Chairman: Pratibha Thaker, Regional Director, Africa, Economist Intelligence Unit
08.30 Registration and coffee
09.30 Chairman’s welcome
09.40 Economist Intelligence Unit briefing: The economic outlook for South Africa
• What will the global recovery look like and how will it affect Africa?
• South Africa's medium-term growth prospects
• Which sectors are best positioned to recover quickly?
• Where will domestic demand come from?
• How much of a boost will the World Cup give South Africa?
• Managing key monetary targets: inflation and the rand
• Benchmarking South Africa's competitiveness in the region
• What are the implications of China and India’s growing roles in the region?
• Questions and discussion
10.20 The business agenda: getting South Africa back on track
Off-the-record business panel
• Business leaders' priorities for reforms
• How can the government reduce uncertainty for investors?
• Is corruption hurting South African growth?
• The role of government and business in tackling the education challenge
• Does business need a more coherent approach to growing trade union demands?
• Regional instability and the implications for South Africa
• Questions and discussion
Panellists include:
Gareth Ackerman, Chairman, Pick’n Pay
Carlos Pone, Chief Executive Officer, ABB South Africa
Iqbal Surve, Chief Executive Officer, Sekunjalo Investments
11.40 Break
12.15 Economic policy and what it means for business
Off-the-record discussion with Pravin Gordhan, Minister of Finance
• The business impact of government spending plans
• What implications will the new Companies Act have for business?
• Providing financial services to the informal sector and the unbanked
• How is the government helping business cope with the financial crisis?
• …and what does the crisis mean for South Africa’s financial sector?
• The outlook for inflation targeting and exchange-rate policy
• What sort of taxation environment can business expect?
• Which public-private partnerships have proven the most successful?
• Questions and discussion
Panellists include:
Leslie Maasdorp, Vice-chairman, Absa Capital
Simpiwe Tshabalala, Chief Executive Officer, Standard Bank South Africa
13.30 Networking lunch
14.30 Strengthening the foundations of competitiveness
Off-the-record discussion with Rob Davies, Minister of Trade and Industry
and Ebrahim Patel, Minister of Economic Development
• Are businesses coping with the downturn or preparing for an upturn?
• Is infrastructure spending meeting the needs of the private sector?
• …and what will happen post-World Cup?
• Which sectors will give South Africa a competitive edge when recovery comes?
• How far are security concerns eroding the country’s competitiveness?
• Coping with the skills gap
• Black Economic Empowerment (BEE): which sectors have benefited? What is the future for BEE?
• Innovating to compete: developing South Africa's intellectual economy for the future
• Implications of the new industrial policy
• Global trade and protectionism: What are the real risks?
• Questions and discussion
Panellists include:
William Egbe, President, South Africa Business Unit, The Coca-Cola Company
Angelo Manzoni, Chief Executive Officer, Wesgro
Mark Wilson, Group Managing Director, Actom
15.45 Break
16.00 The electricity revamp: progress and prospects
Off-the-record discussion with Nelisiwe Magubane, Director General, Ministry of Energy
• How can South Africa meet rising demand for electricity?
• What plans are in place to develop the country’s power infrastructure?
• …and how will they be financed?
• Diversifying South Africa’s power sources: renewables and nuclear
• Increasing electricity tariffs: what are the implications for households and businesses?
• Questions and discussion
Panellists include:
David Kovarsky, Chief Executive Officer, International Ferro Metals SA
Dominique Mockly, Senior Executive Vice-president, International and Marketing, AREVA Group
17.15 Keynote address
Kgalema Motlanthe, Deputy President South Africa
- Open to the press -
18.15 Chairman's closing remarks and close of conference
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