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Welcome Reception

Sponsored by Citi, 145 West Street, Sandown, Sandton

Please join us as we kick off the U.S.-Africa Infrastructure Conference with a welcome reception.

Citi Offices are a 10 minute walk from the Hilton.

Registration/Check-in
Opening Plenary | Innovation: The Key to Africa's 21st Century Infrastructure
Sola David-Borha•Farid Fezoua•William Killeen•David Picard•Ramsey Day

For the past two decades, increased investment in infrastructure has been one of the main drivers behind Africa’s economic growth. However, the potential is far from met. According to a recent World Bank report, despite progress over the past quarter century, a significant infrastructure gap remains a major bottleneck to development on the continent. The analysis shows that if the infrastructure gap were closed relative to specific achievable benchmarks, economic growth would increase by at least 1.7 percentage points per year in Sub-Saharan Africa. Though public investment has increased in recent years, it is still insufficient to meet the infrastructure financing needs. More attention is needed on how innovative technologies and approaches, including leveraging public private partnerships can provide Africa’s expanding population with reliable electricity, affordable housing, and efficient transport and other critical infrastructure.
Panelists in this high-level plenary will discuss the development of infrastructure space, how they are approaching major projects, overcoming key constraints, and seizing new opportunities.

  • Sola David-Borha (Chief Executive, Africa Regions at Standard Bank)

    Sola David-Borha

    Chief Executive, Africa Regions at Standard Bank
  • Farid Fezoua (President and CEO: Sustainable Healthcare Solutions - Africa of General Electric Company (GE))

    Farid Fezoua

    President and CEO: Sustainable Healthcare Solutions - Africa of General Electric Company (GE)
  • William Killeen (President at Acrow Bridge)

    William Killeen

    President at Acrow Bridge
  • David Picard (General Manager Africa and Middle East at Caterpillar Inc.)

    David Picard

    General Manager Africa and Middle East at Caterpillar Inc.
  • Ramsey Day (Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, Africa Bureau at USAID)

    Ramsey Day

    Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, Africa Bureau at USAID
Networking Break
Renewable Energy: Growth of Energy Storage in Africa
John F. DeBoever•Jacob Flewelling•Rakesh Maharaj•Bertie Strydom•Julian Oteng

Energy storage technology is a potential game-changer for widespread adoption of renewable energy throughout Africa. The International Energy Agency “estimates that by 2020, developing countries will need to double their electrical power output to meet rising demand. It is estimated that by 2035, these nations will represent 80 percent of the total growth in both energy production and consumption. To meet international goals for reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions, a substantial portion of this new generation capacity will likely come from renewable sources. While the costs for renewable generation continue to fall, integrating and effectively using these new resources, especially in regions with weak grid infrastructure, will require energy storage”.
Panelists will explore the innovative energy storage solutions being deployed on the continent and examine the policy changes required to promote these solutions.

  • John F. DeBoever (Vice President, Global Sales at UniEnergy Technology)

    John F. DeBoever

    Vice President, Global Sales at UniEnergy Technology
  • Jacob Flewelling (Africa Business Development Manager at U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA))

    Jacob Flewelling

    Africa Business Development Manager at U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA)
  • Rakesh Maharaj (Energy Leader at Primus Power)

    Rakesh Maharaj

    Energy Leader at Primus Power
  • Bertie Strydom (Senior Project Development Manager at Industrial Development Corporation (IDC))

    Bertie Strydom

    Senior Project Development Manager at Industrial Development Corporation (IDC)
  • Julian Oteng (Director of Operations & Founder at Xago Africa)

    Julian Oteng

    Director of Operations & Founder at Xago Africa
Revolutionizing Africa's Transportation
Benji Coetzee•David Ocholi•Witney Schneidman•Paul Sullivan•Admassu Tadesse

Transportation is vital to trade and commerce, and of course necessary to the movement of people who transact in goods and services. Transportation infrastructure—including roads, rail, bridges and ports—is crucial to spur economic and social activity within individual countries and to support regional integration within Africa. In recent years, new developments in the technology sector have shaken-up the continent’s transport industry. Many innovations in the transport sector – from drones and apps to payment and tracking mechanisms – are becoming more widely available and are reducing the time and cost of transportation.
Panelists will discuss the innovative technologies that are positively “disrupting” the transportation space and highlight novel and well-tailored incentives for transportation project developers and investors across the continent.

  • Benji Coetzee (CEO of Empty Trips)

    Benji Coetzee

    CEO of Empty Trips
  • David Ocholi (Commercial Manager, Global Trade Digitization at Maersk)

    David Ocholi

    Commercial Manager, Global Trade Digitization at Maersk
  • Witney Schneidman (Senior International Advisor for Africa at Covington & Burling LLP)

    Witney Schneidman

    Senior International Advisor for Africa at Covington & Burling LLP
  • Paul Sullivan (Senior Vice President - International at Acrow Bridge)

    Paul Sullivan

    Senior Vice President - International at Acrow Bridge
  • Admassu Tadesse (President and CEO of Trade and Development Bank)

    Admassu Tadesse

    President and CEO of Trade and Development Bank
Lunch
Economic Dividends of Air Connectivity
Adefunke Adeyemi•Cheryle Jackson•Vuyani Jarana•Esther Ndichu•Sean Smith

The aviation sector in Africa illustrates that non-physical barriers – including inadequate regulation or uncoordinated government action – can create impediments to infrastructure development. According to a survey by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), if only 12 key African countries opened their markets and increased connectivity, an additional 155,000 jobs and US$1.3 billion in annual GDP would be created in those markets. So far, 23 countries have pledged to remove non-physical barriers to air routes and ultimately create a single aviation area across the continent. In particular, businesses operating on the continent would benefit from the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) through increased intra-connectivity, expanded access to new markets, improved trade facilitation, and anticipated growth in tourism.

Panelists will discuss how the aviation industry is positioning itself to benefit from SAATM.

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

    Adefunke Adeyemi

    Regional Head, Member and External Relations, Africa and Middle East at International Air Transport Association (IATA)
  • Cheryle Jackson (Vice President, Global Business Development at AAR Corp)

    Cheryle Jackson

    Vice President, Global Business Development at AAR Corp
  • Vuyani Jarana (Chief Executive Officer at South African Airways)

    Vuyani Jarana

    Chief Executive Officer at South African Airways
  • Esther Ndichu (Managing Director of UPS South Africa)

    Esther Ndichu

    Managing Director of UPS South Africa
  • Sean Smith (President-Africa at Honeywell)

    Sean Smith

    President-Africa at Honeywell
Leveraging Technology to Improve African Healthcare Infrastructure
Ernest Darkoh•Peter Mehlape•Jeffrey Sturchio

Access continues to be a major challenge to healthcare delivery in Africa, with fewer than 50% of Africans having access to modern health facilities. Healthcare is also losing an estimated $300 billion per year in untapped data integration. Better access to state-of-the-art facilities, medical equipment and secure healthcare data will empower both patients and healthcare providers, lower costs, and improve outcomes. Through innovations in public-private partnerships, procurement processes and big data analytics, healthcare providers can enhance how information is shared, improve medical supply chains and strengthen service delivery.

Panelists in this session will address: utilizing PPPs and technology to close the healthcare gap; leveraging available/existing data to strengthen healthcare systems; exploring new technologies and data visualization for swift decision making; and how we can successfully use these tools/strategies in health systems on the continent.

  • Ernest Darkoh (Co-founder and Co-CEO of BroadReach)

    Ernest Darkoh

    Co-founder and Co-CEO of BroadReach
  • Peter Mehlape (Managing Director, South Africa of Medtronic)

    Peter Mehlape

    Managing Director, South Africa of Medtronic
  • Jeffrey Sturchio (Chairman, Corporate Council on Africa & CEO of Rabin Martin)

    Jeffrey Sturchio

    Chairman, Corporate Council on Africa & CEO of Rabin Martin
Project Finance

Project finance provides a viable solution to Africa’s infrastructure deficit, which the African Development Bank estimates to be in the range of $130-170 billion per annum. Within Sub-Saharan Africa, this financing technique has been used to mobilize private sector investment across a range of sectors, including oil and gas, mining, power, transport and water as well as social infrastructure projects, such as hospitals and prisons. Implementing project finance transactions in Sub-Saharan Africa can present investors with major challenges, including policy uncertainty, insufficient political will, and weak regulatory environments, but major opportunities as well.
In this panel discussion, we consider how sponsors, lenders and other participants can successfully develop projects through various strategies, including risk analysis and mitigation, engagement with regulators and dispute resolution.

Need Based Innovation
Shafin Anwarsha•Bola Bardet•Neil Gordon•Justine Letard•Nicole Smith•Tania Habimana

What happens when a continent skips an era, enters directly into the digital age, having left all its fundamental needs unresolved? Needs are resolved using innovation & digital technologies.

As recent trends and reports have demonstrated, Africa has been at the forefront of revolutionary, pioneering techniques that emanated from a fundamental need as opposed to a desire to improve or transform current technologies as can be seen in neighboring developed economies. Today more than ever, African countries are realizing this latent potential and seeking out new opportunities for growth to move beyond business as usual through encouragement of such innovations through the emergence of incubation hubs and acceleration programs. Indeed, since the World Bank’s African tech hub study, the number of active tech hubs across Africa has grown by over 50%: from 314 in 2016 to 442 hubs now active on the continent. However, despite this formalization of innovation, the continents particularity lies in its diversification. The question lies in the continent’s ability to scale and leverage these innovations to benefit society at large.

This panel will visit the concept of needs-based innovation and its implication on the African continent, from creating a new generation of tech-savvy schoolers to digitally-operated smart cities and institutions.

To inspire and acknowledge Africa’s tech advancements, the panelists will share their innovations, experience bringing these to life and discuss the future of needs-based innovation on a continent that is forever growing.

  • Shafin Anwarsha (Co-founder and Head of Product at Giraffe)

    Shafin Anwarsha

    Co-founder and Head of Product at Giraffe
  • Bola Bardet (Founder & CEO of Susu)

    Bola Bardet

    Founder & CEO of Susu
  • Neil Gordon (CEO of Global Agricultural Exchange (GAEX))

    Neil Gordon

    CEO of Global Agricultural Exchange (GAEX)
  • Justine Letard (Business Development Consultant at EmptyTrips)

    Justine Letard

    Business Development Consultant at EmptyTrips
  • Nicole Smith (Chief Operating Officer at Aldelano)

    Nicole Smith

    Chief Operating Officer at Aldelano
  • Tania Habimana (Co-founder of NONZeRO)

    Tania Habimana

    Co-founder of NONZeRO
Registration/Check-in
Plenary | Catching the Broadband Wave
Kalidou Gadio•Charmaine Houvet•Mohale Ralebitso•Pierre Guislain

Africa has experienced an ICT revolution because of gains in mobile connectivity. In 2017, the continent had 444 million unique mobile subscribers and 747 million sim connections. In 2017, the mobile industry contributed 7.1 % of the continent’s GDP, about $110 billion - expected to reach $150 billion in 2022. Mobile connectivity has facilitated consumer access to education, health, government and financial services, and more. The next wave of growth in the ICT sector will come through broadband connectivity which represented 38% of total mobile connectivity in 2017 and is expected to reach 87% in 2025. Actors in the ICT sector have recognized the multiplier effect of broadband and are positioning themselves through investment and innovation in this technology.

The panelists will discuss how broadband connectivity is reshaping the ICT sector and how they are investing to benefit from the next growth wave.

  • Kalidou Gadio (Co-Chair Africa & MENA Practice at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLC)

    Kalidou Gadio

    Co-Chair Africa & MENA Practice at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLC
  • Charmaine Houvet (Public Policy Director Africa of Cisco South Africa)

    Charmaine Houvet

    Public Policy Director Africa of Cisco South Africa
  • Mohale Ralebitso (CEO and Co-founder of Ralco Investments)

    Mohale Ralebitso

    CEO and Co-founder of Ralco Investments
  • Pierre Guislain (Vice President, Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization at African Development Bank)

    Pierre Guislain

    Vice President, Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization at African Development Bank
Networking Break
Meeting Africa’s Rising Energy Demands
Adesua Dozie•Babatunde Fashola•Richard Nelson•Gbemi Otudeko

Although power output has increased across the African continent over the last decade, it generally falls short of household and commercial demand. Rationing of electricity is far too prevalent, hindering manufacturing and industrial development and dampening investor confidence. Broadening the “energy mix”, i.e the composition of the primary energy sources – has been necessary to increase volume, affordability and sustainability of power supply.
Panelists will highlight how technology facilitates the price-efficient use of different sources of energy in electricity power supply on the continent.

  • Adesua Dozie (General Counsel at General Electric Africa)

    Adesua Dozie

    General Counsel at General Electric Africa
  • Babatunde Fashola (Minister of Power, Works and Housing at Federal Republic of Nigeria)

    Babatunde Fashola

    Minister of Power, Works and Housing at Federal Republic of Nigeria
  • Richard Nelson (Deputy Coordinator at Power Africa)

    Richard Nelson

    Deputy Coordinator at Power Africa
  • Gbemi Otudeko (Investment Professional at Actis)

    Gbemi Otudeko

    Investment Professional at Actis
Increasing Local Participation in Infrastructure Development
Olanike Anani•Emmy Leeka•Masilo Fisha

Stronger participation by SMEs in global markets creates opportunities to scale up and enhance productivity, by accelerating innovation, knowledge transfer of technology and managerial know-how, and by broadening and deepening skillsets needed in infrastructure development. This session will address strategies for SME integration into largescale infrastructure projects on the continent.

  • Olanike Anani (Chief Investment Officer at Deux Project Ltd)

    Olanike Anani

    Chief Investment Officer at Deux Project Ltd
  • Emmy Leeka (CEO of Barloworld Equipment Southern Africa)

    Emmy Leeka

    CEO of Barloworld Equipment Southern Africa
  • Masilo Fisha (Partner and Founder of Fisha Attorneys)

    Masilo Fisha

    Partner and Founder of Fisha Attorneys
Lunch
Closing Plenary | Strategic Investment in Emerging Markets
Pascal Agboyibor•Justin DeAngelis•Peter Sullivan•Phumzile Langeni•Jonathan Nash

African government budget resources, in partnership with various multilateral finance institutions, have traditionally been the primary source of infrastructure financing. However, in the recent years, the scope of funding sources has expanded from both foreign government and private financier sources. The amount of financing needed to close the continent’s infrastructure deficit is a small fraction of that potentially available in the international financial system. Nonetheless, the so-called financing gap for infrastructure projects remains. The answer to this anomaly may well turn on the terms of financing and whether financing is being appropriately directed to develop and execute viable projects.

This panel of U.S. and African institutional investors will discuss their complementary and perhaps competing roles towards filing the financing gap in the Africa infrastructure sector.

  • Pascal Agboyibor (Attorney at Law at Orrick)

    Pascal Agboyibor

    Attorney at Law at Orrick
  • Justin DeAngelis (Managing Director of Denham Capital Management)

    Justin DeAngelis

    Managing Director of Denham Capital Management
  • Peter Sullivan (Managing Director, Head of Public Sector Africa at Citi)

    Peter Sullivan

    Managing Director, Head of Public Sector Africa at Citi
  • Phumzile Langeni (Presidential Special Investment Envoy at Republic of South Africa)

    Phumzile Langeni

    Presidential Special Investment Envoy at Republic of South Africa
  • Jonathan Nash (Chief Operating Officer at Millenium Challenge Corporation)

    Jonathan Nash

    Chief Operating Officer at Millenium Challenge Corporation