The 2009 Africa Finance & Investment Forum was organised in partnership with The Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO).
AFIF 2009 brought together a record number of participants, with around 300 delegates from 44 countries from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.
With delegates from 31 African countries, more than half the African continent was represented: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The theme of the AFIF 2009 edition was “Partnerships for Growth and Development”, with a specific focus on the financing of small and medium enterprise projects.
In the words of Idit Miller, Vice-President and Managing Director of EMRC, “Holding AFIF 2009 in Amsterdam carried a powerful message from the African continent onto the doorstep of key international decision-makers: That the African continent is no longer just about natural resources and commodities, but increasingly about untapped opportunities in the fields of energy, agri-business, trade, retail, health, finance, housing and industrial development - to name just a few”.
The growing popularity of AFIF is confirmed by the fact that this latest edition was attended by around 300 delegates, a record for any EMRC conference organised in Europe to date.The forum was addressed by an impressive number of high-profile speakers representing the fields of banking, industry, trade and academia.
EMRC’s dynamism in facilitating business in Africa has constituted one of the most tangible benefits for the delegates; and through its professional matchmaking services in collaboration with ITC (International Trade Centre), EMRC ensured that the right connections were put in place to guarantee the growth of long-term, sustainable partnerships.
Information is the ‘food’ which feeds economic growth. Read the latest news impacting Africa’s Private Sector.
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Ensuring food security, reducing poverty by increasing the integration and regional synergies of Central Africa (Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, Chad, Central African Republic, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea) is the challenge of CEMAC (Economic Community of Central African States).
Rwanda assembly begins, at the rate of 1,000 a year, with Polo and Passat. Capacity for 5,000 units is planned
Rwanda assembly begins, at the rate of 1,000 a year, with Polo and Passat. Capacity for 5,000 units is planned
Volkswagen has launched integrated mobility in Rwanda which includes local vehicle assembly, mobility services and a sales and service retail outlet called CFAO Volkswagen Rwanda.
Kenya has positioned itself as one of the most prominent startup destinations in Africa.
With the rise of innovation hubs and accelerator programs in Kenya, there has been great growth for entrepreneurs with over 600 hundred start-ups in the country.
Access to internet and a great education system are also some contributors to the increase in startups and innovation.
The World Bank said sub-Saharan Africa’s economy growth was projected to reach 3.1 percent in 2018, and an average of 3.6 percent between 2019 and 2020.
Addis Ababa — Information technology is being utilised more than ever to improve agriculture in East Africa.
The world talks a lot about the digital revolution, but few connect it to the coming agriculture revolution, especially in Africa. Digital solutions have huge potential for helping farmers boost productivity and connect to financial tools and markets around the world.