Representative heads of state from each of the Regional Economic Communities will participate in a moderated discussion on how U.S. and Africa can advance a resilient and sustainable partnership.

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  H.E. Hage Geingob

  President, Republic of Namibia
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  H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta

  President, Republic of Kenya
• 

  H.E. Teodoro Mbasogo

  President at Republic of Equatorial Guinea
• 

  Hon. Luisa Diogo

  Chairperson at Barclays Bank Mozambique S.A.
• 

  Farid Fezoua

  CEO of General Electric (GE) Africa
• 

  Constance Hamilton

  Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa at Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)
• 

  Godfrey Mutizwa

  Financial Journalist at CNBC Africa

• 

  Ramsey Day

  Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator | Africa Bureau at USAID
• 

  Mark Green

  Administrator at USAID
• 

  Seward "Skip" Jones

  Deputy Assistant Secretary, Middle East and Africa at U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)
• 

  Diana Marrero

  Vice President, Strategic Development at Foreign Policy
• 

  Tibor Nagy, Jr.

  Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs at U.S. Department of State

Infrastructure is one of the essential drivers of economic growth and job creation in Africa. However, the cost and complexity of such projects provide a challenge for governments to execute. Nevertheless, African countries have focused heavily on the sector over the last two decades which has increased interconnectivity in telecommunication, railways and ports.


The African Development Bank estimates that annually a minimum of $130-170 billion dollars is needed to alleviate congestion, much of which interferes with getting goods to markets. With limited resources and competing interests, African countries cannot sustain the level of investments in the infrastructure sector that will unlock the continent’s trade and industrial potential. However, governments can empower the private sector’s investment. This plenary will discuss the impact of infrastructure development on the economy while also highlighting the projects with the greatest multiplier effects and the best practices in public-private partnerships.

• 

  Dr. Martyn Davies

  Managing Director, Emerging Markets and Africa of Deloitte & Touche
• 

  Sir. James Dutton

  Regional President, Africa at Bechtel
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  Farid Fezoua

  CEO of General Electric (GE) Africa
• 

  William Killeen

  CEO of Acrow Bridge
• 

  Bongani Nqwababa

  Executive Director and Joint President and CEO of Sasol
• 

  Hon. Ed Royce

  Policy Director of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP (BHFS)
• 

  Vasco Santos

  Executive Head: Construction, Rental & Used at Barloworld

After two devastating cyclones in three short months, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Zambia are working hard to implement long-term reconstruction plans to address the needs of displaced residents and to proactively make their critical infrastructures more resilient for future storms. This session will feature the Presidents of all four affected countries, who will overview their recovery and reconstruction efforts to date and share their long-term development plans. Additionally, international donors and private sector representatives will offer comments on their involvement in the recovery and preparedness efforts. Finally, the panel will provide opportunities to hear from regional leaders on how those outside the four affected countries can contribute to the region’s long-term sustainable recovery.

• HM

  H.E. Osvaldo Machatine

  Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources at Republic of Mozambique
• HC

  H.E. Everton Herbert Chimulirenji

  Vice President at Republic of Malawi

Over the next three decades, African countries will account for two thirds of the world’s increase in population. While this increase offers a tremendous opportunity, it will likely exacerbate a broad range of existing challenges. For African countries to manage these challenges, it will be critical to find ways to create large numbers of new jobs, include more people into the formal economy and boost economic growth across various sectors and regions. Research has shown that one of the most effective tools African countries can employ is empowering women to be more economically active.


Over the last few years, public sentiment has changed from viewing women as a niche sector that should be protected, to understanding that they are in fact a dynamic engine of economic growth. Repayment rates for loans for women-owned businesses exceed 90%, while those for businesses owned by men hover around 30%. Women also tend to be most active in sectors with the greatest potential to increase productivity through capturing greater value-added services and products. The panel will outline current challenges faced by women in a variety of sectors as well as exploring innovative programs that have the potential to be more broadly replicated.

• 

  Temitope Iluyemi

  Director, Global Government Relations, Sub Sahara Africa of Procter & Gamble (P&G)
• 

  Kathryn Kaufman

  Senior Vice President at OPIC
• 

  Dr. Frannie Leautier

  Chief Operating Officer at Trade and Development Bank (TDB)
• 

  Amanda McMillian

  Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Anadarko
• 

  Marianne Mwaniki

  Senior Vice President and Head, Social Impact Vice Chair, at The Visa Foundation
• 

  Nonkululeko Nyembezi

  Chair at Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE)
• 

  Hon. Djamila Tamazirt

  Minister of Industry and Mines at People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
• 

  Lei Von Habsburg

  Contracts and Procurement Manager - Mozambique at Anadarko

Despite economic growth in African countries and their far-reaching social and institutional reforms, private investors in Africa still encounter an inadequate local workforce that inhibit gains on their investments. Capacity building, education and training are essential components of successful, long-term investment strategies in Africa. As Africa’s population is set to rise to two billion by 2050, the need for mechanization, training, service and support for technicians and engineers has exponentially risen.


Governments are increasingly favoring bilateral agreements, multilateral agencies and businesses that prioritize technology and knowledge transfer. Multilateral agencies are allocating resources to support private sector development whilst also working with regulators to provide an environment that will encourage more local and international investments. The session will focus on the ways in which the private sector and governments are partnering to close the capacity building gap that exists in many African countries.

• 

  Lischen Mashishi

  Associate Director, Marketing Operations, Alliance & Project Manager of MSD
• 

  William McKenzie

  Director of Sustainable Business Group, DAI
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  Prof. Emmanuel Nnadozie

  Executive Secretary at African Capacity Building Foundation
• 

  Dr. Nicky Okoye

  Chief Strategy Officer and Founder of Nicky Okoye Organization
• 

  Anthony Welcher

  VP at Millennium Challenge Corporation
• 

  Thomas Yongo

  Regional Business Development Manager at Bechtel

In Africa, spending for homeland security is expected to reach $345 billion by 2022, up from $178 billion in 2010. The sectors of aviation, defense, communication, data, cyber security, counter-terrorism, peacekeeping and logistics have seen the biggest amounts of growth. Though terrorism threats remain a key concern for public and private actors, cyber-attacks have increased at an alarming rate which have affected cloud, traditional, and hybrid networks.


As a response, both governments and businesses are adopting a range of solutions to secure both physical and digital assets. The panel will examine how security actors, both in government and the private sector, are tackling changing and new threats by contributing meaningful solutions.

• 

  Ghonche Alavi

  Cyber Extortion Expert at GardaWorld International Protective Services
• 

  Ade Ogundoyin

  CEO of Proforce Limited
• 

  Dr. Mostafa Sharaf

  Vice President of Middle East and Africa at Lockheed Martin International
• 

  General Kip Ward

  Strategic Advisor at Vectrus Company
• 

  Ibrahim Dikko

  CEO of Backbone Connectivity Network
• 

  Riaz Saloojee

  CEO of Paramount South Africa

Africa’s population will roughly double from today’s1.1 billion people to 2 billion by 2030. Africa’s youth and working age population are driving this growth, averaging 2.7% each year, more than double the growth in Latin America and Southeast Asia. McKinsey estimates that by 2025, nearly two-thirds of the 303 million African households will have discretionary income. Given the increasing importance consumer spending plays in African economies, the growth in the size and scope of the consumer market will be an important driver of job creation and economic growth. This panel will highlight companies’ strategies to harness the sector’s potential, recapture and surpass the boom of recent years, offer products that meet local demands, increase industrialization and highlight how they deal with factors that impede growth.

• 

  H.E. Souleymane Diarrassouba

  Minister of Commerce, Industry and SME Promotion at Republic of Cote D'Ivoire
• 

  Damian Hattingh

  Partner at McKinsey & Company
• 

  Pierre Lampe

  Finance Director, Africa Expansion Markets of Procter & Gamble (P&G)
• 

  Chuma Nwokocha

  Chief Executive at Standard Bank Mozambique
• 

  Alfred Olajide

  Regional Franchise Director of Coca Cola

The Standards Alliance will support the Roundtable on “National Quality Infrastructure to Support Trade and Investment.” The session will highlight existing national quality systems across the African continent to emphasize their role in supporting trade and investment between the U.S. and Africa. Presentations during the roundtable will include an overview of the standards and regulatory structures in each respective country, while including a brief summary of each organization’s role in the quality system.


Following this overview, presenters will utilize one example from a recent regulation for a consumer good to demonstrate each stage of the country’s regulatory system. This process will include stages of development from a decree or mandate to the finalization of a domestic regulation. The exercise will also note any opportunities for public consultation or comment before and after finalization.

• 

  Charles Azuka

  Head, Global Product Stewardship at Procter & Gamble
• 

  Constant Boka

  General Manager at CODINORM
• 

  Amanda Gcabashe

  Executive, Certification Division at SABS
• 

  David Jankowski

  Program Manager, International Development at American National Standards Institute
• 

  Bethany Phipps

  Program Administrator at American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
• 

  Anthony Quinn

  Director of Public Policy and International Trade at ASTM International
• 

  Alfredo Sitoe

  Director General of INNOQ
• 

  Nadine Umutoni

  Project Coordinator at African Organization for Standardisation (ARSO)
• 

  Christine Brown

  Director for Technical Barriers to Trade of United States Trade Representative (USTR)
• RM

  Raymond Murenzi

  Director General of RSB
• 

  Samba Ndao

  Deputy Director of Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce at Senegal

With several mid-sized countries forecast to continue to grow above 5% per year, Africa’s middle class is expected to grow beyond its current share of 34% of the population, with consumers projected to spend an estimated $2.2 trillion on goods and services by 2030. Franchises have the potential to offer a good solution for countries looking to quickly fill capacity gaps in important sectors such as food and entertainment, while offering much needed entry-level jobs and new markets for local suppliers.


The panel will discuss several case studies from across various regions and sectors, offering suggestions on how African countries can maximize the opportunity to use franchising as a vector to create much needed jobs and stimulate economic growth. Specific suggestions will focus on policy and regulatory issues, as well as capacity and infrastructure issues, and will include steps companies can take to be more effective.

• 

  Ewan Davenport

  General Manager for Africa at Pizza Hut
• 

  Emma Esinnah

  Director of Africa Franchise Center
• 

  Derrick Roper

  CEO of Novare Equity Partners (Pty) Ltd
• 

  Kirsty Simpson

  Executive at ENS

Over 40 percent of businesses cite the lack of reliable power supply as the biggest constraint to their operations in Africa. The result of this impediment has caused some businesses to close or relocate. Access to affordable modern forms of energy is not only a prerequisite for economic prosperity, but also for local growth and sustainable development. Power Africa in its “Transmission Roadmap” aspires to mobilize at least $3 billion to install 7,500+ MW of transmission capacity and bring at least 10 priority projects to financial close by 2030.


With some countries experiencing an over-supply of electricity while others are underserved, cross-border transmission is critical to ensuring universal access to power. Moving power from its generation sources to where it is needed provides cost-efficient supply and enhances the energy security. The panel will discuss the main challenges to unlocking regional power trade, the benefits of connected countries and the role of stakeholders including regional power pools, multilateral development partners and private sector investors in executing the accessibility of universal power.

• 

  Claudio Buque

  Energy Specialist at The World Bank Group
• 

  Alex Dixon

  Senior Director, Finance Investment and Trade of Millenium Challenge Corporation
• 

  Andrew Herscowitz

  Coordinator at Power Africa
• 

  Paul Hinks

  CEO and Co-Founder of Symbion Power
• 

  Francois-Xavier Saury

  Microgrid Business Development Manager at Caterpillar Inc.
• 

  Thomas Trimble

  Partner at Winston & Strawn LLP

• 

  General Kip Ward

  Strategic Advisor at Vectrus Company
• 

  Huang Xia

  UN Special Envoy to ICGLR at United Nations

The United States’ government has made it a priority to support greater trade and investment ties between American and African companies. The session will update companies on the full range of U.S. government tools, summarize the Trump Administration’s Africa Policy, and provide the latest update on the various tools U.S. Government agencies are implementing. Included will be the installation of headline developments from OPIC, the Development Finance Corporate as well as the Millennium Challenge Corporation. A representative of the new President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa will provide a private sector view of these efforts.


The panel will provide an ideal opportunity for American and African companies to get the latest updates on U.S. Government programs and how they interact with each other, as well as to ask important questions and suggest areas of focus to the officials most directly involved in implementing these programs.

• 

  Ramsey Day

  Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator | Africa Bureau at USAID
• 

  Alex Dixon

  Senior Director, Finance Investment and Trade of Millenium Challenge Corporation
• 

  Steven Dowd

  U.S. Representative from the USED's Office at African Development Bank
• 

  Worku Gachou

  Managing Director for Africa of OPIC
• 

  Amb. Dennis Hearne

  U.S. Ambassador to Mozambique
• 

  Seward "Skip" Jones

  Deputy Assistant Secretary, Middle East and Africa at U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)
• 

  Heather Lanigan

  Regional Director, Sub-Saharan Africa of USTDA
• 

  Raphael Sambou

  Economic and Commercial Officer at U.S. Department of State

According to WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, a third of all urban dwellers worldwide – 1.2 billion people – lack access to safe and secure housing. Lower and middle-income countries are the most affected, with governments increasingly unable to provide services and infrastructure to adequately address the concerns. Certain cities in Africa welcome more than 40,000 people every day, many of whom find themselves without a roof over their heads.


In recent years, some African governments, along with supporting multilateral agencies, have prioritized sustainable urban development and affordable housing. The soaring demand is being met through initiatives that aim to increase private sector participation. Africa’s housing market presents an excellent business opportunity for developers with the technical and financial strength to construct large-scale projects. Panelists will address the steps that governments have taken to partner with the private sector, in order to develop an affordable sustainable housing sector as well as share best practices and success stories on the continent.

• 

  Munene Mathenge

  General Manager at DLR Group
• 

  Ben Modo

  CEO of Prime Potomac Group
• 

  Tamarind Murrietta

  Senior Commercial Officer at US Embassy Mozambique
• 

  Isoken Omo

  Executive Chairperson at Edo Development and Property Agency
• 

  Aimé Mananda

  Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Africa Cement Company

Across Africa, air transport of passengers and cargo supports 6.8 million jobs and contributes $72.5 billion to Africa’s GDP. Air transportation is a driver of trade as over a third of all global trade by value is sent by air. McKinsey estimates that Africans alone could be buying $75 billion worth of goods and services by 2025.


The panel will discuss how investment in the aviation sector can drive socio-economic transformation in Africa and the future impact on air-travel and trade across the continent if restrictions on intra-Africa travel are lifted. The direct link aviation provides to connectivity and productivity will allow African markets to benefit and create the framework for innovative and sustainable economic growth.

• 

  Adefunke Adeyemi

  Regional Head, Member and External Relations, Africa and Middle East at International Air Transport Association (IATA)
• 

  Miriam Chiazor-Nwegbe

  Chief Operating Officer at Afrotourism West Africa Limited
• 

  Thobi Duma

  Country Manager Mozambique at South African Airways
• 

  Sanjeev Gadhia

  Founder and CEO of Astral Aviation
• 

  Chamsou Andjorin

  Director Government Affairs and Market Development SSA of The Boeing Company

While many see the potential for American companies to contribute to Africa’s economic and commercial development goals, the key is to create more business partnerships between U.S. and African firms. U.S. companies bring world class technology, skills transfer, capital and access to new markets for African partners. African companies bring knowledge of local markets, innovation, entrepreneurialism and access to opportunities. However, the challenge of finding viable partners remain an important question for both U.S. and African firms.


The panel will feature U.S. companies successfully doing business in Africa, including several current and past members of the President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA). Panelists will highlight their best practices as well as the challenges they faced in developing business opportunities in Africa. They will also discuss their most effective strategies in terms of finding local partners, suppliers and offer their thoughts on how to improve American and African private sector collaboration to develop more robust opportunities.

• 

  Stephen Cashin

  CEO and Founder of Pan African Capital Group LLC
• 

  Paul Hinks

  CEO and Co-Founder of Symbion Power
• 

  Seward "Skip" Jones

  Deputy Assistant Secretary, Middle East and Africa at U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)
• 

  Sobhi Obeid

  Country Manager, Angola & Mozambique at The Dow Chemical Company
• 

  Aziz Rahman

  Corporate Bank Head for SSA at Citi
• 

  Paul Sullivan

  Senior Vice President - International at Acrow Bridge

African countries are well on their way to completing the first stage of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCTA). One of the primary motivations is to increase regional and continental trade integration, which in turn will create a significant amount of new jobs and boost economic growth across the continent. Greater integration and adopting common standards will also facilitate Africa’s development of next-generation technologies in sectors like ICT, advanced manufacturing and services. African governments and companies are keenly aware that they need to be more competitive to join global value chains and attract increased foreign direct investment (FDI).


As a result, there is a strong interest in hearing more from American companies about their needs. With the expiry of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) a mere five years away, the United States is too at an inflection point. The expiry of AGOA allows the United States’ government and businesses to craft longer-term strategies that will invigorate trade and investment in Africa. The panel will highlight some of the key themes for the coming years and suggest steps the U.S. and Africa can take to build a better future together.

• 

  H.E. Mohcine Jazouli

  Deputy Minister in Charge of Cooperation with Africa at Kingdom of Morocco
• 

  Hon. Gilbert B. Kaplan

  Under Secretary for International Trade at Department of Commerce
• 

  H.E Erastus Mwencha

  Chair of the Executive Board at African Capacity Building Foundation
• 

  Hon. Ed Royce

  Policy Director of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP (BHFS)
• 

  Dr. Witney Schneidman

  Senior International Advisor for Africa at Covington & Burling LLP
• 

  Admassu Tadesse

  President and CEO of Trade and Development Bank
• 

  Sandile Hlophe

  Africa Leader for Government and Public Sector at EY