CEO Africa Roundtable Conference, Hands On The Deck

By Shingirai Vambe

Africa heads and founders of various companies and organizations both from the public and private sector, will this year convene in the resort city of Victory Falls for the CEO Africa Roundtable (CEO ART) conference.

The CEO ART conferences have successfully run for more than five years with various speakers and delegates from around the world speaking and deliberating on issues that impede and or attract business and personal growth.

The Head of state, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, is expected to officially open and be the guest speaker of this year’s conference, expected to run from June 12 to June 15 2024.

Organizers and the CEO ART Secretariat told the Post On Sunday that preparations were in full swing with expectation that members from the region will attend in their numbers and as some have already confirmed their attendance. Early last year the Roundtable opened another branch in Zambia and more and more regional countries are joining the business platform for CEOs.

“We can confirm that the conference is on and preparations are in full swing, our hands are on the deck making sure we run a successful conference. This year we are expecting more than 6 speakers who include Mark O’Donell, director from Zambia, real estate Investment, Yunike Phiri, CEO Amicus Zambia Limited, Global Justice Advocate, Brian Kagoro, among others,” said the Secretariat.

Topical issues among many is of the newly introduced Zimbabwe currency, the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), trade opportunities and facilitation in a country’s harsh economic environment filled with skepticism.

Last conference the platform’s target was six more chapters in the region, with Zambia now being the fifth after Malawi, Mozambique and Botswana.

During the presentation of the Index report, the Chief Executive Officer of CEO ART, Kipson Gundani told Journalists that there is huge potential of Business in Zimbabwe and other countries in the region, however, the business environment continues to be threatened by economic ills such as energy, inflation, cost of doing business and global supply chain disruptions.

The removal of sanctions and continued engagements with international partners, expectations are that of increasing market facets and products for the benefit of the business community and improvement in trade.

Board Chairman, Oswel Binha told the Post that there was continued effort in bridging existing market gaps in the country Zimbabwe and the Region. He said, having known and worked with the current Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor in the private sector, he had faith that he will address and arrest the culprit, inflation which is currently standing at 58 percent.