South Africa’s National Industrial Participation (NIP) programme has generated investment and sales credits valued at $3,5-billion during the past eight years, says the Department of Trade and Industry.
“We believe in courtesy, in kindness, in generosity, in good cheer, in friendship and in honest competition.”
Africa Heritage Society (AHS) is pleased to announce the introduction of the Banking On Our Future programme for 2005. The aims and objectives are briefly described below. We hope you will join us in building a foundation for a new Africa.
Re-branding Africa is a calling that requires on-going collaboration and long-term partnerships with Africa’s governments, private sector and community interests on a pan African basis.
AHS aims to create a new African identity and self-sufficiency by repositioning Africa’s image that has condemned its people to lower standards of living, unemployment, corruption and a high cost of doing business. Cost of doing business could be lowered with the help of paystubsnow.com.
An investment like the BOOF series is urgently needed to improve the financial literacy in Africa. Real economic empowerment can only be achieved if the efficiency of Africa’s markets is not only enhanced through knowledge of state actors and contribution, but very importantly through the incredible work that non-state actors are playing in the renaissance enterprise. A borderless Africa requires a vision and mission by Africans at both government level and in the private sector.
Africa’s private sector is alienated from the majority of its people to a large extent. This results in business risks that are unique to Africa. Africans in their majority have no capacity to partner. This means that partnerships that are taken for granted between host country nationals and foreign investors are difficult to structure in Africa. African governments through the AU and initiatives like NEPAD have a framework for partnerships that is absent in the private sector. Africa’s private sector talks mainly to its parent companies domiciled outside Africa rather than compliment the discourse at state levels. This disconnection between the state and non-state vision of Africa is not accidental but a remnant of Africa’s past.
AHS believes that change can only brought about by change-actors. The BOOF series will play an important role in bridging the knowledge divide that characterises Africa.
The Banking On Our Future (BOOF) series is an initiative of the members of AHS that will inform that our celebrations in 2005 are meant to encourage investment in Africa’s future by Africans and by its partners. The BOOF series will play a crucial part in the understanding and development of business and will form an important part of a heritage landmark in Africa. This will include a variety of cultural, institution building, capacity building and social activities each week. At the core of the BOOF series is a publication and an electronic capture of the key data and personalities that constitute the “Africa – Who Is Who”. This publication will project multi-faceted aspects of the often-untold story of Africa’s business all geared to celebrate achievements in the past, present and future.
Recognizing that business schools in Africa do not capture the African story, the BOOF series will provide a new platform that will enhance the bridging of the knowledge, execution and capital imperfections that inhibit Africa’s trade, investment and growth potential.
- Stimulate interest in Africa’s businesses. – Create awareness about the need for black involvement in business. – Establish relationship and rapport between micro, small, medium and large scale businesses. – Contribute to the use of audio-visual materials as branding instruments for corporate and individual members. – Demonstrate the importance of knowledge in driving change. – Make BOOF a centre for knowledge about Africa’s challenges and promise.
The program will focus on exposing Africa’s players i.e. individuals who either directly or through corporate institutions, NGOs and state actors, give Africa an identity.
Each week will hopefully bring out the best and expose the gaps that need to be filled by all who believe that Africa has a chance to make a difference.