The Fifth Business Roundtable with the Government of South Africa, hosted by Economist Conferences at the Sandton Hilton on Tuesday, 7 November, was a great success. Altogether 210 delegates from companies such as Standard Bank, SAAB, Cisco, Coca-Cola and Transnet attended the conference.
The proceedings were led by Phumizile Mlambo-Ngcuka (Vice President of South Africa), Trevor Manuel (Minister of Finance), Alec Erwin (Minister of Public Enterprises) and Mandisi Mpahlwa (Minister of Trade and Industry).
The overall mood regarding the economic situation in South Africa was very upbeat. Although crime was mentioned as a serious impediment to investment and economic growth, central to most discussions was the need for improved infrastructure and skills to cope with the current sustained economic growth. The official representatives of Government reiterated its commitment to focus considerable attention and resources to address these issues. The approach of the FIFA 2010 World Cup also emphasised the need to improve infrastructure and formalise South Africa’s informal second economy.
The Fifth South African Roundtable was the biggest yet, and has definitely become an event not to miss on the business calendar.
Share this article on