AFRICA CONNECT

Releasing the full potential...

In recent years the liberalization of trade, investment and finance and the technological revolution in information and communications have engulfed the world in a surging globalization process. Africa has the potential to fully participate in its benefits. An important international business conference on Africa called AFRICA CONNECT, jointly sponsored by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD WWW Server) and the South African Council of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC - South African Council), is to take place in Johannesburg - Midrand, South Africa, on May 2-4, 1996 with the aim of:

• promoting awareness of the potential and opportunities for creating business linkages in Africa.
• providing an environment for effective business networking.

Here is your opportunity to connect with ...

• African firms which have viable operations in the region.
• Non-regional transnational corporations (TNCs) that are currently investing in Africa.
• Other TNCs interested in knowing more about the African market and investment climate.
• African Chambers of Commerce and Industry, African Investment Promotion Agencies and other business organisations.
• Key Government officials, including Ministers of Trade and Industry and Ministers of Finance.

• The three-day business conference of 500 or so participants is deliberately timed to coincide with UNCTAD IX, a high-level intergovernmental conference (with its estimated 3000 participants) that will be taking place over a two-week period at the same venue in South Africa and whose agenda focuses on issues of globalization, liberalization and enterprise development. Many Heads of Government and Ministers of Trade, Industry, Commerce and Finance will attend the global intergovernmental gathering, and an opportunity will therefore be provided for regional businessmen and top executives of transnational corporations to interact with the key policy formulators and decision-makers in both Africa and the rest of the world.
  
• The Conference format has been designed to create an interactive business environment that can facilitate networking and result in the initiation of real commercial deals in the world's last great business frontier.

Sites of interest:

• UNCTAD Trade Point Development Centre (UNTPDC)
• UNTPDC Africa home page
• ICC World Business Organisation home page
• UNCTAD Trade Efficiency Initiative
• WAIPA World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies