Economist Impact has announced speakers for the inaugural Sustainability Week Africa scheduled to take place from Thursday, October 24 to Friday, October 25, 2024.

The two-day conference will bring together Pan-African and global leaders in-person at The Westin, Cape Town, South Africa.

The conference themed ‘‘Africa’s green industrial revolution’ is set to bring more than more than 500 delegates and 100 speakers to explore strategies towards a successful Pan-African sustainability initiative.

The Sustainability week Africa Is part of a successful series of sustainability events by the Economist Impact. The conference will focus on “Africa’s green industrial revolution” plus conversations on changing how businesses operate to achieve their sustainability goals.

In addition, the conference will delve into the areas of business and investment, providing original insights and solutions on how companies can support the continent in driving green growth, while avoiding the worst impacts of climate change.

Vijay Vaitheeswaran, the Global Energy and Climate innovation editor at The Economist will deliver the opening remarks, followed by keynote addresses from Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Tolupe Lewis Tamoka, Chief, Government Relations and Africa at the United Nations Global Compact.

With more than 500 delegates and 100 speakers confirmed, Sustainability Week Africa will welcome many figures from the sustainability community, including governmental officials, global investors and senior executives from key sectors such as retail, transportation, logistics, food and beverages, energy, agriculture, manufacturing, technology, finance, science, and civil society.

There will be other globally renowned speakers who will focus on Africa’s role as a global sustainability leader and explore strategies for enhancing Africa’s appeal to international investors, discussing insights from successful Pan-African sustainability initiatives.

The list of speakers expected at the Sustainability Week Africa include:

Mo Ibrahim, Founder and Chair, Mo Ibrahim Foundation
Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations
Nigar Arpadarai, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion, COP29
Carl Hermann Gustav Schlettwein, Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Republic of Namibia
Dan Marokane, Group Chief Executive Officer, Eskom
Stéphanie Mbombo, Presidential Special Envoy for New Climate Economy, Democratic Republic of Congo
Feroz Koor, Group Sustainability Officer, Woolworths Group
Mandisa Mabaso, Country Manager, South Africa, Rio Tinto
Barend Petersen, Executive Chairman, De Beers Group South Africa, Deputy Chair, Mining 2030 and Representative, Archbishop of Cape Town
Noluthando Gosa, Independent Non-Executive Director, MTN Group, Executive Director, Akhona Group, and Adviser, Sustainability Week Africa
Mpho Makwana, Former Chairman, Nedbank, Eskom and ArcelorMittal South Africa, Chairman, Epitome Investment, and Adviser, Sustainability Week Africa
Joseph Nganga, Vice President for Africa, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), and Adviser, Sustainability Week Africa
Vaughan Pierce, Chief Sustainability Officer, Pick n Pay

The programme will explore a variety of topics, including opportunities for the continent to strengthen its manufacturing capabilities and increase its share of the global value chain.

Discussions will also centre on sustainable growth for small businesses and suppliers across the continent, addressing the compatibility of sustainability with population growth and its implications for food security.

In addition, the event will highlight the potential of green jobs and explore collaborations between companies and the African youth and explore biodiversity’s crucial role in Africa and the benefits of intra-African trade for advancing sustainability.

Sustainability Week Africa will also include a CSO leaders club, curated networking sessions and cross-industry sessions aimed at leveraging synergies.

Sponsors of Sustainability Week Africa include Woolworths, Standard Bank, Nedbank, Boston Consulting Group, Amazon Web Services, Genesis Analytics, United Nations Global Compact, Webber Wentzel and the City of Cape Town.