Africa

Africa accounts for 17% of the world’s population yet emits less than 5% of the world’s carbon emissions. Africa boasts a massive talent population, but also demonstrates the highest rate of education exclusion. It is a continent rich in resources, talent potential, and innovation, but lacks the necessary tools to expand its portfolio in sustainable ways. 

Session four investigated the various components of sustainable development, from female participation in the workforce to healthcare resources to relevant education, and what the continent is doing to address some of these broader goals. 

Africa is leading the way in the business of UN Sustainable Development Goal relevancy, but what is holding its people back from success?  This session explored relevant struggles in the integration of the SDG initiatives, as well as provide an engaging discussion of what can be done going forward to achieve these broader goals.

Digital transformation plays a central role in the sustainable development of Africa. Yet the continent does not yet have the tech talent to enable this transformation. How do we develop the skills to support the needed investment? How can business, academia, government, and civil society work together to create an environment that unlocks the full potential of Africa’s aspiring entrepreneurs? Can business schools and universities take the lead in connecting diverse talent needed to accelerate innovation? Join this session to consider these and other important questions in this fifth session of the Talent for Africa Forum.

Africa is rising as a global player and is a true beneficiary in the global arena and we are here to celebrate that, as well as help the rest of the world to benefit from it.

Africa’s most powerful resource is its people. In a world of shrinking working-age populations, favorable demographics point to substantial opportunity within Africa. But there is no guarantee that the demographics will translate into greater prosperity.

Join us in this session, as we tackle some of the more pressing questions related to Africa and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. 

• Does Africa have the capacity to educate the young while delivering on the growing needs for upskilling and reskilling the workforce?
• How is technology changing the mix of knowledge and skills that African organizations need? 
• What are the specific sector needs, such as health care, government, and finance?
• How are new technologies, and increasing experiences in using them, creating new opportunities that make education both more effective and more accessible? 

Innovation and entrepreneurship not only increase productivity in existing industries and create jobs, they can transform economies and societies. This session focuses on developing talent for transformative leadership, the kind that can build a more inclusive and sustainable Africa.

Discussions explored the role of business and business schools as catalysts and enablers of innovation and entrepreneurship. It considers opportunities to strengthen collaboration across disciplines, borders, and sectors to enable Africa to leap ahead in efforts to achieve Agenda 2063.