South African President Thabo Mbeki to Deliver Keynote Address at Opening Gala of 2007 U.S.-Africa Business Summit, November 14th in Cape Town, South Africa

6 September 2007
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Corporate Council on Africa (Washington, DC)
press release

Washington, D.C. — South African President Thabo Mbeki will officially kick off The Corporate Council on Africa's (CCA) 2007 U.S.-Africa Business Summit by delivering the keynote address at the event's Opening Gala, November 14, 2007 at The Cape Town Convention Centre, it was announced today.

Through his address, President Mbeki will set the tone for the three-day Summit, emphasizing the importance of development and growth of U.S.-Africa trade and investment relations.

Hosted every two years, this is CCA's sixth Summit, but the first-ever to be held in Africa. More than 1,500 participants are expected to attend.

Appropriately titled "Africa: Entering the Door to Opportunities," the Summit will provide a forum for some of the world's top global business leaders to discuss trade and investment opportunities in Africa, best practices, and how best to increase trade and investment in ways that will help engender sustainable growth on the continent.

"We are pleased to welcome His Excellency President Thabo Mbeki as the opening keynote speaker of the Summit," said CCA PRESIDENT STEPHEN HAYES. "Long known as the gateway to Africa and a popular destination for trade and investment amongst leading U.S. companies, South Africa has developed a global economic foothold.   Many African nations are following suite and growing in economic influence as the developed world pays closer attention to commercial opportunities that exist throughout Africa."

The 2007 Summit will feature business trade missions led by a diverse pool of U.S. organizations, to nearly 30 African nations. In an unprecedented offering, Summit delegates will have an opportunity to explore business prospects in an additional African country, immediately following the Summit in Cape Town. Each trade mission will feature a financing expert.

The U.S.-Africa Business Summit will include sector-specific plenary sessions, workshops, business networking opportunities, and a two-day trade expo where businesses will showcase their products, services, and capabilities to potential buyers and customers throughout Africa. Sessions will focus on key sectors including, infrastructure development, mining, agribusiness, telecommunications, energy, transportation, and sports and tourism among numerous others.

To date, corporations including Chevron, Merck, ExxonMobil, Boeing, 3M, Cargill, General Motors, Chrysler, Hewlett-Packard, Development Bank of Southern Africa, and Lazare Kaplan International; as well as media outlets including New African, African Business, Africa Investor, Corporate Africa, and Institutional Investor, have come together as sponsors of the upcoming Summit.

CCA's U.S.-Africa Business Summits have a stellar track record of attendees and high-powered workshop and plenary sessions. Former World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, President George W. Bush, South Africa President Thabo Mbeki, and many other African Heads of State have participated in past Summits.

To find out more about the upcoming Summit visit www.africacncl.org.

CCA, established in 1993, is a nonpartisan 501 (c) (3) membership organization of nearly 200 U.S. companies dedicated to strengthening the commercial relationship between the U.S. and Africa.   CCA members represent nearly 85 percent of total U.S. private sector investments in Africa. The organization is dedicated to bringing together potential business partners and to showcase business opportunities on the continent.

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