JOHANNESBURG – Africa needs $95 billion per annum within the coming decade to meet its infrastructure demands. The Continent’s need for infrastructure is driven by rising populations and rapid urbanisation and is causing a shift for all players in the sector. And this is what Infrastructure Africa 2016 is all about.
Africa must roll out its infrastructure plans if it is to meet its growth forecasts for the coming years; this growth can be fuelled in part by infrastructure spending.Internationally, the outlook is positive between now and 2020, signalling many new business opportunities for the sector across the Continent.
According to the World Bank, Africa’s trade potential is undermined by the constraints that African women face. The contribution of women to trade is much less than it could be because of barriers that impinge on their trade activities, which jeopardises their capacity to grow and develop businesses.
The AfDB has sought to mainstream gender in all its sectors, especially in sectors that it invests heavily in such as transport, energy and ICT. Because so many women are breadwinners in Africa, if they are empowered in the infrastructure and other sectors, then their businesses can grow accordingly and Africa will benefit.
The upcoming fifth Infrastructure Africa Business Forum aims to accelerate the business of infrastructure development and women’s empowerment in Africa.The2-day conference and exhibition provides an opportunity for companies to focus on the continent’s growth hotspots, discuss infrastructure trends, meet project developers and relevant government authorities, whilst exploring infrastructure business opportunities.
In a move which will greatly enhance the conference’s offering and Africa’s trade potential, Infrastructure Africa has partnered with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to host the Africa Inclusive Infrastructure Forum(AIIF) from the 9 – 10 June 2016 at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Africa Inclusive Infrastructure Forum will have a key focus towards issues of gender in infrastructure development across the continent. The event will discuss financing for women-owned businesses in the energy, transport, ICT &Telecomms and water sectors across Africa. Cross-border and regional trade will feature highly on the discussion agenda and ministers and industry specialists will participate and share their expertise and unpack a roadmap for the way forward.
The AIIF will act as the first regional policy dialogue of its kind. It is increasingly recognised that, for African economies to continue their recent substantial growth there is a need to address inequality, especially gender inequality. The AfDB has made gender one of the areas of special emphasis in all the Bank’s operational areas and across its “High 5s”.
In addition to the AIIF, the AfDBwill be hosting all the Infrastructure Ministers +1 (the Minister plus his top advisor or another senior official) and will be hosting a Ministerial Meeting alongside the event.
The Infrastructure Africa Business Forum will once again offer attendees the exclusive formal Business Matchmaking Programmeto allow for crucial business networking.
This programme affords all exhibitors and conference delegates the opportunity to meet and engage with this year’s high-level speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and delegates on a one-on-one private meeting basis, at the event.It is uniquely designed to help delegates make the right contacts, fulfiltheir business and target market objectives and establish long-lasting and valuable contacts in the infrastructure space.
Key sectors to be featured at the 2016 event include water, energy, ICT &Telecomms, transport and finance.
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