By Arowona Abdulazeez
African Development Bank head Dr. Akinwumi A Adesina is in Johannesburg at the start of a three-day official visit to South Africa.
Adesina will meet South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and various government and industry leaders. He will discuss with them important global and regional concerns, the African Development Bank Group’s development agenda and South Africa’s potential for increased trade and investment with the rest of Africa.
On March 24, Adesina will make a speech at the opening ceremony of the South Africa Investment Forum. The South Africa Investment Forum convenes delegates from South Africa and the rest of the world. Its objective is to showcase the investment opportunities available in the country.
On Friday March 25 Adesina will be the keynote speaker ahead of a panel discussion organized by the African chapter of the Ambrosetti CEO Community. The African Development Bank chief will speak on the topic “Africa beyond Covid-19: a new era of opportunity.”
In Johannesburg, Adesina will also meet with G7 ambassadors accredited to South Africa. One of the key subjects of their discussion will be the Just Energy Transition agenda for South Africa, a strategy which aims to make the evolution towards a cleaner and greener energy future for the country, as fair as possible.
Senior officials of the African Development Bank will join Adesina in South Africa. They include Senior Vice President Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala, Solomon Quaynor, Vice President, Private Sector, Infrastructure & Industrialization, Yacine Fal, Acting Vice-President, Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery, Kevin Kariuki, Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth and Director General for the Southern Africa region, Leila Mokaddem.
The African Development Bank Group’s active portfolio in South Africa comprises 23 operations with a total commitment of about $4.5 billion in financing. Since 1997, the African Development Bank has invested nearly $7 billion in South Africa in energy and infrastructure.
