Forum celebrates the bold visions of business people in Africa, including Trevor Manuel and Dolika Banda
12 March 2016
With a burgeoning youth population, stabilizing political landscape, and an abundance of natural resources, Africa is often hailed as the next global economic powerhouse.
The Oxford Business Forum Africa will explore the reality of business in Africa and the true opportunities and challenges to starting, consolidating, and scaling businesses there. By learning directly from leading business people working in Africa, the Forum focuses on understanding the interconnected nature of business, the diversity of markets and consumers in African countries, and the innovative approaches business adopt to maximise their impact.
The theme ‘Unreasonable Africa’ celebrates individuals who are finding solutions and opportunities beyond the expected, who are challenging the status quo, and whose bold visions and decisions have led to exceptional successes.
Key sessions of the Forum will be livestreamed and people all over the world can participate in the discussions by submitting questions to twitter; more information is available here.
Hosted jointly by Saïd Business School, Oxford University, and the Oxford Business Network for Africa, led by current Oxford MBA students, the Forum will convene over 30 speakers from pioneering start-ups, leading financial institutions and corporate companies, NGOs, and government.
Speakers include:
- Trevor Manuel, Former Finance Minister of South Africa
- Dolika Banda, Independent Consultant, and former Managing Director of the CDC Group
- Katlego Maphai, Managing Director of Yoco
- Tara Fela-Durotoye, Founder and CEO of House of Tara
- Ladi Delano, Founder of Grace Lakes Partners
- Colin Coleman, Managing Director of Goldman Sachs
- Doug de Villiers, CEO of Interbrand Africa
- Nonhlanhla Masina, Co-Founder of African School for Excellence
- Akinwole Omoboriowo, CEO of Genesis Electricity
- Joshua Rugema, Managing Director of H20 Venture Partners
The programme and full list of speaker is available here.
Oxford Saïd is proudly at the forefront of promoting the African growth story, and continues to be an advocate for greater levels of investment into talent from across Africa. The School has committed for at least 10% of the MBA class to come from Africa and is on target to reach this goal. The Oxford Business Forum Africa is one of a multitude of ways Oxford Saïd highlights African business, for more information see here.
For further information, please contact the press office:
Kate Richards, Press Officer,
Mobile: +447711000521; Tel: +441865 288879
Email: kate.richards@sbs.ox.ac.uk
Notes to Editors
About Saïd Business School
Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford blends the best of new and old. We are a vibrant and innovative business school, but yet deeply embedded in an 800 year old world-class university. We create programmes and ideas that have global impact. We educate people for successful business careers, and as a community seek to tackle world-scale problems. We deliver cutting-edge programmes and ground-breaking research that transform individuals, organisations, business practice, and society. We seek to be a world-class business school community, embedded in a world-class University, tackling world-scale problems.
ENDS
