Cherie Blair with other panelist such as Kojo Anan (on far right), Richelieu Dennis (left of Ms Blair) Elsie Kanza (far left) , Ozwald Boateng, Founder, Ozwald Boateng; Dr. Akintoye Akindele, Chairman, Platform Capital
by AKANI CHAUKE
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – AN investment company, one of the world’s most innovative digital firms and an empowerment organisation have taken a lead in accelerating Africa’s development through digital transformation.
Ubuntu Tribe
Platinum Capital, which sponsored the night, Ubuntu Tribe and Africa10 respectively, hosted the Africa Night complete with an Afrobeat party at the recent Davos World Economic Forum (WEF) 50th year anniversary in Switzerland.
The business programme was held under the theme, “Making Wakanda a Reality: How to Accelerate Africa’s Sustainable Growth Through Digital Transformation.”
Afri10 A
Annita Poulain, Reuters Technology Journalist, was the moderator.
Tara Nathan (Executive Vice President, Public-Private Partnerships, Mastercard), Lacina Kone, Chief Executive Officer, Smart Africa Secretariat), Carole Wainaina (Chief Operations Officer, Africa 50 Fund), Jorge Sebastiao (Chief Technology Officer, Huawei), Emmanuel
Aidoo (Head of Distributed Ledger Strategy, Credit Suisse Group) and David Ellington (Founder and Chairman Silicon Valley Blockchain Society) featured.
Special attention was given to the presentation of the Kakuma Refugee Project by Young Global Leaders, Joseph Okello, a filmmaker raised in the Kakuma Refugee Camp selected to attend the WEF and represent his constituency.
Unlocking the value of Africa panel consisted of thought leaders such as Elsie Kanza (Head of Africa at WEF), Ozwald Boateng (Founder, Ozwald Boateng), Dr Akintoye Akindele (Chairman, Platform Capital), Richelieu Dennis (Founder, Sundial Group), Kojo Annan (Founder, Africa10) and Cherie Blair (Founder: The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women with Jemima Kelly, Reporter, Financial Times as moderator.
Success stories were shared by high-ranking international politicians and leaders such as Prince Jaime Bernardo of Bourbon-Parma, Count of Bardi, Queen Diambi Kabatusuila of Kasai Kingdom of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning.
He was interviewed by Dr Akintoye Akindele, Chairman of Platform Capital.
Blair encouraged investments into Africa.
“The greatest thing about investing in Africa is the African woman. She is the heart of the society, the reliable part of the society, the supporter of the society and the leader of the society. That’s the most important thing,” she said.
The event closed on a high note with arrival of celebrity star, Wesley Snipes, joining a barefoot-dancing executive crowd to the sound of Afrobeats music led by delegations from Ghana, Mali and Ukraine.
Kenya-based Kakuma Refugee Camp Initiative, Vlisco, Smart Africa ,Africa 50 and OR Addict sponsored the event.
The Davos-Africa Night co-hosts, Akindele, Annan and Mamadou Kwidjim Toure (Founder of Ubuntu Tribe) declared that, “Africa has the best suited soil to embrace the Stakeholders Capitalism model proposed by Professor Schwab in his Davos Manifesto launched this year, because African culture is structured around community and collective consciousness inspired from the Ubuntu philosophy ‘I am because we are.'”
The Davos success has prompted Platform Capital, Ubuntu Tribe and Africa10 to initiate a bigger African movement at the WEF next year and launch: the “Africa House.”
Over 50 years, since the inception of WEF, the rhythm and agenda of the week-long events have historically been set by nation states, government leaders, large conglomerates and other major influencers.
This year, a new breed of rising African entrepreneurs, savvy investors and civil society leaders joined forces to put Africa and its 1,2 billion people on the map of global decision making.
– CAJ News