Sustaining growth through partnerships

Investment opportunities, innovations in business and partnerships will top the agenda as over 150 African Business Leader plan to attend the African Leadership Magazine's East African Business Summit and Awards 2018. The event with the theme, Sustaining East Africa's Economic growth through Partnerships, will attract business leaders from 15 sectors, including construction, energy, manufacturing, banking and financial services, amongst others.

Already confirmed to attend this event on the 20-21 July, are business leaders from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa and Nigeria amongst others.

During this event, African Union Commissioner for Trade and Industry, Albert Muchanga, will also discuss the benefits of the recently launched African Free Trade Areas, to the continent's business leaders.

East Africa remains the fastest-growing sub region in Africa, with an estimated growth of 5.6% in 2017, up from 4.9% in 2016. Growth is also expected to remain buoyant, reaching 5.9% in 2018 and firming further to 6.1% in 2019. However, the sub-region as well as Africa's industrialisation aspiration lies beyond these numbers.

Sustainable growth requires strategic regional interaction, collaborations and partnerships, among business leaders in the region and the continent at large. To this extent, the African Union and other regional and continental blocks are pushing for closer ties and more business-to -business engagements, within the sub-region and continent at large. Intra-Africa trade has become a buzzword on the continent. The AU's ambitious drive to boost intra-Africa trade stems from a recent findings which show that trade volume in sub-Saharan Africa will more than triple by 2030, from 102.6 million tonnes in 2009 to 384 million tonnes.

Thus, sustainable economic growth and development as well as Africa's industrialisation aspirations are only realisable within the context of a connected continent. This event seeks to provide a unique platform for strategic engagement, networking and business promotion. It is also an avenue for rewarding business excellence, and best practice in East Africa's business landscape