The picturesque town of Victoria Falls became the epicentre of economic discussions and networking opportunities as the highly anticipated CEO Africa Roundtable Conference unfolded this past week.
The premier event brought together top executives and thought leaders from across the continent to facilitate meaningful dialogues and foster collaborations that would drive Africa’s economic growth.
The CEO Africa Roundtable Conference, held annually, is renowned for its ability to gather influential CEOs, government officials, entrepreneurs, and investors under one roof.
The event kicked off with a remarkable opening ceremony where President Emmerson Mnangagwa challenged business leaders to take the lead in building a sound economy that competes with others in the region and internationally.
“In the last five years, you have worked with my government on policy direction, our vision and economic targets and as the private sector, you are the ones driving the economy. So, the burden of developing this economy is on you as chief executive officers and so you can’t blame government because we created the conducive environment for you to operate and if you want further adjustments, come to us we will continue to do so,” said President Mnangagwa.
The CEO Africa Roundtable Conference aims to break down barriers and open doors for intra-African trade, investment, and cooperation.
Over the course of three days, attendees participated in a series of engaging panel discussions, interactive workshops, and networking sessions.
Conference agendas covered a wide range of topics crucial to Africa’s development, including sustainable investment strategies, digital transformation, infrastructure development, and fostering a favourable business environment.
One of the highlights of the conference was the ‘Big Debate” which sought to interrogate the nexus between governance issues and sustainable development.
The panel chaired by renowned publisher Trevor Ncube comprised of War Veterans Minister, Chris Mutsvangwa, former Finance Minister Tendai Biti and investment banker, Nigel Chanakira.
Mutsvangwa spoke of the need for local business executives to take advantage of various investment opportunities in the mining sector which has attracted many Chinese investors.
On the other side, Biti highlighted the toxicity of Zimbabwean politics characterized by lack of transparency in allocation of national resources, disputed election results and poor human rights record.
Chanakira however expressed concern over the risk premium on investment in Zimbabwe which comes with toxic politics.
