Africa is open for business and partnerships

[Standard Bank Team]

“Africa is now being taken seriously and is open for business and partnerships,” Standard Bank Group Chief Executive Sim Tshabalala told an audience yesterday at the first US-Africa Business Forum in Washington DC, USA.

The forum took place yesterday at the historic US Africa Leaders Summit. The business panel discussions and speeches by various global, American and African business and political leaders energetically grappled with expanding the new era for business in Africa; financing the Africa of tomorrow; and leading developments in infrastructure.

The Presidents of Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia and Tanzania raised the bar when they eloquently affirmed that this was an historic event. There is no doubt that Africa is now being taken seriously as it is rising and emerging. This event has helped cemented relations between African and Americans and the clear message is that Africa is open for business and partnerships.

It was remarkable to observe how attuned Standard Bank Group's purpose, vision, strategy and plans were in harmony with the issues that were discussed. We are on the right path.

The climax of the forum was President Obama's rousing closing speech where he confirmed that the US wanted to up its game in Africa by summarizing five concrete actions that were meant to increase trade and investment between Africa and the US and between African states.

These initiatives were extending and deepening AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act); helping US companies compete for business with Africans; partnering with Africans to build infrastructure; helping Africans trade with the US and with themselves; and doing more to empower a new generation of entrepreneurs.

As a business that calls Africa home, Standard Bank Group is well positioned to facilitate the business that will develop out of these deliberations.

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