How Wamkele Mene made African free trade a priority at the World Economic Forum

He wasn’t the most prominent decision-maker at Davos from January 17-20, but the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) secretary-general, South African Wamkele Mayne, was a constant presence throughout the week in Switzerland.

With the COVID-19 pandemic under control, AfCFTA aims to bring this historic agreement back to the center of international dialogue between African decision makers and their international partners, following the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Wamkele, upon being appointed to his post in 2020, initially suffered from a lack of connection Within various professional circles, the Secretary-General has therefore since then focused on expanding his professional circle in the best interest of the AfCFTA.

In recent days, colleague Patrick McGill, a former member of the African delegation to the World Economic Forum (WEF), has come to his aid.

ODI Support

This time, Wamkele was able to count on the support of the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), a British think tank. On 17 January, he was the main panellist at the ODI’s impromptu conference that week, alongside Chipoka Mulenga, Zambia’s commerce minister, stressing the importance of Public Private Partnerships To establish an African Free Trade Area.

Hosted by ODI chief executive Sarah Pantuliano, it is not the first time that ODI has offered Wamkele a platform for his arguments. Last October, Pantuliano hosted an hour-long online debate promoting Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s initiatives during his time at the African Union.

Made in 1960, ODI is mainly funded by the British Government And some other Western countries, such as France, are receiving donations from charities led by Bill and Melinda Gates, Pierre Omidyar and IKEA. Bissau-Guinean economist Carlos Lopes serves as a visiting researcher and Frankie Léotier, Tanzanian civil engineer, international finance consultant and partner at Southbridge Bank, sits on its board of directors.

In May 2021, Pantuliano received £18.4m of funding from the British Foreign Office, to support negotiations around the application of the AfCFTA to the British Foreign Office for the period between 2022 and 2026. He then entered into a deal with a German collaboration for production. Several studies highlight the opportunities offered by the implementation of free trade zones.

WEF report

The work of the ODI is widely cited in the AfCFTA report published by the WEF on 18 January, in which Wamkele participated.

This sparked debate to bring together other African leaders such as Najla Bouden of Tunisia Felix Tshisekedi of the DRC, and Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, In the presence of WEF President Børge Brende and leaders of large multinational corporations such as Novartis, Volkswagen and Coca-Cola.

On the same day, Wamkele was present at the Maison de l’Afrique to preside over a session on continental trade. “AFCFTA is more than an agreement. It is a roadmap for economic development.

Wamkele’s lobbying marathon ended the next day, beginning with Acha Leke, the Cameroonian-born chairman of McKinsey in Africa, followed by an event organized by the Africa Collective, a platform to promote intercontinental exchanges.

Standing before an audience of multinational investors and corporate leadership, The Left made its argument for growth and increased trade With Ian Williamson, Managing Director of Old Mutual Ltd, and Claire Akamanzi, Managing Director of the Rwanda Development Board.

South African aims, as stated, will be to lift 50 million people out of poverty before 2035, increase continental income by 8%, intra-African exports by 109% and exports to other regions of the world by 32%. Destiny will happen.

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