Risks and rewards of investing in Africa

As the eyes and ears of the global investment community turn increasingly toward Africa as potential salvation from debt burdened mature economies with minimal growth, a major conference on the rewards and risks of doing business on the continent is a timely and important event.

NKC Independent Economists, in association with Prescient, will be hosting its second annual conference – this year on Economic and Political Risk in Africa – on Thursday, 29 September at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand. The conference will provide an in-depth look at economic and political risk in Africa. In association with Prescient, economic research company NKC, is able to offer conference delegates invaluable insight into Africa’s frontier markets.

Central to this year’s conference will be a focus on Nigeria, which will feature a keynote address by Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, Chairman of the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission, on recent reforms in the Nigerian capital market. As one of Nigeria’s pre-eminent legal minds, Senator Udoma is also regularly consulted by both federal and state Governments on issues relating to the exploitation of crude oil, natural gas and other natural resources and the related problem of revenue allocation between the different levels of government.

“An increasing number of African countries are taking large strides in becoming investor friendly. Attracting foreign investment and macro stability are key to the continent’s development. China’s more recent involvement on the continent is phenomenal,” says Prescient fund manager, Jonathan Kruger. “It is crucial for investment professionals and business leaders to be aware of how African economies are expanding and diversifying, as well as the risks attached to this.”

“We are noticing a rising interestin rigorous Africa sovereign, macro-economic and political risk research within the local and global institutional and corporate markets,” says Noelani King Conradie, NKC founder and managing director. “Drawing on NKC’s independent economic and political research in Africa, the panel of speakers at this year’s conference can inform delegates on how to make the right investment decisions and form appropriate business strategies for operating across Africa,” King Conradie added.

Other speakers at the 2011 conference will include NKC chief economist, Thalma Corbett, who will address the topic of Africa’s sovereign risk profile and deputy general manager of China Construction Bank, Johannesburg Branch, Dr Windsor Chan, who will speak about the view of Africa and its future from the Chinese investor's perspective. Managing director of Africa Risk Consulting (ARC), Tara O'Connor, will discuss whether Africa is moving towards representative accountability and NKC political analyst Gary van Staden will present his thoughts on assessing political risk in African countries. In one of his first public appearances after his return from an epic journey around Iceland by kayak, adventurer and celebrity speaker, Riaan Manser, will close the conference with a talk on his experiences as he focuses on the theme: Courage, Perserverance, Attitude. In the past eight years Manser has re-written the definition of tenacity and become the epitome of determination after rising to prominence when he became the first person to cycle around the perimeter of Africa. For more information, and to book a place at the conference, visit http://www.nkc.co.za/ or contact the Conference Organiser at NKC Independent Economists on 021 863 6200.