Webinars

This virtual conference, the first and the largest of its kind, convenes thousands of c-suite executives and decision makers at African businesses, small and large, to present to them, from the highest ranks, with the ways in which the U.S. government can assist them in growing their businesses through trade, investment, and technical assistance, from both the U.S. public and private sectors.
Designed to serve African businesses, this virtual conference is a portal, a one stop shop, into the United States Government’s resources at the highest levels. The conference is structured as four virtual sessions taking place in one day.

This session examines the economic strategies that COVID-19 might accelerate for businesses in Africa. Featured speakers include Acha Leke, Senior Partner McKinsey Johannesburg, Chairman McKinsey Africa; Dr. John N. Nkengasong, Director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; and Vera Songwe, UN Under-Secretary-General and 9th Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

Dr. James Mwangi, Managing Director and CEO of Equity Group Holdings and Executive Chairman of the Equity Group Foundation is featured in this fireside chat with Harvard Business School Professor Caroline Elkins, as part of Africa.com’s webinar series Crisis Management for African Business Leaders. The session examines the COVID-19 crisis for Kenya and East Africa, and the changes that COVID-19 might accelerate for businesses and philanthropies.

Graça Machel and Melinda Gates will deliver a powerful call to action for public and private sector leaders to address gender equality as Africa undertakes its reconstruction efforts from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The webinar will take place on Africa.com, and the conversation will be moderated by Africa.com CEO, Teresa Clarke.

Digital Consumer Trends that Will Continue to Dominate Daily Life in Africa, explores the many ways in which African consumers have shifted towards digital products and services over the last three months. The discussion will explore how Africans are shifting towards delivery takeaways with UberEats, how telemedicine has taken a huge leap forward, how distance learning is gaining ground, and how contactless payments are the next big thing in the mobile payment space.

A moderated discussion on how governments / development partners / private sector along the agriculture value chain can respond to COVID-19 and specifically what opportunities this pandemic might provide to rethink our agriculture and food systems.

A moderated discussion on how the current crises, health and economic, have focussed a bright light on numerous social issues facing Africans including inequitable access to healthcare, the economic vulnerability of workers, occupational safety and wellbeing, temporary improvements in air and water quality resulting from lockdowns, police brutality and excessive use of force, disparities in access to technology, and more.

Drawing on insights from leading lawyers across Africa, this webinar focuses on how the law connects businesses, governments, and societies. Understanding Africa through this lens provides a unique perspective on Africa’s short, medium, and long-term response and strategy. In a time of legal uncertainty, this webinar also explores some of the substantive questions facing legal practitioners, as well as the developmental and social challenges the pandemic presents for African societies.

Six finalists were chosen from a wide field of applicants to compete on today’s Brilliant African Innovations Against COVID-19, a “Shark Tank” style contest in which entrepreneurs competed for prizes. The judges for the competition were Juliet Ehimuan, Director, West Africa-Google; Andile Ngcaba, Founding Partner and Chairman of Convergence Partners; Eric Osiakwan, Managing Partner of Chanzo Capital; and Adrian Vermooten, Head of Digital Innovation, Standard Bank. In addition, over 2,000 audience members voted for their innovator of choice.

Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa; Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, and David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.