The upcoming World Economic Forum on Africa (WEFA) is expected to focus on inclusiveness in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
WEFA will be held in Cape Town from 4 - 6 September under the theme: 'Shaping Inclusive Growth and Shared Futures in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)'.
The September meeting will be the first that the World Economic Forum has held in sub-Saharan Africa since 2017, when leaders from government, business and civil society from around the world gathered in Durban, South Africa.
This year’s meeting falls in a year when 20 elections will take place across the region, and nearly 100 days since South African President Cyril Ramaphosa took office.
The WEFA will address a number of key issues facing the region’s inclusive development, including supporting growth and integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA); creating high-quality employment opportunities and protecting workers in the 4IR, and employing drones to address health, infrastructure and other societal needs among others.
“Africa’s successful development depends on building the right conditions for its new generation of entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders. This means smart, agile institutions; an enabling environment for innovation that includes access to skills and capital, and a determined approach by policy-makers to level the playing field and implement policies that prioritise sustainable, inclusive growth over short-term imperatives,” said Elsie Kanza, the Head of the Regional Agenda: Africa and Member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum.
The meeting will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). - SAnews.gov.za
