Cape Town - The World Cup has helped to show the world a more positive picture of Africa, said Mo Ibrahim, founder of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.
Speaking at the 11th Fortune Global Forum in Cape Town on Saturday, Ibrahim said the event had helped to create a glowing picture of a continent that was too often characterised in the media as a basket case.
"All you hear about Africa is Mugabe, Bashir and Darfur," said Ibrahim, who pointed out that the forum was a "wonderful opportunity for Africa".
Ibrahim said the lack of information on the continent was hampering investment in Africa, adding that China and India were featured more heavily in media than the continent.
Briefing the media, Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies said the theme is "the new global opportunity" which includes emerging economies in Asia, Middle East and Brazil.
"Not only are we source of new investment opportunities, but of new ideas," said Davies, adding that these included ideas on economic development on the path towards more equitable growth.
He said it was noteworthy that the event was being held in South Africa, and pointed out that the first conference was held in China in 1995 and that now 15 years later no one could doubt its impressive economic growth.
South Africa already had a strong relationship with India and Brazil through the India Brazil SA (Ibsa) dialogue forum and added to this had strong interactions with China and Russia, he said.
Davies said the country's growth was picking up and was a lot more positive than some countries, but emphasised that it wasn't yet where it needed to be.
"It's not just the percentage of growth, but we actually need to produce more labour absorption," he said.
He said work on a new growth path for South Africa was "advancing" but he stressed that it wasn't yet at a stage where he could reveal any further details.
Speaking via a satellite link up at the G20 summit in Toronto, Canada, President Jacob Zuma said Africa was the "next frontier".
Zuma said fuelled by growing consumerism, Sub-Saharan Africa had the third fastest growth in the world after India and China and offered many opportunities to the world, as it had a market of close to one billion.
Over 350 delegates are attending the summit which is hosted by Time magazine, Fortune magazine and CNN, including a number of Fortune 500 business leaders, former US president Bill Clinton, Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto, and former South African president FW de Klerk
