Going for Growth
Cape Town, 31 May-2 June 2006
Selected Outcomes
We are proud to be associated with leaders in business, government, civil society and academia
who are committed, through their actions, to improving the state of the world. It is our hope that
achievements of the past can be emulated and scaled up, that aspirations outlined this year will
inspire future commitments and, most importantly, that commitments will translate into tangible,
measurable action and achievement.
Selected Achievements
 Promoting Investment – The Investment Climate Facility for Africa – endorsed by our Africa
Economic Summit 2005, and an outcome of the G-8/ UK Commission for Africa’s ‘Year of Africa’ deliberations – was
launched in Cape Town with secured seed funding of US$ 100 million and a strong, business-led mandate to improve Africa’s
investment climate. Press release I ICF website
Ensuring Access to Education – The NEPAD e-Schools Initiative demonstration project operates in 16 African countries and will
fund e-access in 120 schools by completion in mid 2007. The ultimate goal is to have all 600,000 African schools involved within
ten years. Session summary
Fighting Hunger – A National Council was launched in Kenya, under the auspices of the Forum’s Business Alliance Against
Chronic Hunger, with eight multinational and domestic companies providing time and resources.
Business Alliance Against Chronic Hunger I Press release I Session summary
 Promoting Global Health – Guidelines were launched for large companies to support the HIV/AIDS programmes of smaller companies in their supply chains. Guidelines I Session summary I Global Health Initiative
Business Takes Action against HIV/AIDS – selected examples of corporate engagement:
- Eskom have supported 42 suppliers in South Africa to establish HIV/AIDS workplace programmes, reaching 20,000 people
- Unilever have supported 70 small tea farms in Kenya to establish HIV/AIDS workplace programmes, reaching 12,000 people
- SAB Miller have supported 400 owner drivers and 160 bars to establish HIV/AIDS workplace programmes.
Fighting Corruption – The Forum’s Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI) now counts 103 signatories representing more than US$ 500 billion in annual turnover. PACI signatories have committed to doing business in Africa in support of anti-corruption efforts on the continent. Session summary
 Promoting Social Entrepreneurship – Sunette Pienaar was named the South African Social Entrepreneur 2006 in Cape Town. Across Africa, the Schwab Foundation has engaged and celebrated the most promising social entrepreneurs. Press release I Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs I Photo
Addressing the Resource Curse – Global deliberations of the mining industry on responses to resource endowment challenges and opportunities have now fully incorporated insights from leaders of Africa’s mining industry.
Sharing Best Practices – In a session on ‘Technologies for Growth’, experts shared experiences on how to ensure that technologies relevant to African markets are adopted more effectively. Session summary
Selected Commitments
 The African Development Bank has committed to be the lead facilitator of pan-African infrastructure projects, and more deliberately incorporate the views of business in the preparation of projects in the future.
The World Economic Forum has committed to launch a public-private partnership to strengthen public healthcare systems in sub-Saharan Africa. This will address epidemic and pandemic diseases and will be launched at the Annual Meeting 2007 in Davos. More I Healthcare Systems White Paper I Press release I Global Health Initiative
The Forum’s Energy Poverty Task Force, a group of Forum member companies active in the search for, and implementation of, innovative solutions to rural electrification has committed to two pilot schemes, electrifying 11,000 households (with a significant potential to scale up) in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Lesotho by 2008. Session summary
Improving Energy Access – The Development Bank of South Africa, the African Development Bank, Areva and Shell committed to facilitate the creation of a project database for small-scale energy projects to facilitate the sharing of knowledge. Session summary
 African members of our community of Young Global Leaders have, inter alia, committed to:
- sponsor a film series on African Success Stories
- launch a financial literacy programme in Rwanda
- establish leadership development institutes throughout Africa
A core group of leaders has committed to establish the South African Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.
A food and beverage company commits to working with the Forum’s Global Health Initiative to implement world-class malaria control programmes in at least three countries of operations. Guidelines for employer-based malaria control programmes
Companies committed to providing and analysing their data to help show the cost benefit of providing effective AIDS treatment to workers and communities.
Action on HIV/AIDS – Volkswagen committed to supporting at least nine of their small-scale suppliers to establish strong health and safety programmes, including HIV/AIDS workplace programmes. Global Health Initiative
 Changing Perceptions – Forum companies in the advertising, media and entertainment industries committed to support recent successes in business and government in Africa by establishing a “Rebranding Africa Campaign” to be launched at the Annual Meeting 2007 in Davos. Session summary
To promote the African brand, Bata shoes manufactured in Kenya will in future carry the stamp “Made in Africa” – a pledge made by Thomas J. Bata, Chairman, Bata Shoe Foundation. Photo
To leverage the power of sport – The South African 2010 Local Organizing Committee pledged to make 2010 an African World Cup by maximizing African business involvement in all events surrounding the Cup. Session summary
Selected Aspirations
Principles to projects – Operationalize NEPAD principles on transnational private-public partnership into projects like the West Africa gas pipeline and the Inga Dam. Session summary
Breakthrough in trade – Improved market access for African goods. Session summary
Increase the input and engagement of African business in global trade negotiations. Session summary
Improved governance – Build on Africa’s gains in improved peace and security, improved governance standards and entrenched rule of law to ensure that the exception becomes the norm. Improved governance responses could aspire to lead to improved responses to transnational crime, better utilized oil and commodity revenues, and better African preparedness and responses for pandemics and climate change.
 Healthcare systems – Develop sustainable and comprehensive approaches to the strengthening of healthcare systems in sub-Saharan Africa. More I Healthcare Systems White Paper I Press release I Session summary I Global Health Initiative
Increase access to HIV treatment – Unilever, Eskom, Volkswagen, Standard Chartered Bank, SAB Miller and Heineken aspire to support all the small and medium size enterprises in their supply chain to establish HIV/AIDS workplace programmes. Together, they could reach over one million people, but will need to partner with government to make this happen. Guidelines I Session summary I Global Health Initiative
There should be deeper, more symbiotic partnership between universities, business and governments in Africa to ensure universities as drivers and incubators of growth.
Reduced constraints to intra-African trade to allow capacity, efficiencies and scale to be improved regionally even as negotiations continue in the global arena.
 China and Africa – Improve Africa’s role in determining terms of engagement with China. Increasingly move from perceiving China as a threat to discussing holistic, win-win solutions to strengthen the partnership and maximize the opportunity arising from trade and investment with Asian giants. Session summary
Rebranding Africa – To associate Africa with positive images and to build stronger country brands within the continent. Session summary
Co-chairs
Syamal Gupta, Chairman, Tata International, India
Jim Goodnight, Chief Executive Officer, SAS, USA
Maria Ramos, Chief Executive Officer, Transnet, South Africa
Charles Soludo, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria
For more information, please contact:
E-mail: africa@weforum.org
Tel: +41 (0)22 869 1481
Fax: +41 (0)22 786 2744
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