South Africa is ready to host the African Development Bank’s Africa Investment Forum (AIF) which is a world-class initiative that is positioned to transform the continent’s infrastructure development landscape.
The summit is scheduled to take place at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, from November 7-9 under the theme: All set for Africa’s first investment marketplace.
The AIF, which is an innovative investment marketplace, will bring together project sponsors, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, private investors, policymakers, private equity firms, and Heads of Government to raise capital to advance Africa’s economic transformation agenda.
The forum will be 100% transaction-based, according to the African Development Bank.
“The focus is on structuring deals, screening and enhancing projects, attracting co-investors, and facilitating transactions to unlock Africa’s multi-billion dollar investment opportunities.”
Although brimming with investment opportunities, the African Development Bank says there is an urgent need to bridge the gap between Africa’s available capital and bankable projects.
Financing Africa’s development needs will require an estimated US $600-700 billion per annum.
Of this, about US $130-170 billion a year is needed for infrastructure, according to the African Development Bank’s African Economic Outlook 2018.
The bank said it is working with other multilateral development partners and stakeholders to ensure that the Africa Investment Forum becomes Africa’s key springboard for investment and for meeting the continent’s massive infrastructure and development needs. – SAnews.gov.za
