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Africa and Europe’s top business and public sector leaders gather to chart Africa’s economic rebirth

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economic relationships

The event is the annual flagship forum in the African Continent of The European House – Ambrosetti

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, November 8, 2022/APO Group/ — 

Top African and European business leaders will be meeting in Johannesburg on 10-11 November to discuss strategic economic relationships and explore joint investment opportunities in target sectors at the 9th “Southern Africa Europe CEO Dialogue”.

The event is the annual flagship forum in the African Continent of The European House – Ambrosetti (no. 1 private Think Tank in Italy, no.4 in Europe and among the top 20 globally), organized in collaboration with the Gauteng Province, GGDA and a selection of international public and private players, such as Aspen, Brand SA, CLN-MA, DBSA, DHL Express, Finstone, BBM Law, Italian Agency for Development and Cooperation, Italian Trade Agency, Italtile, Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone, Qatar Airways, Rome Expo 2030 Nomination Committee and Sisal.

150 CEOs will be in attendance and among the confirmed speakers we are pleased to mention: Enoch Godongwana, Minister of Finance, South Africa; Gwede Mantashe, Minister of Energy and Minerals Resources, South Africa; Ronald Lamola, Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, South Africa;  Panyaza Lesufi, Premier of Gauteng Province; Trevor Manuel, Chairman, Old Mutual; Mpho Phalatse, Executive Mayor, City of Johannesburg; Andreas Brand, CEO and Executive Director: Manufacturing, Mercedes-Benz South Africa; Precious Moloi-Motsepe, CEO, Africa Fashion International; Jeffrey Sachs, Professor, Columbia University; Nhlanhla Nene, Chairman, Thebe Investment Corporation; Sade Gawanas, Executive Mayor, City of Windhoek; Adrian Saville, Professor of Economics, Finance & Strategy, Gordon Institute of Business Science; Riccardo Sciutto, CEO, Sergio Rossi; to name a few.

“Our CEO Dialogue aims to build an exclusive and influential community of leaders, for growing their enterprises, their countries and their continents. Every year, thanks to a unique multi-stakeholder approach, we gather key industrialists, governmental leaders, economists and heads of multi-lateral agencies, with the ambition to draw positive attention on strategic areas of economic cooperation and to foster international partnerships. In times of socio-economic change and unexpected challenges that follow the pandemic, such as the ongoing energy crisis, rising inflation, and the global supply chain disruption, we believe that, now more than ever, Africa is the place to be. It is the present and the future of global growth and development.” Pietro Mininni, Head of African Affairs, The European House – Ambrosetti

Luca Maestripieri, Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), underlined “The African continent – where 11 of the 20 priority countries for Italian Cooperation are located – and Southern Africa in particular, are at the center of Italy’s cooperation plans and offer great prospects also for the private entities with which AICS collaborates, thanks to the tools made available by the Agency. In this context, the next Southern Africa Europe CEO Dialogue represents an important opportunity for us to exchange views with local actors and stakeholders in order to establish future business partnerships that can respond to the sustainable development needs of partner countries”.

“The past two years have shown the incredible value that logistics has in connecting people and improving lives across Sub Saharan Africa and across the globe. This is why we are excited to present the Future of African Cities report done in partnership with Ambrosetti. The study provides some striking insights on how secondary cities in Sub Saharan Africa will be key in driving inclusive and sustainable development on the continent. We are honoured to be part of the 9th Southern Africa Europe CEO Dialogue, and to be part of a global CEO Group that supports the growth of the continent through tangible commitments”. Hennie Heymans CEO, DHL Sub Saharan Africa

Giuseppe Scognamiglio, Director-General, Rome Expo 2030 Nomination Committee: “The big project of EXPO2030Rome will be an innovative platform for all the countries of the world, with the aim of finding together strategic solutions to the major problems of the future. Development and environmental sustainability will not be opposed against each other but will instead be two sides of the same coin, as will innovation and energy transformation; climate change and urban regeneration. This journey begins in 2022 in Johannesburg and, we hope, will bring us winners in Rome in 2030”.

According to Henk van der Merwe, Regional Leader at MA Automotive Tool & Die, “Our business environment has transformed over the past 3 years in unimaginable ways. The new normal will not be normal for long, we are clearly on an unprecedented rollercoaster ride. The Ambrosetti Summit provides the perfect platform for a well needed CEO dialogue, where captains of industry can share views and ideas on ways to navigate the current turmoil. I look forward to our collaboration and interaction”.

“The Musina Makhado Special Economic Zone is pleased to join the global network of The European House – Ambrosetti to promote dialogue and support the long-term growth of strategic trade and economic relations between Europe and Southern Africa. The annual CEO Dialogue has proven to be a strategic platform for top-level business and institutional leaders from both continents to share ideas, build strong partnerships, and learn about the enormous opportunities that exist within the Euro-African relations. We invite both local and international corporations to come join us in “The world of game-changing opportunities”.  MMSEZ-SOC is open for business.”, declared his Chief Executive Officer, Lehlogonolo Masoga”

Our CEO Dialogue aims to build an exclusive and influential community of leaders, for growing their enterprises, their countries and their continents

“The COVID-19 pandemic clearly demonstrated the vast inequalities that exist in vaccines and therapeutic production and supply, unnecessarily increasing African mortality and morbidity. Local production capacities and capabilities ensure security of supply and even out vast distribution inequalities. Africa can never afford to find itself at the backend of the queue ever again and significant global focus and attention on realising appropriate and suitable vaccine and other therapeutic capabilities on the continent need to be intensified. Some of the immediate areas that require focus are the reform of global vaccine procurement mechanisms and the appropriate funding and financing of both procurement and the establishment of capacities.”, added Mr Stavros Nicolaou, Group Senior Executive: Strategic Trade Development at Aspen Pharmacare.

According to Mohan Vivekanandan, Group Executive at Development Bank of Southern Africa “The SA-EU Forum presents a substantial opportunity for the DBSA as a leading infrastructure financier in Africa to engage and strengthen relations with private companies from Europe operating across the infrastructure value chain with a shared ambition to scale infrastructure delivery across the African continent.”

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways plays a key role in enabling international trade through serving some 150 global destinations. These include seven new routes in Africa, which we have developed after COVID travel restrictions eased, and many airports in Europe, where we have a number of market leading positions. Our aim is to facilitate long term economic impact in a sustainable manner and this week’s dialogue represents an important collaboration in addressing a number of significant challenges. Qatar is a global gateway that can deliver economic trade benefits between Europe and Southern Africa, as well as bridge cultures and political partnerships. This is being demonstrated by the FIFA World Cup in under two weeks when we are literally bringing the world together.”

The topics to be covered in the 2022 agenda are:

– The African geopolitical, business and investment outlook.

– CEO’s views on African business.

– New African cities and regions: urban regeneration, sustainability and SME development.

– Africa’s rebirth: the power of the creative economy.

– The energy outlook in Southern Africa: challenges and opportunities.

This edition of the Southern Africa Europe CEO Dialogue will be enhanced with side events on these themes:

– Towards World EXPO 2030: the candidacy of Rome to engage people and territories of Africa

– The role of health diplomacy and partnerships between Europe and Africa to ensure Health Security

– Engaging the private sector in Africa to foster economic growth

– Renewable energies: A turning point for South Africa?

– Business site visit to the OR Tambo Special Economic Zone

The Summit, by invitation only, is a key moment of the activities of the “CEO Community African Chapter”, a Club of top business leaders that integrates and enriches the outcomes of the annual conference. Heads of State, global CEOs and influential personalities regularly attend the business meetings (held under Chatham House Rule) in Johannesburg at Inanda Club and in the SADC region.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The European House – Ambrosetti.

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Hainan economic, trade delegation visits Hong Kong for investment promotion, 2 cooperation memoranda signed

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October 30, 2026

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Hong Kong

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 29 October 2026 – From October 19 to 20, an economic and trade delegation from Hainan Province paid a visit to Hong Kong. The delegation signed memoranda of cooperation respectively withThe Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong (CMA)and the Federation of Hong Kong Industries (FHKI) to advance pragmatic cross-border collaboration between Hainan and Hong Kong in trade and investment, manufacturing industrial chains and professional services.

 




 
 

During its stay in Hong Kong, the delegation visited the CCPIT Representative Office in Hong Kong. It held discussions with CMA and co-hosted the Hainan Free Trade Port (Hong Kong) Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange Meeting with FHKI. The event showcased the policies, key industrial layout and investment opportunities of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), and arranged one-on-one business matchmaking between Hainan and Hong Kong enterprises.

Wang Yuyuan, Vice President of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Hainan Sub-council (CCPIT Hainan) and China Chamber of International Commerce Hainan Chamber of Commerce, noted that since the official launch of island-wide special customs operations at the Hainan FTP on December 18, 2025, 174,000 new enterprises have been registered, representing a year-on-year surge of 95.9 percent. Newly established foreign-invested enterprises rose by 35.8 percent year on year. In the first half of this year, inbound and outbound tourist arrivals exceeded 70 million, up 28 percent year on year, with the number of visa-free entry countries expanding to 88. From January to August, the province’s total goods import and export volume hit 250 billion yuan, growing by 61.5 percent year on year. Hainan is rapidly emerging as a critical gateway connecting China with the rest of the world and a prime channel for two-way investment.

According to CCPIT Hainan, Hong Kong ranks as a major source of foreign investment for Hainan. In the first half of this year, Hainan registered 1,303 new foreign-invested enterprises, an increase of 38.62 percent year on year, with Hong Kong-funded enterprises accounting for the lion’s share. Hainan has issued offshore RMB local government bonds in Hong Kong for four consecutive years, with a cumulative issuance volume reaching 18 billion yuan.

CMA is one of Hong Kong’s most representative non-profit industrial and commercial bodies, with around 3,000 member enterprises. It has long provided members with business services including exhibitions, brand promotion, testing and certification. FHKI, one of Hong Kong’s four major chambers of commerce, has approximately 2,000 corporate members. It focuses on boosting the sustained development of Hong Kong industry and manufacturing through policy advocacy, business matchmaking, certification services and youth talent cultivation.

The two memoranda explicitly stipulate that the two sides will establish a regular liaison mechanism, build a long-term cooperation platform covering information sharing, business matchmaking, exhibition collaboration and professional services, and provide solid support for pragmatic business cooperation between Hainan and Hong Kong enterprises.

Source: China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Hainan Provincial Committee (CCPIT Hainan)

 
 




 

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Africa gains governance momentum in the 2026 Chandler Good Government Index, but sustaining progress is the real test

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17 hours ago

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October 29, 2026

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Africa

Across Africa, average scores improved in six of the seven CGGI pillars over the past year, with the strongest gains in Helping People Rise and Financial Stewardship

This signals that stronger government capabilities are beginning to translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives

KIGALI, Rwanda, October 29, 2026/APO Group/ –Africa was the second best-performing region for governance progress in the 2026 Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI), with 71% of the African countries assessed in both 2025 and 2026 achieving higher overall scores. However, the continent remains the lowest-scoring region overall, highlighting the challenge of translating improvement in government capabilities into better outcomes for citizens.

 




 
 

These findings were highlighted by the Chandler Governance Group (CGG) at a joint session with the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) to launch the 13th edition of the Rwanda Governance Scorecard at the Kigali Serena Hotel on Thursday, 22 October 2026.

“This year, Africa’s strongest gains came in Financial Stewardship, followed by Helping People Rise, the CGGI’s outcomes pillar. This signals that stronger government capabilities are beginning to translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives, from access to quality education and healthcare to the public finances that fund them. The task now is to sustain that progress over the coming years,” says Dinesh Naidu, Director (Knowledge) at CGG.

Now in its sixth edition, the CGGI assesses government capabilities and effectiveness across 133 countries representing 94% of the world’s population, up from 120 countries in 2025. It measures 35 equally weighted indicators across seven pillars, providing governments with a framework to benchmark performance, identify gaps and learn from the experience of other countries.

Globally, the findings point to improving governance performance. Of the 120 countries assessed in both 2025 and 2026, 61% recorded higher scores, representing the highest annual share of countries improving since the Index launched in 2021. However, longer-term progress has been less consistent, with only 43% of the 104 countries tracked since 2021 recording an overall improvement.

Africa’s leading governments

Mauritius remains Africa’s highest-ranked country, placing 55th globally, followed by Rwanda (62nd), Botswana (70th), Morocco (79th) and Tanzania (80th). South Africa ranks sixth on the continent, in 85th place globally.

Rwanda features prominently in the discussion, ranking 11th globally for Leadership & Foresight and emerging as the highest-ranked low-income country in the Index. It ranks 61 places above where its income alone would predict. Across the Index, government capabilities track citizen outcomes more closely than national wealth does, suggesting that strengthening government capabilities matter in delivering better outcomes for citizens.

The joint session brings together the CGGI’s international benchmarks and the Rwanda Governance Scorecard’s assessment of governance in the Rwandan context, creating an opportunity to consider both global perspectives and country-specific priorities.

Progress across key governance pillars

Across Africa, average scores improved in six of the seven CGGI pillars over the past year, with the strongest gains in Helping People Rise and Financial Stewardship. These improvements point to progress in areas associated with public services, including healthcare and education, as well as the management of public finances.

Longer-term trends also highlight areas of progress. Between 2021 and 2026, nearly every African country assessed across the period improved its Data Capability score, with Morocco recording the largest gains. Ghana’s overall score improved in 2026, supported by stronger Financial Stewardship, while South Africa continues to show relative strength in Robust Laws & Policies, ranking 44th globally, and Attractive Marketplace, ranking 48th.

Despite these gains, the scale of the challenge remains clear. Africa’s regional average is still below its 2021 level, 23 of the 35 African countries in the 2026 Index rank outside the global top 100, and none is in the top 50. Seven African countries joined the Index this year: Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gambia, Guinea, Lesotho, Liberia and Togo.

“Rankings provide a useful starting point, but the broader value of the CGGI lies in helping governments understand where they are making progress and where further work is needed. Sustained improvements depend on the ability to strengthen institutions, manage resources responsibly and turn policy into meaningful outcomes for citizens,” says Naidu.

A tool for learning and improvement

The CGGI is designed as a practical diagnostic tool, helping governments identify gaps, track progress over time, and learn from peers facing similar constraints. The collaboration with the RGB brings international benchmarking together with locally grounded assessment.

“Every country faces its own governance challenges and is driven by varying priorities. Governments that are willing to take stock of the evidence and learn from peers to strengthen their institutions are well placed to achieve real improvements,” concludes Naidu.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Chandler Governance Group.

 

 




 

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Spiro brings electric motorcycles and battery-swapping technology to Ghana, expanding its pan-African footprint

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17 hours ago

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October 29, 2026

By

Spiro

The integrated offering aims to reduce daily operating costs and minimise downtime, with battery swaps completed in just two minutes and potential savings of up to USD 2 per day compared with petrol-powered motorcycles

ACCRA, Ghana, October 29, 2026/APO Group/ —

  • Spiro’s entry into Ghana introduces the Ekon 450 M1 V3 electric motorcycle and its battery-swapping solution, bringing a new mobility option to commercial riders and delivery fleets.
  • The integrated offering aims to reduce daily operating costs and minimise downtime, with battery swaps completed in just two minutes and potential savings of up to USD 2 per day compared with petrol-powered motorcycles.
  • Test rides and product demonstrations across Greater Accra will support the rollout and help riders experience the benefits of electric mobility.

 




 
 

Spiro (www.Spironet.com), Africa’s largest electric mobility company, is expanding its footprint in Ghana with the introduction of the Ekon 450 M1 V3 electric motorcycle and its battery-swapping solution. Combining electric two-wheelers with access to charged batteries, Spiro aims to make everyday transport more affordable and practical for riders while supporting Ghana’s transition towards sustainable mobility.

For commercial riders and delivery fleets, fuel expenses and time spent off the road directly affect daily earnings. Spiro’s integrated offering addresses both challenges: riders can exchange a depleted battery for a charged one at a Spiro battery-swapping station in just two minutes, while potentially saving up to USD 2 per day in operating costs compared with conventional petrol-powered motorcycles.

Ghana represents a major opportunity for electric mobility, with a rapidly growing two-wheeler market and increasing demand from commercial riders and delivery fleets

Designed to meet the everyday mobility needs of African riders, the Ekon 450 M1 V3 offers an alternative to petrol-powered motorcycles. Supported by Spiro’s battery-swapping technology, it allows riders to get back on the road without waiting for their motorcycle to recharge.

Auroasish Choudhuri Managing Director Central and West Africa, commented: “Our entry into Ghana is an important step in strengthening Spiro’s presence in West Africa. Our focus is on building a local ecosystem that riders can rely on, combining electric motorcycles with convenient access to battery swapping. By working closely with local partners and listening to riders’ needs, we aim to support the long-term adoption of electric mobility in Ghana.”

Kaushik Burman, CEO Mobility of Spiro said: “Ghana represents a major opportunity for electric mobility, with a rapidly growing two-wheeler market and increasing demand from commercial riders and delivery fleets. By bringing the Ekon 450 M1 V3 together with our battery-swapping solution, we are addressing two key barriers to adoption: operating costs and access to charging infrastructure. Our ambition is to build a strong foundation for electric mobility to scale across Ghana.”

To support its rollout, Spiro is engaging with prospective customers through test rides, product demonstrations and live demonstrations of its battery-swapping technology across Greater Accra. These activities give riders the opportunity to experience the Ekon 450 M1 V3 and understand how battery swapping can fit into their daily routines.

Mr Maxwell Dodd, Managing Director of Spiro Ghana, said: “For riders in Ghana, the value of electric mobility lies in what it can deliver every day: lower operating costs, less downtime and more time on the road. Through the Ekon 450 M1 V3 and our battery-swapping solution, we want to make those benefits accessible and support riders as they make the transition to electric motorcycles.”

Ghana forms part of Spiro’s wider expansion across Africa. Building on its recent USD 270 million equity funding round and an additional USD 18 million in debt financing from the Africa Go Green Fund, the company is scaling its electric mobility ecosystem with the ambition of establishing a presence in 20 African markets. Spiro is also preparing to enter new countries, including Ethiopia, Malawi, Mali and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Spiro.

 

 




 

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