South African exports, black economic empowerment, and economic inclusion will come into sharp focus at the inaugural Black Industrialists and Exporters Conference in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to give the keynote address at the event which will draw financiers, government, civil society and business leaders from across the country to the Sandton International Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
Six high-level panel discussions will focus on themes including assessing the impact of broad-based black economic empowerment; strengthening the impact of transformation; facilitating transformation; the role of supplier development and procurement; as well as the challenges and opportunities of financing black industrialists.
The conference will highlight how broad-based empowerment enables growth and job-creation strategies, specifically regarding the value it adds to the economy. The government’s black industrialists programme has, to date, empowered more than 800 black industrialists in competitive industries.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, the promotion of exports, and the government’s master plans to promote economic inclusion will also come into focus at the event. It will identify progress in the transformation of the economy and provide information on current efforts to increase exports, growth and job creation by black industrialists. Panellists will include government ministers, leaders in business, civil society and prominent black industrialists.
The event will also feature an exhibitors’ marketplace where industrialists will showcase their products, while the inaugural Presidential Awards for Excellence component of the event, will recognise excellence in business.
