The 15th High-Level AU Private Sector Forum Theme“Unlocking Opportunities for Private actors to Accelerate Intra-African Trade and Investments”

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October 31, 2024 to November 02, 2024

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Date: 31 Oct to 2 Nov 2024

Venue : Lusaka, Zambia

About the African Union Private Sector Forum

The African Union Private Sector Forum(AUPSF) was institutionalized by the Executive Council of ministers in 2008,with the objective to create a platform for dialogue and partnership between the African Union, policymakers, and the private sector.

The forum provides a platform for policymakers and private sector high-level participants to discuss and propose concrete actions for the private sector's role in Africa's transformation inline with Agenda 2063 objectives and flagship projects. It additionally promotes dialogue on economic development issues among policymakers, development and financial institutions, civil societies, private sectors, researchers, and professional organizations.

In this regard, we highly value your participation and encourage all interested delegates/participants to register.

All delegates/participants planning to attend the Conference must be registered.

Click here to register

The 15th High-Level AU Private Sector Forum

This year, The 15th High-Level AU Private Sector forum is set to take place in Lusaka, Zambia from the 31 Oct to 2 Nov 2024, under the theme “Unlocking Opportunities for Private actors to Accelerate Intra-African Trade and Investments”

The three day forum will feature opening session, plenary session discussions focused on policy issues that promote sustained, inclusive economic growth and sustainable development, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

The forum will offer varied opportunities of engagement in the Business to Business (B2B); Business to Government (B2G); Business to Others (B2O); and Others to Others (O2O) models throughout the event, where companies, including those owned by women and youth entrepreneurs, will demonstrate their innovations and inventions, creative art-facts and digital solutions and explore partnerships with other companies and governments.

Plenary sessions will host specific panel discussions and will delve into discussions on the following:

Enabling access to Renewable Energy Technologies as the only alternative towards universal access to energy in Africa,
Rerouting Africa’s borrowing towards encouraging manufacturing sector in Africa
Accelerating economic integration in Africa is predicated on building a common Africa aviation market as well as enabling free movement of people
Accelerating the implementation of the AfCFTA by uplifting transportation and telecommunication network barriers.

This forum will also provide an opportunity to Presentation of Pan-African Private Sector Trade and Investment Committee (PAFTRAC) 2024 Africa CEO Survey and also create a space for young entrepreneurs to pitch to investors.

Objectives of forum

To dialogue and explore ways of creating a conducive business environment and supportive entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem for Africa’s Private sector.
To provide a platform for a Public-Private sector dialogue on regulations and promotion of E-Commerce in order to facilitate better access to markets and digital trading platforms while removing or significantly reducing the need for physical travels and contacts.
To call for a commitment to boost agricultural production and productivity levels through the scaling up of agro-technologies, investing in access to affordable quality seeds and fertilizers, markets through value chain improvements, and promoting agricultural research and development among others.
To mobilize for critical resources required to invest in Smart & Sustainable Energy: Smart oil and gas infrastructure.
To highlight the importance of tourism as a key factor in economic transformation and call for increased investment in the sector. This also calls for collaborative efforts to strengthen the capacity of African private sector and integrate them in the tourism value chain.

The previous African Union Private Sector Forum

The AU Private Sector Forum has held several forums, with key recommendations emerging from the 11th ,12th, 13th, and 14th sessions. These recommendations provide valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the African private sector and offer guidance for policymakers on how to support its growth and development. Read the full reports here African Private Sector Forum.

11th African Private Sector Forum: “Transforming African economies through private sector mobilization and capitalization of experiences from other regions of the world”
12th AU Private Sector Forum : Theme “Strengthening African private sector’s capacity to respond to disrupted markets and ensure economic resilience in the face of COVID-19 Pandemic.”
13th AU Private Sector Forum: Theme: “The Role of Private Sector Towards Increasing Investment in Energy and Agribusiness to Upscale Productive Capacities and Industrialization Drive in Africa”
14th AU High Level Private Sector Forum: “Public - Private Sector Engagement for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development while Deepening Regional and Continental Trade and Investment towards Implementation of AfCFTA”

Expected Outcomes

Africa’s private sector champions are effectively networking, trading and investing in likeminded value chains across the borders both continentally and globally.
A data base of Africa’s private sector champions in compatible domains are effectively developed and published on the African Union website.
Best practices and lessons learnt are shared with likeminded private sector actors in Africa.

For more details on the Forum, kindly contact;

Mr. Islam Swaleh : swalehi@africa-Union.org

Ms Mandy Mauyakufa : MauyakufaM@africa-union.org

Media contact

Ms Doreen Apollos :apollosd@africa-union.org

AUC