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Africa, a Business Case

Opportunities for Start-ups and International Investors

“Europa should stop think of Africa as charity case. It is a business case!”
Dr. Oby Ezekwesili
Founder and CEO of Human Capital Africa, former minister of education of Nigeria, at Global Perspectives Dinner Circle "Governance on Africa" (2020)

Africa, a Business Case

April 5, 2022

Gebrüder Fritz Mitte, Hackescher Markt

The start-up sector in Europe is booming. 60 percent of investors take ESG criteria into account when investing. This emphasizes the strong trend toward impact investing and that profit does not exclude impact. This trend is mirrored in Africa’s neighboring continent, as shown through the article series on “Entrepreneurship in Africa” by brand eins. Venture development in Africa has peaked, and the chances and needs for further investments are enormous. This reveals many opportunities, also for international investors. As the impact of creating new business in African markets is substantial, creating new enterprises in Africa can also fulfill investors’ thirst for effects.

Together with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and brand eins, we highlighted best practices of young African companies such as Lori Systems to set the scene for the dialogue on opportunities and challenges of impactful investments in Africa: Why Europeans should invest now? How should and could investors be supported in this endeavor? What are the challenges investors are facing? What can be done to facilitate investments in Africa? Where are most business opportunities? What are African ventures’ needs?

In conversation with ...

Jean-Claude Homawoo | Co-Founder Lori Systems
On the mismatch between the perception of German investors and the reality on African ground.
Sophia Bogner & Paul Hertzberg | brand eins
On business journalism and the African Dream.
Christian Hiller | CEO Africa Partners GmbH
On implementing institutional frameworks for investments in Africa.
Erick Yong | CEO Greentec Capital Partners
On the role of green technologies and sustainable growth in Africa.
Benedikt Hoffmann | CEO AfriKairos
On intercontinental knowledge transfer and the future of the African continent.

Salon

Continuous dialogue creates awareness for the urgent questions of our time. In salons, renowned experts open the discussion with our selected guests from business, politics and society.

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Global Perspectives Initiative is a non-profit and independent dialogue platform based in Berlin, Germany. Global Perspectives works towards enhanced engagement and responsibility for sustainable development by German and European decision-makers and aims to strengthen African perspectives in policy making. To this end, Global Perspectives regularly brings together decision-makers from business, academia, politics, media, and civil society to discuss new approaches, provide new impulses and raise awareness on the common opportunities and challenges the two neighboring continents are facing.

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