A packed three-day event, the Summit will include over 32 workshops and plenaries, a trade expo and “The Vault”, a match-making program connecting projects and entrepreneurs with sources of funding. These events will highlight Africa’s most promising sectors, including agribusiness, infrastructure, energy, health, power and security.

Featured speakers include Elizabeth Littlefield, President & CEO, Overseas Private Investment Corp (OPIC); Hanna Tetteh, Minister of Trade & Industry, Ghana; Joe Oteng-Adjei, Minister of Energy, Ghana; Hage Geingob, Minister of Trade & Industry, Namibia; Bart Nnaji, Minister of Power, Nigeria; Akin Adesina, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nigeria; Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Chairperson, African Union Commission, and Susan Mboya, Group Director Eurasia & Africa, Coca Cola.

“The nations of Africa are experiencing one of the greatest booms in business in the history of the African continent, and the Summit showcases these investment opportunities,“ said Stephen Hayes, CCA’s President and CEO. “The future of Africa is tied to the level of investment going into Africa, the last great frontier in the world for new investment and development.”

Attendees can meet potential business partners and learn more about the Obama Administration’s policy on Africa as well as details on the continent’s important position in the global economy. Participants will have the opportunity to network with key African and U.S. private sector and government representatives, identify specific growth areas and hear detailed information about projects that are ripe for investment. Additionally, they will learn about the latest financing options and meet numerous high-ranking African ministers.

More info here: http://www.africacncl.org/

“I am honored to join an outstanding group of entrepreneurs that have been recognized and supported by the Africa Awards,” said Kamal Budhabhatti, CEO of Craft Silicon. “I hope that my experiences, and those of my fellow finalists, can help to inspire a new generation of African entrepreneurs to take risks and persevere to build their own business.”

Five other finalists were recognized and each awarded a prize of US $50,000:

    - Mellech Engineering & Construction Ltd., Nairobi, Kenya
    - Planbuild Technical Services Ltd., Kampala, Uganda
    - Sigma Electric PLC, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
    - Tutuka Software (Pty) Ltd., Rivonia, South Africa
    - Wilkins Engineering Ltd., Accra, Ghana

Alan McCormick, Managing Director of Legatum, commented, “With more than 2,700 entries from 15 different countries, this year’s Awards showcases a talented, dynamic group of entrepreneurs that distinguished themselves in an incredibly competitive field. We are pleased to recognize Craft Silicon, and all of our 2010 Award winners, for the vital contributions they have made in promoting prosperity across the continent.”

To determine the winners, finalists gathered in Nairobi to present to a prominent jury of African business leaders and investors. The panel was chaired by Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, CEO of Superflux International and winner of the 2008 Africa Awards, who presented the grand prize. The jury also included Dr. Manu Chandaria, Chairman of Comcraft Group; Dr. James Mwangi, CEO of Equity Bank; Mr. Kibuga Kariithi, Director of Afrika Investment Bank; Mr. Cyrille Nkontchou, Founder and CEO of LiquidAfrica; and Mr. Steve Beck, Co-Founder & CEO, SpringHill Equity Partners.

The competition, which was launched in July 2010, received a record number of 2,700 applications from 15 African countries: Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

“Omidyar Network and Legatum share the belief that African entrepreneurs are creating positive social impact across the continent by generating jobs, fostering innovation and fueling economic growth,” said Matt Bannick, Managing Partner of Omidyar Network. “We congratulate each of the winners for the expertise, entrepreneurial spirit and tenacity they have demonstrated in building and scaling a great company.”

“We hope to engage in opportunities and strengthen ties between Asia and our country,” said Republic of Rwanda Prime Minister Bernard Makuza at the Global Business Leaders Forum here Monday.

“Asia has shown to be in a class of its own with companies that are world leaders in their own industries.

“Rwanda has a lot to learn and there are still vast opportunities yet to be fully exploited for business and trade by Commonwealth countries and Asia,” he said.

Recently, Rwanda was formally welcomed into the Commonwealth Club of Nations.

“Africa suffered the same prejudice and wrong perception Asia was viewed 40 years ago.

“Over the years, political stability has improved, generating economic growth and ideal conditions for trade and investments, and it makes good business sense for Asian companies to access this large untapped growing market,” he added.

He also said much more remained to be done to further develop Rwanda

“This can only be done by actively engaging with businesses and companies, and it is even more important for our own development and (for us) to remain competitive in the global world,” Makuza said.

Legatum, a privately owned international investment group and Omidyar Network, a philanthropic investment firm, today announced the selection of 10 companies as finalists of the prestigious 2010 Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship. Designed to promote commerce as a driving force in Africa’s economic growth, the Africa Awards focuses on celebrating the standards of business excellence within Africa and building a strong network of African entrepreneurs as a source of learning and shared best practices. More than 2,700 companies from 15 countries submitted entries to compete for the Grand Prize of US$ 100,000 and five other prizes of US$ 50,000 each.

Speaking about the Awards, Alan McCormick, Managing Director of Legatum, commented, “This year’s Africa Awards has far surpassed our expectations in terms of quality and leadership and trumpets the message that Africa is open for business. The 10 finalists from diverse sectors and geographies all demonstrate the vital role played by entrepreneurs in creating opportunity and growth within their economies, and through the Africa Awards, Legatum is pleased to recognise these leaders of remarkable companies and the contribution they are making to promoting prosperity across the continent.”

The competition was launched in July 2010 and entrepreneurs submitted applications from Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Finalists will make formal presentations to an international jury of business leaders, entrepreneurs and investors in Nairobi early this December. The jury will be chaired by Tokunbo Talabi of Superflux International, the Grand Prize Winner of the 2008 Africa Awards and will include some of Africa’s most prominent business leaders amongst whom are Dr. Manu Chandaria, Chairman of Comcraft Ltd.; Dr. James Mwangi, CEO of Equity Bank; and Mr. Kibuga Kariithi, ex-CEO of Nairobi Stock Exchange. The 2010 Africa Awards winners will be announced at a Gala Banquet, attended by an invitation-only audience of Africa’s business leaders, policymakers and investors, on Monday December 6th in Nairobi.

Read more here.

More than 1,200 entrepreneurs, innovators, business leaders, finance providers and creative professionals from across the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region and beyond will gather in Dubai for a “Celebration of Entrepreneurship” on November 8-9, 2010. This announcement was made today by Abraaj CapitalAbraaj Capital and Fadi Ghandour, Member of the AbraajAbraaj Board of Directors and Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Aramex. The Celebration is aimed at creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurship by empowering, inspiring and connecting entrepreneurs, who are catalysts for the growth of small and medium enterprise across MENASA.

The SME sector currently accounts for more than 70 per cent of the region’s employment but generates less than 30 per cent of its GDP, thus offering significant growth opportunities. The event is expected to cultivate the existing spirit of enterprise by energising entrepreneurs at the grassroots and creating an environment that is conducive for a thriving entrepreneurial culture – deemed essential to address the region’s employment and demographic challenges.

A number of announcements are expected to be made at the Celebration, including the formal launch of Riyada Enterprise Development (RED), a US$500 million investment platform exclusively dedicated to supporting SMEs across the region. The firm will also unveil Wamda, a comprehensive interactive online portal dedicated to the region’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, where entrepreneurs, innovators, mentors and other stakeholders come together to facilitate entrepreneurship in the MENASA region.

The Celebration of Entrepreneurship will take place on November 8-9, 2010, at the Madinat Jumeirah Conference Centre in Dubai, UAE.

As the world economy stagnated, these companies grew 85% a year over the last three years and employ 7,000.  They expect sales and employment to rise significantly over the next year and plan to launch 46 new companies.

The number one problem for every country is employment.  Who better to create the new growth agenda for the world economy?  This group has the track record for driving job growth in the 21st century.  At Harvard they will come up with new ideas for policy makers to get the market moving. Over the week, they will also test their leadership skills, and go global with their new network of AllWorld collaborators.

AllWorld’s mission is to find and scale ALL the growth companies of the emerging world by 2015 to create one million new jobs. AllWorld was co-founded by Deirdre Coyle, Jr., Anne Habiby and Board chairman Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter. Professor Porter was described by the Times of London as the world’s “most influential management guru” and is widely regarded at the foremost authority on company and country competitiveness. Coyle and Habiby recently co-wrote the Harvard Business review article – The High-Intensity Entrepreneur.

Viewed as a technological and civilization leap for Egypt, the center is likely to position the country on the world’s technological innovation and creativity map over the coming period.

Minister Kamel noted that the center aims at promoting the structure of technological innovation as well as the culture of entrepreneurship among a segment of young people in IT and its applications.

Other purposes of the project include teaching young calibers the importance of innovation and creativity as two basic factors in a strategy that aims for the added value of the Egyptian economy.

The project will help create high-level job opportunities for the Egypt’s professionals and qualified graduates to work in various specializations of the sector.

Dr. Kamel added that the center also aims to boost Egypt’s position as an innovation and entrepreneurship hub that would attract the world’s attention, making use of the country’s competitive advantages for drawing up the technological creativity and entrepreneurship strategy for the communications and IT sector.

More info here.

The World Bank Group’s 2010 ‘Doing Business’ report ranked South Africa 34th – out of 183 countries – for the ease of doing business. The country was placed at number 45 – ahead of countries like Poland and Mexico – in terms of overall competitiveness.

South Africa was also ranked the 18th most attractive foreign direct investment destination globally. This was according to the 2007 Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index produced by management consulting firm, AT Kearney.

It was on this premise that Zuma invited delegates at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Africa India Diaspora Conference, held in Durban on Saturday, to do more business with South Africa.

“South Africa is the gateway to the one billion-strong African market… Our trade and investment opportunities for the Indian business sector lie in environmental technologies, ICT, transport equipment, capital equipments, creative industries and financial services,” said Zuma.

Investment from India into South Africa is roughly R45 billion, while trade from South Africa to India is an estimated R21 billion. Bilateral trade is said to have surpassed R53.9 billion. Trade between the two countries is estimated to reach R70 billion by 2012.

Read more here.

“More than half the population of the Arab world borders the Mediterranean,” said David Hamod, President & CEO of NUSACC, “representing some of the most dynamic societies in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region. These nations are laying groundwork for projects worth hundreds of billions of dollars, and our chamber is doing its part to ensure that U.S. companies win a slice of that business.”

Sectors represented in the delegation included aerospace, banking & finance, logistics, information and communications technology (ICT), power generation, defense & security, and construction & engineering.

Large companies participating in the mission generated revenues in excess of $175 billion last year, but small companies were also well represented in the delegation. Approximately one-third of the delegates were CEOs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and one delegate represented the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), part of the U.S. Government that works with more than one million U.S. companies each year.

Inga Fisher Williams, an SBA Regional Export Finance Manager based in Portland, Oregon, suggested that the mission is consistent with the U.S. Government’s National Export Initiative, which aims to double U.S. exports over the next five years. “Small U.S. exporters can find profitable niche markets in North African countries if they are willing to tackle the challenges of developing countries,” she offered. “Perseverance, patience, and a good local partner are the keys to success. In addition, the recent changes in SBA loans for exporters promise to open up access to working capital for financing many more SME export sales around the world.”

Read more here.

The Center, Babson and PSF will work with regional Rwanda Investment Groups to identify high potential and large-scale projects to fund and develop. The Center will also work with individual entrepreneurs to help them develop their business plans, create coaching and network programs for current and aspiring entrepreneurs, and offer individualized and group business skills training along with specialized seminars for entrepreneurs and PSF members.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=P70EB9SJVdw

More info.

The school aims at becoming a Centre of Excellence which fosters enterprise development and creates a vibrant and competitive Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) sector.

According to the Director of the centre, Olive N. Murinda, the department will play a critical role in enabling the creation of a critical mass of viable and dynamic SMEs which are strong in value addition.

“We hope, through this centre, to create skilled business people who will drive the private sector as envisioned in the country’s vision 2020,” said Murinda.

Read more here.

The event which is organized simultaneously in 92 countries throughout the world, will run from November 7 to 14, 2010.

Launched by the Kaufman Foundation and Enterprize UK, the  Global Entrepreneurship Week  aims at targeting young entrepreneurs and decision makers with a view to share their experience and foster entrepreneurial skills among those wanting to start their own business.

Organized by the Arab Institute of Heads of  Enterprizes, the Entrepreneurship Week will feature seminars, exhibits and workshops throughout the country, in collaboration with companies, universities, and associations.

Well established business figures, project holders and financial backers will take part in the event which will also showcase the most inspiring success stories.

In 2009 the Global Entrepreneurship Week included some 33,000 events in 77 countries involving 7,5 million people.

Closing the forum in Accra, Ghana, AGRF Chair, Kofi Annan, praised the efforts of public and private institutions, development organizations, the donor community and farmers, to accelerate the green revolution in Africa.

“Today we move forward, strongly united and passionately committed to the concrete actions that we have jointly developed,” said Mr Annan.

AGRF Executive Co-Producer, Akin Adesina, said the meetings kick-started a new phase in the African green revolution:

“We have brought together in Accra great minds and strong spirits who, even as they depart in different directions, will stay bound by the common purpose and firm outcomes we have agreed on here.”

On the third, and final, day of the event, the AGRF agreed to pool efforts and resources to scale up breadbasket project plans and investment blueprints for agricultural growth corridors.

Ghanaian Minister for Agriculture, Kwasi Ahwoi, invited new partners to join the Ghana breadbasket initiative.

The Prime Minister of Tanzania, H.E. Mizengo Pinda, agreed to finalize a blueprint for the Tanzania Southern Corridor by January 2011.

In a communicate issued to delegates, the moderators of breakout panel sessions published a series of concrete outcomes of the AGRF, including:

· empowerment of women throughout the agricultural chain by accelerating access to improved technology, finance and markets

· backing for the Impact Investment Fund for African Agriculture to scale up access to finance by farmers and agri-businesses

· investment for science, technology and research for food nutrition security

· accelerated access to improved seed by promoting the entire value chain, including support for plant breeding, seed companies and seed distribution systems

· improved fertilizer supply systems and more efficient fertilizer value chains

· more inclusive business models linking agri-business, commercial farms and smallholder farmers

· better water management

· mixed crop livestock systems

To ensure progress is made on the firm commitments, the AGRF issued to delegates a detailed plan of action.

Government and development groups including the African Union and AGRA will conduct peer review assessments to ensure various science and technology inventions and innovations are implemented as soon as possible.

“I am delighted to see that we have agreed monitoring mechanisms on the actions,” said Jorgen Ole Haslestad, CEO of Yara, strategic partner of the AGRF.

Agri-business companies Yara and Syngenta said at the AGRF they are working towards a new land use initiative to create a fact-based dialogue and to better understand the interaction of agriculture and climate change.

The road ahead

Those implementing new commitments will not lack resources:

“We pledge ourselves to work with all other key partners to ensure that capacity is not a limiting factor in the green revolution,” said Namanga Ngongi, President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the organisation that founded the AGRF alongside Yara.

Mr Annan thanked the government leaders, including H.E. Mizengo Pinda, H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria, and the Hon. John Dramani Mahama, Vice President of Ghana, who had taken part in the AGRF.

“These gracious, impassioned leaders threw their political weight behind this shining moment of transformation for Africa,” said Mr Annan.

And he urged governments and parliamentarians to help eradicate poverty and realize the dream of a green revolution.

“The time for action is now. For as you leave this forum, you are carrying upon your shoulders the vibrant hopes of a generation and a continent. We will not dash the dream of the African farmer,” said Mr Annan.

“With our hands on the plough, we will till this beautiful land’s soil together, and help Africa reap a bountiful harvest.”

There will be a session dedicated to providing an overview of the business climate in Southern Africa highlighting various sectors in SADC, the legal framework to facilitate trade and investment. Other sessions will have a more in-depth discussion for sectors such as banking and capital markets, mining, technology, education, agribusiness and fashion amongst others. Throughout the day, business tips, mentoring and one-on-one meetings with entrepreneurs and mentors will be possible and are encouraged.

Us based professionals in various industries that focus on or have US-African trade, business executives of successful regional companies and social entrepreneurs will share their vision, experience and thoughts about the future of the region. For this conference Angel Africa is going to welcome panelists such as: Lauri E. Elliott, Director at Afribiz Media, Guy Zibi, Managing Director at AfricaNext Investment Research, LLC in the US, Fungai Tarirah, Head, Africa Investments at RMB Asset Management in South Africa, J. Skyler Fernandes, Chief Operating Officer of the South African Chamber of Commerce in America, Paul Eardley-Taylor, Head Energy, Utilities and Infrastructure for South Africa & Africa at Standard Bank, Eduardo O. Vieira, Founder and President of NOVACAO Sociedade Corretora de Valores S.A in Angola amongst others.

What is the relationship between AGRA and the AECF?
AGRA is an alliance jointly created in 2006 by The Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation aimed at improving agricultural productivity and small holder farmer well-being throughout sub-Saharan Africa. AGRA is registered as a non-profit entity in the United States, but operates out of Nairobi, Kenya, where it is registered as the branch of a foreign corporate entity. From Kenya, AGRA is managing programs supporting agricultural development across sub-Saharan Africa. The AECF is a special partnership initiative of AGRA that supports AGRA’s mission. The Board of AGRA provides the governance structure for the AECF and is responsible to the AECF’s donors. However, in practice, the AECF operates as an independent fund reporting to its own Investment Committee which in turn reports to a Governing Council made up of its donor funders and ultimately AGRA’s Board.

The agricultural side of the show will feature various service provi-ders in the agricultural sector, with the notable presence of Agra and Meatco, who will have information sessions during the entire event.

“Information sessions will deal with issues such as farm management, crop production, and how to manage livestock,” says Kambatuku.

The region will also host an inter-regional agricultural and industrial show, subsequent to the trade fair. The show will be hosted by the Otjozondjupa Communal Farmers’ Union and Omaheke Regional Farmers’ Union, which effectively brings the two regions of Otjozondjupa and Omaheke together.

More info here.

Why is Afribiz choosing to do this now? Just recently, China surpassed both Germany and Japan to become the 2nd largest economy in the world and while consumer demand continues to lag in the West it grows in developing economies. Dynamics like these are setting the stage for the next generation of consumer and business markets, including those in Africa. Also, as Brazil, Russia, India and China continue to grow, they increasingly engaging Africa as the next emerging region. Lauri Elliott, Chief Strategist and author of “101 Leverage Points for Doing Business in Africa” adds, “That’s a powerful sign of things to come.” The time is now for businesses and investors to position themselves in African countries.

Africa like any region these days has business challenges, but there are many examples of success from entrepreneurs to large corporations – people like American,Timothy Maurice Webster, a personal brand strategist, serial entrepreneur, and author of “Personovation” in South Africa and large companies like Press Corp, a multinational firm originating in Malawi. Elliott says, “We want to see masses of success stories like these. We want to see success as the rule, not the exception.”

The format for the teleconferences is different than most on Africa. Participants get to pose ideas and issues to the Afribiz team and community both before, during and after each teleconference, as well as engaging with each other. It’s a dynamic “web” of learning and sharing versus linear models. It’s also diverse because of the range of individuals involved and we know that diverse teams often produce better outputs. While not quite crowdsourcing, “Afribiz hopes to see that potential unleashed on designing profitable business models in Africa,” says Elliott.

The teleconferences run twice a month from September to December 2010, starting on September 9. In addition to the free teleconferences, Afribiz is offering a series of “Engage the Expert” webinars on relevant, timely information and insights into African markets. The first webinar is “Understanding the Business Opportunities in the Nigerian Consumer Markets,” which is being held on September 29, 2010.

To register for the free teleconferences, visit http://www.afribiz.info/?p=8092

Dr. Tarek El-Sadany, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Egypt for Technology Policies, will be leading the panel discussion on “The future of IT innovation in a multilingual, global operation,” with Ahmed N. Tantawy, Director of Egypt’s Nanotechnology Center, and Hisham Sanad, Chairman, CEO and co-founder of egabi Solutions. The panelists will be discussing the emerging importance of technology innovation and key collaborations with multinational companies. The session will take place on Tuesday, August 24 at 2:40 pm at the Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes room #1.

“Egypt recognizes that a country’s capacity for innovation and entrepreneurship is a critical contributor to success in today’s competitive global marketplace,” said Dr. El-Sadany. “That’s why Egypt has invested heavily in the education and training over the past decade, resulting in a highly technical, multilingual workforce, a modern and safe business environment and cost-competitive services that foster the free flow of business innovation.”

Dr. El-Sadany adds, “With the government’s backing and support, Egypt will help companies and organizations by providing an environment where innovators and entrepreneurs can thrive. Through multinational collaboration and partnerships, entrepreneurs will focus on building ground-breaking business models and further creating or developing existing capabilities to solve problems. Egypt has so much to offer and, together with our clients, ITIDA is the guiding force for technology innovation, investment and development across Egypt.”

Entrepreneurs from 15 countries are participating in the 2010 awards and submissions are being accepted from Botswana, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia. A total of US$350,000 will be awarded to the winners, with the funds directed towards growth and strategic reinvestment within the respective companies. The competition is open to all profitable businesses that have been in existence for a minimum of three years and have annual revenues between US$2-$25 million. With the August 31st deadline for applications fast approaching, interested companies are encouraged to visit the Africa Awards website soon to ensure their submissions are included.

More details here.

The Forum which will also run an international exhibition is expected to attract 300 participants both from EAC and Turkey drawn from specific sectors such as textiles, clothing, agriculture, construction -Real Estate Development; Infrastructure; Mining and Natural Resources; and Tourism.

More in the original article.

The umbrella body known as Kenya Association of Manufacturers ( KAM) said the current laws under the Local Government Act also make it harder to follow how the authorities spend the taxes they collect.

The manufacturers said the concept of the Single Business Permit introduced in the recent past has failed to be implemented effectively because businesses still pay additional taxes even after getting that permit.

A previous study commissioned by KAM captured 1,325 of which 315 licenses were recommended for elimination, 379 for simplification, 294 licenses were retained while 337 were recommended for further scrutiny.

More here.

“The aim is $12 billion bilateral by 2012,” Vinayak, who handles the chamber’s Africa desk, told IANS. The two-way trade stood at $7 billion last year. The organizers have identified pharmaceuticals, healthcare, food processing, automobiles, components, biotechnology, information technology, telecommunications, infrastructure, roads and railways as the focus areas of the four-day show.

More information here.

More details here.

This conference will bring together business leaders and entrepreneurs, and aspiring youth entrepreneurs from Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania. The conference will also feature business leaders of the North African Diaspora, along with U.S. business leaders and entrepreneurs. The conference will include moderated discussions on key issues and challenges for advancing entrepreneurship, including: lessons learned from the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship , improving access to capital, enabling small and medium sized business, catalyzing youth entrepreneurship, perspectives from U.S. and Maghreb business leaders, promoting cross-border business partnership initiatives, transatlantic business networking, incubating innovation and technology, and exploring business opportunities in the creative industries. The conference will also provide capacity building for entrepreneurs through a number of skills training workshops and networking opportunities.

The United States will send a senior-level delegation to participate in the conference. The State Department is supporting the organizers of this event by identifying key speakers, participants, and U.S. entrepreneurs that can help advance our shared goals of economic partnerships for entrepreneurship, innovation, and job creation in the Maghreb.

For more information about this conference or to register, please contact Dr. Ismael Chikhoune, the President & CEO of the US-Algeria Business Council by e-mail at chikhoune@us-algeria.org