Connecting the Dots: How CEO Africa is Driving Cross-Border Growth

Throwback Thursday to the hashtag#Africa hashtag#Prosperity hashtag#Dialogues in Accra, where the CEO Africa team met with policymakers, entrepreneurs, investors, and development leaders to explore what economic integration in Africa really means.

What was clear across all sessions was that the prosperity of the continent will be determined by how well ideas are implemented in systems that enable business growth across borders. With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat providing context on the creation of a single African market, the dialogue centred on how policy, finance, and innovation need to work together in a manner that ensures the opportunities presented by AfCFTA are accessible to businesses of all sizes.

The role of SMEs in growing the African economy was also a clear take-away from the dialogue. While it is recognized that small and medium-sized businesses are the biggest employers of labour in Africa, these businesses still face several structural barriers in growing beyond their borders.Involving women and youth is not just a need r from a social perspective; it is also the economic imperative for the full utilization of the productive potential of the people of Africa. From skill development to digital tools and online marketplaces, the dialogue reinforced the need to develop opportunities that allow more and more people to participate actively in the growing single market of Africa.

For the CEO Africa team, the Africa Prosperity Dialogues were an opportunity to learn and engage with the growing community of stakeholders who are working towards the development of the entrepreneurship landscape of Africa. We will continue to make an impact in business development and access to finance!