iBuya Connecting Africa 2012 illustrates that Africa is on the move. In 2011 we dealt with local content; this year we have included the SADC region in pursuit of reaching out to the rest of the continent. There are action plans in place that are implementable in a period of four to five years with the aim of
moving the people of the continent forward. The Youth Conference will take the initiative further as young people are the future leaders and decisionmakers and must be aware of our agenda. Next year we will retain the theme of continental initiatives on connectivity and regional integration.
The support for regional integration in southern Africa by the SA Government is emphasized in the dti’s Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) 2012. Integration forms part of the Cross Border Road Transport Agency agenda of finding common goals towards addressing and improving transport, trade and economic development in the SADC region. The development of transport corridors is intrinsic to boosting integration and to creating a larger marketplace for Africa. Cooperation on development projects between the various countries on the North South Corridor will promote connectivity from Durban, to Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania. Similarly, the initiatives in the Maputo Corridor are unlocking potential in the region and enabling trade. On a local level the KwaZulu-Natal is taking note of its position as a “Gateway to Africa” by creating a vast logistics platform establishing an efficient supply chain network.
However regional integration cannot occur without infrastructure in place. An emphasis of this conference is the role played by transport in promoting connectivity. Transnet is a key role player and much capital has been earmarked for investment in projects that will build South Africa’s capacity to trade. Regional integration and infrastructure development require capacity and funds, which is a need identified in the SADC’s Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan). Nevertheless, Africa is increasingly being acknowledged as an attractive investment destination as emphasized in both Deloitte’s and Ernst and Young’s opinions.
The concepts of regional integration and co-operation are taken further through Peace Parks which create vast conservation areas that straddle national borders. Promoting these areas is just one of the goals of RETOSA, which also aims to promote tourism and investment awareness in the region.
While the role of government is apparent in making plans and putting policies in place, input from the business sector is pivotal to economic success. That Africa is attractive as a business destination is highlighted by the success of entities such as Standard Bank, MTN and Grindrod to name but a few. The necessity for the public and private sector to work together is well evidenced by the role
of Tongaat Hulett in a variety of KwaZulu-Natal’s flagship projects.
Of significance, we cannot forget the people of Africa. While we are trying to grow our economies, all enterprises, whether they are the construction of a railway, a road or transporting goods from a port, have impacts on the social welfare of the people’s lives. The work of the North Star Alliance highlights the human face of truck drivers in Africa and the harsh reality of their lives. Similarly the Phelophepa trains make a real difference in the lives of people who are reached by these remarkable mobile clinics.
Africa Day is held on 25 May each year to pay tribute to the people of the continent's rich heritage, diverse languages, ethnicity and cultural backgrounds. Our mother tongue language moulds our identity and affects the way we think and act, but through learning other languages we grow our life experience and connect with the people of our continent.
The future well being of Africa is evident in Africa’s spirit. May we celebrate our African Renaissance for the people of Africa and for the spirit of the youth of tomorrow. Africa must rise in leading the world rather than following it. “The darkest thing about Africa has always been our ignorance of it.” George Kimble