HARARE - A leading African economic think-tank, Africainvestor, will in June host an investment summit in Harare to showcase business opportunities in Zimbabwe and on the continent, in a sign of growing confidence in the country fowling formation of a unity government two months ago.
The Pan-African Investment Climate summit conference that will run from
June 23 to 25 and will include a Zimbabwe day devoted to assessing
and exploring investment opportunities in the country and possible ways
to raise funding for such projects.
With the recent inclusive government between MDC and Zanu (PF),
several international development finance institutions and investment
funds are now actively assessing projects in Zimbabwe, making this the
perfect opportunity for astute investors operating in the Southern
African Development Community to assess the situation on the ground and
secure early mover advantage, Africainvsetor said in statement last
week.
A Zimbabwe donor round table will take place as part of the Zimbabwe
day, offering investors insights on new funding available for projects
in Zimbabwe, the think-tank added.
Africainvestor is a specialist investment communications firm advising
governments, international organisations and businesses on
communication strategies for capital market and foreign direct
investments in Africa.
The think-tank also publishes a magazine on investing and investments
in Africa, The Africainvestor, which is widely regarded as the leading
international newsstand magazine for Africa's investment decision
makers.
Analysts see the conference that will bring Africa's rich and leading
investment advisors to Zimbabwe only weeks after a Common Market East
and Southern Africa (COMESA) summit to take place in Victoria Falls in
the first week of June, as a huge boost for investment confidence in
the country.
According to Africainvestor, the June summit is supported by the United
Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the NEPAD Business
Group, NEPAD, SABC International, China Africa Business Council, and
Association for the Promotion of Tourism to Africa (APTA), World
Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and SA Direct TV.
Among leading figures expected to address the summit are M'Hamed
Cherif, head of ACP Business Climate, Savannah Maziya, Director of
WBHO, Paul Runge, Managing Director of Africa Project Access, Trevor
Ward, Managing Director of W Hospitality Group and Mawuli Ababio,
Managing Director of African Venture Capital Association.
Once a model African economy, Zimbabwe is in the grip of an
unprecedented economic and humanitarian crisis marked by acute
shortages of food, hard cash, deepening poverty and record
unemployment.
A unity government formed by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and
President Robert Mugabe last February has ignited hopes Zimbabwe could
finally end years of decline to regain its former status as a regional
breadbasket.
However failure by the new government to attract direct financial
support from Western donor countries has raised fears the
administration could fail.