Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills, has dramatically transformed since the 1994 genocide. The country is emerging as a regional high-tech hub and boasts one of sub-Saharan Africa’s fastest GDP growth rates. It is one of the continent's most competitive economies and a top reformer in improving the business environment. This remarkable progress showcases the country’s rapid evolution as a knowledge economy, powered by smart policies and investments. Nonetheless, further reforms and alliances are called for to accelerate development by leveraging digital transformation to expand socio-economic opportunities.
Under the theme Connecting Africa’s Resources through Digital Transformation, the 26th World Economic Forum on Africa will convene regional and global leaders from business, government and civil society to discuss digital economy catalysts that can drive radical structural transformation, strengthen public-private collaboration on key global and regional challenges, and agree on strategic actions that can deliver shared prosperity across the continent.
Connecting Africa’s Resources through Digital Transformation
Africa’s positive economic outlook is under pressure – mainly due to adverse changes in the global economy – and is expected to remain just below 5% in 2016. As many countries in the region improve their investment climate and undertake macroeconomic policy reforms, foreign direct investment flows are expected to continue to grow, although at a slower pace.
Low global prices for major commodity exports, currency devaluations and debt sustainability considerations, as well as geo-security threats that have weakened growth in some countries underscore the urgent need for economic diversification for sustained inclusive growth. In this context, Africa’s leaders need to pursue new approaches to ignite structural transformation, particularly in the face of rapid technological changes that have the potential to create new industries and reduce inequality.
Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills, has dramatically transformed since the 1994 genocide. The country is emerging as a regional high-tech hub and boasts one of sub-Saharan Africa’s fastest GDP growth rates. It is one of the continent’s most competitive economies and a top reformer in improving the business environment. This remarkable progress showcases the country’s rapid evolution as a knowledge economy, powered by smart policies and investments. Nonetheless, further reforms and alliances are called for to accelerate development by leveraging digital transformation to expand socio-economic opportunities.
Under the theme, Connecting Africa’s Resources through Digital Transformation, the 26th World Economic Forum on Africa will convene regional and global leaders from business, government and civil society to discuss digital economy catalysts that can drive radical structural transformation, strengthen public-private collaboration on key global and regional challenges, and agree on strategic actions that can deliver shared prosperity across the continent.
Programme Objectives
There is widespread agreement that Africa needs to craft new approaches to trigger structural transformation. According to the Africa Competitiveness Report 2015, services are playing an increasingly important role in African economies; yet the share and value of services in regional and global trade are very low. In today’s increasingly connected world, with internet penetration at 26%, an integrated digital transformation strategy for Africa is imperative. Thus, the 26th World Economic Forum on Africa will address the following main sub-themes:
Governance & Institutions
Many countries in Africa have fully liberalized their ICT markets and are reaping the benefits in increased investments and use.
How will ICT drive Africa’s digital transformation?
Informal employment forms the largest proportion of employment opportunities, about 77% in 2012, despite inadequate working conditions and social protection regimes.
How is e-government transforming service delivery in the informal sector?
Regional trade agreements are becoming more complex, particularly in light of negotiations of new mega-regional trade agreements that could lead to a $2.7 billion loss of Africa’s exports.
What is the future of regional trade agreements in the world trading system?
More than 500 million smallholder farmers in Africa are still dependent on rain-fed agriculture. How can climate-smart food systems transform their lives?
In 2015 only 11 African countries offer liberal visas access to all African citizens.
What visa innovations can facilitate the movement of people within the continent?
Foreign direct investment flows into Africa have remained stable at $54 billion; this fell 16% globally.
How can Africa’s leaders reduce the risk perception and attract higher investment?
Finance & Growth
About 20% of African households have access to formal or semi-formal finance.
How is technology transforming Africa’s financial services industry?
Africa is home to nine of the world’s 15 fastest growing economies and is an increasingly attractive environment for global business investments.
How will the continent continue to grow in the face of a slowing global economy?
By 2040, renewables can provide more than 40% of all power-generation capacity in the region.
How can smart grid solutions enhance investments in renewable energy?
External sources of financing have increased from $5 billion in 2003 to $30 billion a year in 2012, leaving a financing gap of $50 billion to fill.
How can innovative partnerships bridge mega infrastructure financing gaps?
Smart mining, the integration of ICT solutions in the entire supply chain of the mining industry, is projected to reach $13 billion by 2020, up from $5.12 billion in 2013.
What technologies are transforming the mining industry in Africa?
Factory activity accounted for 10% of Africa’s GDP over the past decade. Manufacturing is widely considered to be the ideal industry to drive Africa’s development due to the labour-intensive, export-focused nature of the business.
How is distributed manufacturing transforming production and competitiveness?
Human Development & Entrepreneurship
Education policy can accelerate literacy and digital skills training in primary, secondary and tertiary education.
What digital platforms are accelerating skills development?
Africa has one of the highest mobile phone penetrations in the world.
How are mobile health technologies transforming healthcare?
According to UNCTAD, global creative services are growing significantly, yet Africa contributes only about 1%.
How is the wireless revolution transforming African creative services?
The potential annual economic losses due to gender gaps in labour participation are estimated at $255 billion in sub-Saharan Africa.
What innovations are bridging the science gender gap?
Young consumers are driving offline sales through online traffic and the potential is increasing as Africa’s middle-class consumers will grow from about 355 million people to 1.1 billion over the next three decades.
How is digital disruption changing the retail landscape in Africa?
About 40% of Africans live in urban settlements and traffic congestion and dwindling access to water and sanitation are growing.
How can smart cities improve water and transport management?
Meeting Information
We have further improved the interactive, outcome-oriented format of Forum discussions. Speeches are strongly discouraged and all participants are invited to contribute actively to constructive, lively debate.
Plenary Sessions feature senior government officials and business leaders, and cover broad issues on the meeting’s theme. These sessions provide the conceptual framework for further discussions. The Closing Plenary highlights the outcomes of the meeting and maps out the future engagement of the main stakeholders.
Televised Sessions are developed in collaboration with media partners and aired by the partner hosting the debate, either live or later. They feature headline topics and raise awareness of important trends by broadcasting the discussion to a global audience.
Arena sessions promote a dialogue among panellists by placing the panel in the centre of the room. Participants are seated around the panel to create an intimate and stimulating atmosphere. Prepared remarks by the panel are kept to a minimum in favour of intensive discussions under the guidance of a moderator.
What If Debates are fast-paced, dynamic discussions among the panellists and involving the audience through voting. The debate seeks to explore the possible, plausible and probable impacts of economic, social and political events.
Interactive Sessions are designed to raise awareness on a range of important and emerging issues, and provide strategic insight on current affairs. Most of these sessions are conducted as a lively discussion among the panellists with no prepared remarks or speeches.
WorkStudios are facilitated group discussions focusing on a compelling challenge or complex issue. The aim of these sessions is to allow maximum interaction among participants. They are designed with specific tasks and objectives and provide the highest level of interaction between participants and discussion leaders. Workshop sessions share similar goals but participants are seated at tables.
New Solutions sessions highlight the creative approaches to solving some of the region’s most intractable issues. Each speaker presents an idea for impact, followed by a facilitated discussion on required collaboration and scalability.
Issue Briefings go in depth with experts on the latest economic, geopolitical and scientific topics that are poised to make headlines.
Pop-up Stories are informal discussions that focus on sharing “unknown” African stories that contribute to the mission of improving the state of the world. Pop-up Stories will take place in the Transformation Hub.
Transformation Mapping sessions focus on finding meaningful connections by bringing up issues that matter most to the participants using touchscreen technology in the Transformation Hub.
Chatham House Rule
For sessions that are not open to the reporting press, please note that the Chatham House Rule applies:
When a meeting/session is held under the Chatham House Rule, neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s) may be revealed. The aim is to provide anonymity to speakers and encourage openness and sharing of information.
The same rule applies to blogging and tweeting of sessions. To encourage free-flowing debate, bloggers and users of social media are asked not to reveal the identity or affiliation of speakers in sessions without their permission.
Programme at a Glance
Wednesday 11 May
07.30 - 20.00: Registration
13.30 - 15.00: Interactive and Collaborative Sessions in Parallel
15.00 - 15.30: Community Break
15.30 - 16.30: Plenary Session
17.00 - 18.00: Welcome Reception
Thursday 12 May
07.30 - 20.00: Registration
09.00 - 10.30: Interactive and Collaborative Sessions in Parallel
10.15 - 10.45: Community Break
11.00 - 12.00: Opening Plenary Session
12.00 - 13.30: Community Lunch
13.30 - 15.00: Interactive and Collaborative Sessions in Parallel
15.00 - 15.30: Community Break
15.30 - 16.00: Interactive and Collaborative Sessions in Parallel
17.00 - 17.30: Community Break
17.30 - 18.30: Plenary Session
18.30 - 21.00: Cultural Soirée Hosted by the Government of Rwanda
Friday 13 May
07.30 - 14.00: Registration
09.00 - 10.30: Interactive and Collaborative Sessions in Parallel
10.30 - 11.00: Community Break
11.00 - 12.00: Closing Plenary Session
12.00 - 13.00: Farewell Reception
FAQs
Where will the meeting take place?
The meeting will take place at Camp Kigali, Kigali, Rwanda.
Where will I stay?
PublicisLive, the Forum’s operations and logistics provider, will arrange accommodation at the hotel. You will receive a hotel booking request upon confirmation of your registration.
What does registration include?
Registration covers all meeting activities and documentation, but does not include travel or accommodation.
What is the working language of the meeting?
Sessions will be held in English. Simultaneous interpretation in French will be available in some sessions.
By when do I need to register?
We recommend that you register before 11 April 2016.
Where can I find additional information about the programme?
Basic information on the programme can be found on the Forum website:
http://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-africa-2016
To receive updates on the programme, participants and other meeting highlights, visit our online collaboration platform, TopLink:
Who do I contact for more information?
Participant Services Team
Tel.: +41 (0)22 869 1315
Fax: +41 (0)22 594 8119
Email: Africa@weforum.org
