Binha Calls for Renewed Public-Private Trust as CEO Africa Roundtable 2025 Opens in Victoria Falls

By Shingirai Vambe

Victoria Falls-The resort city of Victoria Falls came alive this week as business leaders, policymakers, and investors from across the continent and abroad gathered for the 11th Annual CEO Africa Roundtable (CEOART), a flagship private sector indaba that continues to shape Africa’s business and leadership landscape.

Officially opening the conference, CEO Africa Roundtable Chairman, Oswell Binha, delivered a powerful and reflective address that challenged both the public and private sectors to rise above complacency and drive the continent toward a “Future Ready Africa”, the theme of this year’s gathering.

Binha began by noting the unique context of this year’s edition, taking place as the ruling party, Zanu PF, simultaneously hosts its own conference in Mutare. The overlap, he said, meant fewer government officials would attend the Roundtable, making the 2025 edition “a purely private sector indaba.”

Despite the reduced state presence, the gathering drew an impressive lineup of dignitaries, including Finance and Economic Development Minister, Prof. Mthuli Ncube, representing His Excellency the President; Kenya’s High Commissioner to Botswana; representatives of the Illinois State Black Chamber of Commerce (USA); and the Afro Chamber Brazil.

“Their presence,” Binha said, “strengthens the Roundtable, affirming the shared commitment between government and business to drive sustainable economic development and underscore the importance of public-private dialogue in shaping Africa’s future.”

Tracing the journey of the CEO Africa Roundtable since its inception, Binha described it as “a beacon of leadership, innovation, and shared purpose”, a platform that has matured from a networking initiative into a powerful continental voice for business advocacy and policy reform.

“To date, the Roundtable has extended its footprint into four countries, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and Botswana, with a vision to reach ten more by 2027,” he revealed.

Binha also highlighted growing international partnerships, particularly with institutions in the USA, Brazil, the Netherlands, the UK, and Dubai, which have enabled the structuring of multi-million-dollar deals between African enterprises and global partners.

“This speaks to our long-term vision of being a platform worthy of structuring multi-million-dollar deals annually,” he affirmed.

Binha’s address did not shy away from the realities facing the continent.

He described Africa as being “at a crossroads of challenges and opportunities”, grappling with fragile currencies, climate shocks, and regional instability, yet also blessed with a young population, vast natural resources, and the opportunities of the $3.2 trillion African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

From the M23 conflict in the DRC to the droughts in the Horn of Africa, he said, these crises underscored the need for unity and strategic resilience. “This Roundtable,” he declared, “is not merely a networking event but a platform for collective action.”

Turning his attention to governance and public administration, Binha commended ongoing reforms in Zimbabwe’s public finance management and infrastructure modernization, while urging stronger accountability and citizen-centered leadership.

“Visionary, ethical, and accountable leadership remains the cornerstone of Africa’s renaissance,” he said, citing Rwanda, Botswana, and Mauritius as models of transformation through disciplined governance and innovation.

Yet, he cautioned, “Africa must confront its governance deficits, policy inconsistencies, and slow institutional reform that continue to constrain its potential. Effective leadership must now go beyond rhetoric to measurable impact — turning policy into prosperity and collaboration into capital.”

In a moment that drew deep attention from delegates, Binha directly addressed President Emmerson Mnangagwa, acknowledging his past engagement with the Roundtable and his symbolic support through the delegation of the finance minister.

He called on the President to “revisit the spirit of his inaugural address of November 24, 2017, and his post-election speech of 2018,” which emphasized servant leadership and accountable governance.

“Rekindling that spirit,” Binha urged, “will reinvigorate the machinery of government, enhancing efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability across all levels of leadership. The dedication to servant leadership must cascade beyond the upper echelons of authority to every office entrusted with serving our people.”

He also urged government to treat business “not with suspicion, but as a trusted ally in nation-building,” calling for a renewed social contract that rewards integrity, sanctions mediocrity, and celebrates enterprise as a national virtue.

Addressing the continent’s key growth sectors, Binha underscored the centrality of agriculture to Africa’s economic stability. He lamented the sharp drop in agricultural output to around 5.5% due to the recent El Niño-induced drought, warning that climate shocks pose an existential threat to rural livelihoods.

“Agribusiness is Africa’s next billionaire frontier,” he said passionately. “With 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land and a youthful population ready to innovate, Africa can feed itself and the world. We must move from subsistence to sustainable wealth creation through value chains and climate-smart farming.”

He spoke of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the next major driver of transformation, predicting that by 2030, AI could contribute up to USD 1.2 trillion to Africa’s GDP. He also spotlighted the sports industry, currently worth USD 12 billion and projected to reach USD 20 billion by 2035, as a catalyst for unity, employment, and growth.

“These are not abstract conversations,” he emphasized. “They are practical, action-oriented discussions aimed at creating tangible value for our economies and societies.”

Binha’s closing remarks were a rallying cry for collaboration, innovation, and boldness.

“This Roundtable must go beyond conversation to drive concrete outcomes, partnerships, investments, and solutions with lasting continental impact,” he said. “Each delegate should leave having implemented an idea, formed a partnership, or initiated a transformative deal.”

He extended heartfelt gratitude to sponsors, corporate partners, and media houses, including the Media for amplifying the Roundtable’s vision, and commended the leadership of Chief Executive Kipson Gundani and the Board for their “unwavering commitment to Africa’s development.”

“The journey to a Future Ready Africa is a collective endeavor,” Binha concluded. “It requires that we move in concert, connecting ideas, creating value, and building a continent ready to lead its own destiny.”

The CEO Africa Roundtable continues through October 18 in Victoria Falls, hosting panels on artificial intelligence, energy and industrialization, trade facilitation, and Zimbabwe’s de-dollarization strategy, all anchored in the pursuit of a resilient, future-ready Africa.