About The Africa (Business and Leadership) Forum

The Africa (Business and Leadership) Forum is a platform for eminent and emerging leaders from different sections of society from around Africa and the Commonwealth to discuss leadership and innovation in Africa. TAF serves a platform for intergenerational exchange of ideas and opinions about practical challenges facing the continent, and opportunities available on the continent.

Through this forum, CAFI draws together African business, political and societal leaders with global preeminent companies and policymakers in order to forge stronger trade and investment ties. The Forum aims at bringing together shrewd entrepreneurs, key opinion leaders and social influencers, CEO’s and selected politicians and non-governmental organizations to develop fresh commercial and social concepts that shape business, as well as economic thought and institutions.

A convergence of young African leaders, Africans in diaspora, international business leaders and innovative entrepreneurs, distinguished leaders from top companies, innovative start-ups, government, and civil society from across Africa to have an inspired and focused discussion on enterprise, growth and leadership and doing business in/with Africa, the Forum features fresh, actionable and inspiring leadership content from a world-class faculty. Participants forms a dynamic and enthusiastic international community of global problem solvers for Africa.

TAF is intended to be a multi-stakeholder gathering, aiming to integrate different African diaspora communities to talk about the current issues in Africa and provide them a platform to share their advice and experience. The Forum is also an opportunity to enable the next generation of African economic and political leaders

With keynote addresses, interactive discussions and thought-provoking dialogues, as well as breakaway sessions, to enrich the participants’ overall knowledge and propose a substantial agenda for action, The Africa Forum brings some of the powerful leading voices from across the continent and the Commonwealth under one roof to churn out promising ways to secure Africa’s future and contribute to next phase of growth and development on the continent.  

While providing a platform to discuss critical issues pertaining to the development of the continent and the role of Africans in the diaspora in driving the much needed change in African communities, the Forum also offers a platform for young leaders to explore their beliefs and sharpen their skills, while affording them an opportunity to develop systems thinking and gain skills to participate in processes on a local and global level, on the side-lines of the Forum.

We invite you to leverage the Forum as a resource to transform yourself, your community and Africa, while also connecting with Africa’s decision makers.

The Africa Forum Canada 2018: Africa. Open for Business.

Forging stronger business ties between North America and (Commonwealth) Africa

The Canadian edition of The Africa Forum is conceived as a high level thematic business-related event with the vision that Canada and Africa must move beyond donor/recipient relationship towards long-term cooperation based on principles of ownership, partnership and solidarity.

Africa is a continent of paradox. It has buckets of possibility and investment opportunity, and it is well on the path to achieving that full potential however if still faces a multitude of challenges.

Convening over 300 delegates and a number of high profile speakers, the Canada Forum will offer unrivalled insight into business on the continent from the boldest innovators and decision makers in Africa. A gala dinner will close the Forum which will focus on Doing Business in Africa, with the theme: Africa, Open for Business.

Three of the five fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa. Africa has 300+ tech hubs in 93 cities across 42 countries. Increased internet penetration, mass urbanization and growth in smartphone adoption, combined with rapid population growth, and has made Africa extremely attractive to investors.

Africa is the continent of the future: Africa is home to the world’s youngest population. In 20 years, the number of sub-Saharan Africans reaching working age (15-64) will exceed that of the rest of the world combined. By 2040, less than 25 years from now, half of the world’s youth will be African or of African descent.

Canada and North America cannot afford to ignore Africa: African innovators and entrepreneurs are utilizing new technologies to develop tailored inventions for Africa and transform industries. Opportunities are boundless as mobile-fuelled tech adoption flourishes. Mobile and digital are set to do for health care what it has helped achieve for finance in Africa— overcome a lack of physical infrastructure.

The Forum will bring together African and North American business leaders representing multi-nationals, large corporations, small and medium-scale enterprises and confederations, and multilateral and regional institutions to discuss how to improve the business and investment climate between Africa, Canada and North America at large.

TAF Canada will also be an opportunity to showcase that Canada is also open for business and investment and the forum will showcase Canadian opportunities to African investors. In the words of Prime Minister Trudeau at the World Economic Forum “We have a diverse and creative population, outstanding education and health care systems, and advanced infrastructure, we have social stability, financial stability and a government willing to invest in the future”.

TAF Canada will draw together African business and political leaders with Canada’s preeminent companies and policymakers in order to:

• Forge stronger trade and investment ties by capitalizing on the tremendous potential to increase commerce, create jobs, build economic partnerships and promote sustainable development.
• Develop fresh commercial and social concepts that shape business, as well as economic and political thought and institutions.
• Strengthen the relationship between Canadian and African business communities.