Africa and the Oxford University Africa Society, and hosted by the Oxford Union and the Saїd Business School.
It has attracted a ‘who’s who’ of the African business community, as well as government representatives, heads of leading NGOs, and a cross-section of opinion-leaders from the arts and academic communities.
Key speakers include Etisalat Nigeria Chairman Hakeem Belo-Osagie, Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore, Barclays Africa CEO Kennedy Bungane, ex- Napsers CEO Koos Bekker, and Rwandan Development Board CEO Valentine Rugwabiza.
Other organizations represented include Schulze Global Investments, BBC, McKinsey and Co., Homecoming Revolution, Africa IQ, AgDevCo, L’Oreal, and the Mara Conservation Fund. C
onference steering committee member, Tyler-Blair Sheppard, said organizers had sought to bring in “thought leaders” as well as business leaders.
“We will have Bob Collymore, the CEO of Safaricom – the world leader in mobile banking – and Koos Bekker, former CEO of Napsers – the largest media company outside the US and China – sharing a stage to talk about what the next African innovation to drive growth will be,” he said.
“Valentine Rugwabiza has significant experience in international development and policy from her time as Deputy-Director General of the WTO, while Hakeem Belo-Osagie is not only Chairman of Etisalat Nigeria, but a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a leading American think-tank.
“We feel that not only are they able to move the continent forward, but that through their insight, they are able to provide vision and guidance for future growth in Africa.”
Understanding and Shaping Africa’s Future
Conference steering committee member Samuel Willi, an MBA student at Saïd Business School, said delegates would acquire “a multi-faceted picture of Africa that would sharpen their understanding of the continent. They would discuss how Africa’s booming economies will rely on the integration of business, politics, academia, and culture to sustain growth.
“It is our firm belief that Africa’s future will shine brighter if we can close the gaps between business, academia and society – this is why we decided to bring these fields together under one roof,” Willi said.
Social inclusion and cultural diversity are strong themes, with the conference discussing how the need to drive profits and development can be balanced with poverty reduction and the provision of basic services, and what impact new technologies can have in responding to these challenges.
“Business and society have always influenced each other, however understanding this relationship is becoming increasingly vital for business,” Sheppard said.
“This is particularly true in Africa – whether it is the ability of mobile banking platforms such as M-Pesa to streamline payment systems and provide banking services at the base of pyramid, or the ability of distinct media and artists to catalyze social change and new consumer outlets, in many ways Africa today best represents the mutually beneficial relationship between business and society.”
Peace and Stability
There will be 15 panel discussions covering everything from achieving peace and stability to new investing in private equity, and from closing the skills shortage gap to delivering digital entertainment in the 21st century.
On the infrastructure front, there will be an emphasis on how African governments can meet the needs of a booming business sector awash with entrepreneurial talent and ideas.
Sebabatso Manoeli, from the Department of African History at Oxford, said the university was the ideal setting for such a prestigious gathering of African business leaders.
“Oxford provides an environment for rich academic engagement with Africa, with more than 150 PhD students at the university focusing on Africa across a variety of disciplines,” he said. “Oxford is also home to one of the world’s leading African studies centres.
“In addition to the deep intellectual links with Africa, the university has a vibrant community of students who engage with Africa beyond the classroom. The Oxford University Africa Society, for example, with its 50 years of history, has provided both a sense of community for students who are passionate about Africa and it has offered students access to recruitment opportunities for jobs on the continent.”
He said the university-based Oxford Business Network for Africa was also active in its engagement in Africa.
