SA to participate in World Economic Forum

Monday, January 16, 2017

Pretoria - Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa is in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, where he is leading a South African delegation to the World Economic Forum annual meeting.

The meeting, scheduled from Tuesday until Friday, brings together over 2 700 world leaders from business, government, international organisations, academia and civil society in Davos to discuss the global economy.

Organised under the theme ‘Responsive and Responsible Leadership’, this year’s WEF is taking place against the background of a challenging global environment.

The Presidency on Sunday said the programme for the WEF has been organised around five areas, which have been identified as in need of urgent responsive and responsible leadership.

These, it said, include preparing for the fourth industrial revolution; strengthening systems for global collaboration; revitalising the global economy; reforming market capitalism and addressing identity through positive narratives.

According to the Presidency, team South Africa will communicate to the global community the positive message that “Working together our future is in our hands”.

“In this context, the South African team will utilise the opportunity presented by the World Economic Forum to highlight the work that government working together with business and labour is doing to; implement economic transformation and the reform agenda, make progress towards achieving inclusive growth and employment, restoring investor confidence, achievement of supportive business confidence and refine government spending efficiency.”

On the side-lines of the main forum, Deputy President Ramaphosa is expected to participate in five sessions including: building a new water economy; operationalising the sustainable Development Goals-unlocking the power of public-private co-operation; Africa’s Road to Prosperity; Gathering of World Economic Leaders on Responsive and Responsible leadership in a multi-polar world; African Regional Strategy Group; High-level panel on water; and Global Goals-the road to 2030.

The Deputy President will also participate in Business Interaction Group on South Africa aimed at deepening the process of interaction between South African policy-makers and leading multinational businesses from the perspective of advancing national growth and well-being.

Deputy President Ramaphosa’s government delegation includes Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan; Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Jeff Radebe; Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies; Economic Minister Development Ebrahim Patel; Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane and KwaZulu-Natal Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Sihle Zikalala.

South Africa is poised to host the WEF Africa meeting in Durban, in May this year. - SAnews.gov.za