Senior Vice President, African Development Bank Group
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It has been a challenging three years across Africa (and the world). The impact of COVID-19, rising debt levels, the increasing effects of climate change and cost of living concerns. Yet the African continent continues to attract global attention. With predicted USD5.6 trillion in African business opportunities by 2025 and USD6.7 trillion estimated combined business and consumer spending by 2030, Africa is geared for growth. In the face of the unique global challenges how does Africa look to reset the narrative ensuring it is well positioned to capitalise on these opportunities?
Join us from the 3rd to 7th October for Africa Week, a series of events hosted by DLA Piper, bringing together global and regional businesses, financiers, investors, policy makers and thought leaders for an insightful and honest debate of the key issues shaping Africa’s prospects for growth.
Over the course of the week we will be hosting a range of podcasts, webinars, in-person events, and client roundtables and podcasts giving you the opportunity to engage with industry peers and hear directly from those involved in shaping Africa’s narrative.
On Thursday 6 October join us for our full day event, Africa: Resetting the narrative. Facilitated by Joel Kibazo, founding partner of JK Associates and former Financial Times journalist, the event looks at COP27 and the importance of the Global South; impact investing’s role in Africa’s private equity ecosystem; innovative financing; energy transition; strategies for de-risking infrastructure investment; the continued boom of African fintech and AfCFTA’s role in accelerating the continent’s industrialisation. The day will conclude with a CEO session sponsored by Invest Africa before our evening gala drinks reception.
Throughout the week we also invite you to meet 1:1 with representatives from DLA Piper Africa’s 20 member firms, in addition to lawyers from our Africa, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Australia and US businesses who regularly advise clients on their interests in the continent.
Our registration page allows you to select the events of greatest relevance to your business.
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| 10:00 – 10:25 | Podcast: Ethics, integrity & sustainability – Unlocking lasting value in Africa
Adam Vause and Naana Frimpong are joined by Muyiwa Ogungbenro and Pascal Mwanyika to discuss the increased enforcement activity we are seeing by African and non-African Regulators and how businesses can use compliance as a value-add when doing business on the continent.
This podcast forms part of our Global Compliance and Investigations Podcast series.
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| 12:00 – 13:00 | Podcast: Film and sports in Africa Hosted as part of our 2022 Media, Sports and Entertainment Summit held virtually throughout September and October, this podcast will explore the key trends driving Africa’s dynamic film and sports sectors. Sandra Oyewole, Partner, Olajide Oyewole LLP (DLA Piper Africa, Nigeria) will be joined by Nwakaego “Ego” Boyo, Managing Director and CEO of Temple Productions and Victor Williams, CEO of NBA Africa. By registering for this session, you will receive a link to our podcast by email, allowing you to listen to the discussion. |
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| 09:00 – 18:00 | A day in Africa: 1:1 client meeting opportunities Meet with representatives from DLA Piper Africa’s 20 member firms, in addition to representatives from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and the US who regularly advise clients on their interests in the continent. Meetings by appointment only |
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| 08:30 – 09:00 | Registration | |
| 09:00 – 09:15 | Welcome and introduction | |
| 09:15 – 09:35 | Keynote address Bajabulile “Swazi” Tshabalala – Senior Vice President, African Development Bank Group (AfDB) | |
| 09:35 – 09:55 | Keynote address Rebecca Enonchong – Founder and CEO, AppsTech and Cofounder, I/O Spaces | |
| 09:55 – 10:15 | In conversation with our keynotes: Is Africa still the land of opportunities? It has been a tough three years for Africa. The impact of COVID-19, rising debt levels, the increasing effects of climate change and pressure to transition and now cost of living concerns. Yet still the continent remains a land of opportunity. As we look to reset and focus on the future, what is the narrative needed to realise Africa’s ambitions and what should African leaders do to enable and facilitate continued growth? Moderator: Joel Kibazo, Founding Partner, JK Associates | |
| 10:15 – 10:35 | Fireside chat: Through the lens of a journalist The media plays a critical role in shaping perceptions of Africa’s political, financial and business architecture. With advancements in digital technology and the increasing availability of social media, the landscape in Africa has changed significantly. We sit down with leading journalist on Africa, Patrick Smith (Editorial Director, Africa Confidential), to understand the impact of these changes on the telling of Africa’s story. Where does the narrative currently stand and how can business and financial journalism contribute to the sustainable development of the continent? Moderator: Joel Kibazo, Founding Partner, JK Associates | |
| 10:35 – 11:00 | Coffee | |
| 11:00 – 11:45 | Impact investing: All eyes on Africa
Nearly half of global impact investment capital goes to Africa, and this appetite for impact investing continues to surge. Healthcare, Fintech and Renewable Energy – the 3 growth sectors – represent a huge opportunity to contribute to the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We discuss the evolution of impact investing in Africa’s private equity ecosystem and Africa’s role on the impact investment stage.
Moderator: Nadia Kouassi Coulibaly, Head of Research, AVCA
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| 11:45 – 12:30 | Financing Africa’s post-pandemic recovery
Financing has always been a challenge for African economies and businesses. Add a global pandemic, declining commodity prices and depreciating currencies and we’re left with heightened uncertainty and reduced liquidity. Demand and opportunity however remain high, as is the appetite for innovative solutions. So where to next?
Moderator: Mwelwa Chibesakunda, Managing Partner, Chibesakunda & Co (DLA Piper Africa, Zambia)
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| 12:30 – 13:30 | Networking lunch | |
| 13:30 – 14:15 | Energy transition in Africa: Where are we now and what’s next?
Does “energy transition” offer new opportunities for Africa’s social and economic development and can it be balanced with the need to make energy more affordable and accessible to all? As many governments in Africa map their country’s path to achieving net-zero emissions, what developments have we seen recently and what do we expect to see in the near to medium term? How will climate targets be achieved across the continent and will new or novel project and funding structures be required? What role can Africa play in global energy transition?
Moderator: Iain Macaulay, Director and Head of Project Finance – Infrastructure and Climate Group, BII
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AfCFTA: Accelerating Africa’s industrialisation
The Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is the largest trading bloc in the Africa with a potential GDP of $3.4 trillion. Trial sale of commodities between countries is set to begin under the Guided Trade Initiative unveiled by the AfCFTA Secretariat on July 25, 2022. The urgency to speed up industrialisation, boost manufacturing and create more productive jobs has become even more compelling. We will discuss steps being taken to strengthen Africa’s manufacturing capabilities, and the role private investment and FDI in accelerating this industrialisation which will ultimately strengthening regional trade and Africa’s place in global value chains.
Moderator: Naana Frimpong, Board Member, DLA Piper Africa, and Partner, DLA Piper
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| 14:15 – 15:00 | DPS in action: De-risking your African infrastructure investments
One of the most critical challenges facing Africa is developing high-quality, sustainable infrastructure. For stakeholders involved in such projects, the challenge becomes how to delegate, minimise and mitigate the risks associated with the delivery of such infrastructure.
Join us for an interactive session utilising DLA Piper’s leading project simulator technology to explore how, as an industry, we can leverage our collective experience to build sustainable and successful projects of the future.
Moderator: Nacim Bounouara, Partner, DLA Piper
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Harnessing Africa’s unrivalled Fintech potential
The full potential of fintech across Africa remains largely untapped. Fintech has already changed the way people live and do business, make payments, invest, or even buy products, but this is only the beginning. The convergence of a youthful population, underserved middle classes and a thriving tech culture, coupled with a focused regulatory drive and landmark continental free trade agreement is creating new market opportunities with significant potential for growth and scale. Africa’s Wealth Report (April 2022) forecasts technological advances and an emerging entrepreneurial class could amount to at least USD800 billion in newly created value in the next 10 year. Which trends and opportunities will drive this growth? What are the key regulatory and commercial challenges we foresee? And how do we navigate these in order to strategically protect gains and continue to accelerate growth in this sector.
Moderator: Anthony Day, Partner, DLA Piper
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| 15:00 – 15:30 | Coffee break | |
| 15:30 – 16:15 | COP27: The Global South in a sustainable and prosperous world
Africa’s remarkable growth story offers both opportunities and challenges as the Global South grapples with the effects of climate change, and its businesses pioneer innovative solutions that will drive forwards a green and just economic transition. In the lead up to COP27, widely referred to as the African, adaptation and implementation COP, this event will convene experts to discuss the road ahead for Africa and its business community on the journey towards meeting global climate ambitions and securing a prosperous future.
Moderator: Jean-Pierre Douglas-Henry, Partner and Managing Director, Sustainability and Resilience, DLA Piper
1st Session Panellists:
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| 16:15 – 17:00 | CEO Conversations: Sponsored by Invest Africa
CEOs share their views on what it takes to drive business success in Africa.
Moderator: Bola Tinubu, Partner, Olajide Oyewole LLP (DLA Piper Africa, Nigeria)
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| 17:00 – 17:15 | Close | |
| 17:15 – 20:00 | Gala drinks reception: An African Art Fair By invitation | |
More speakers will be announced soon.
Senior Vice President, African Development Bank Group
Founder and CEO, AppsTech and Cofounder, I/O Spaces
Founding Partner, JK Associates
Group Chief Business Officer, Cellulant
Managing Partner, IMARA Africa
Partner, DLA Piper
Managing Director, Temple Productions and Temple Media
Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainable Business - Africa, Unilever
DLA Piper Africa, Zambia
DLA Piper Africa, Botswana
Chairman and CEO, Africa investor (Ai) Group
Partner, DLA Piper
Director, AU/AfCFTA Relations and Trade Policy, African Export-Import Bank
Partner and Managing Director - Sustainability and Resilience, DLA Piper
Partner, DLA Piper
Partner, Corporate and M&A, Hafez & Partners
Partner, DLA Piper
DLA Piper Africa, Nigeria
Partner and Regional Director for Europe, Dalberg Advisors
Director, DLA Piper
DLA Piper Africa, Senegal
Africa Director & Special Advisor for UN Climate Change High-Level Champions
Head of Research, AVCA
Founder and CEO, Birimian Holding
Partner, McKinsey & Company - Lagos
Co-Founder and CEO, MANA Mobility
Director and Head of Project Finance - Infrastructure & Climate Group, BII
Managing Director, Head of Emerging Markets EMEA, MUFG Bank
Managing Director - Sub-Saharan Africa, Deutsche Bank
DLA Piper Africa, Uganda
DLA Piper Africa, Kenya
Managing Director, Avunja Mobile
DLA Piper Africa, Tanzania
Of Counsel - Africa, DLA Piper
DLA Piper Africa, Zimbabwe
DLA Piper Africa, Kenya
DLA Piper Africa, Nigeria
Partner, LeapFrog Investments
Chairman & CEO, Genesis Energy
DLA Piper Africa, Nigeria
Partner, DLA Piper
CFO - Africa Region, CFO - Cocoa Beans SBU, and Finance Controller - Cocoa Sustainability, Olam Food Ingredients
Head of Investment Banking, International, Standard Bank Group
DLA Piper Africa, Nigeria
Editorial Director, Africa Confidential
DLA Piper Africa, Nigeria
Managing Director, Ankura
Global Co-Chair of Investigations, DLA Piper
Register for the events of greatest relevance to your business or schedule 1:1 meetings with our Africa partners using the button below.
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160 Aldersgate Street
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T: +44 (0)20 7349 0296
F: +44 (0)20 7796 6666
