Jonathan Katzenellenbogen
25 January 2006
Johannesburg — AFRICA is gradually slipping down the agenda of the World Economic Forum's (WEF's) annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland, which begins today. Instead, China and India will be centre of attention.
While Africa will not dominate the agenda, there will be a number of African leaders in Davos.
President Thabo Mbeki, a regular attendee in the past, will not be there, but Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Emilio Guebuza of Mozambique will, as will new Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
The reason Africa has been downgraded is because the WEF, the Swiss-based foundation that arranges summits around the world, needs new themes every year.
China has been high on the agenda for a number of years. What is new this year at Davos is the growing international interest in India, largely because of the country's size and rapid growth.
In respect of China, the overriding question that those who make the big investment decisions will be asking is whether India, a squabbling democracy, can grow as consistently fast as rigidly ruled China.
It was at Davos back in the early 1990s that SA made some of its early steps towards re-entry into the international community, and where the initial thinking behind the New Partnership for Africa's Development was presented.
This year there are only three sessions that focus entirely on Africa: one on what business can do about hunger on the continent and another called Next Steps for Africa. The third is on Chinese investment in Africa.
According to the programme, the meeting will deal with what leaders can do to ensure that there is progress on the African continent and ensuring the promises of the Group of Eight leaders made at their summit last year are met, as well as look at the impact on the continent of the Doha trade round.
Other sessions, such as that on The Great Game, will look at the new strategic importance of west Africa and central Asia because of rising oil production.
Another will focus on business and human rights
Davos does provide an ideal opportunity for recently elected leaders to be seen on stage by some of the bosses of the world's largest corporations, their hangers-on, and the television cameras. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be there.
A number of big South African bosses will also be in the Swiss ski resort, including Brian Bruce, CE of Murray & Roberts, Thulani Gcabashe, CE of Eskom, Patrice Motsepe, executive chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, and Lazarus Zim, CE of Anglo American SA.
Those left at home, but who want to at least say they saw Angelina Jolie or Microsoft boss Bill Gates in the corridor, may well whinge about what a waffle shop Davos tends to be.
The WEF likes to market itself heavily on the basis of who is there and the steady news flow it provides for television. The apparent fading away of antiglobalisation protests means that the focus for the moment is on who important says what on the issues of the day.
But the grand theme at Davos this year is an age-old one, "the creative imperative". However, the WEF says there is new urgency to this as it deals with how firms need to be more like Apple, with its iPod, and Google, rather than like the largest retailer in the world, Wal Mart.
Because it was taking massive early advantage of globalisation the US retailer was the source of admiration and awe just a few years ago. The issue according to the WEF is what do companies do now that they have "digitised, right-sized, and globalised"?
Now according to a WEF blurb, the admiration has shifted to a new generation of companies that are "creative, innovative, and design-led, connecting the company more directly with the customer needs and aspirations, and anticipating new demands".
After solving the problem of how to become more creative, those in Davos may want to relax by attending the session on Out of body experiences: All in the Mind.
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