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“If you’re not investing in Africa today, you’re missing the boat.”

Chaired by award winning editor Anver Versi, the conference also included an Investors Circle session where senior executives from a number of leading banks and investors spoke frankly of the enormous investment potential of Africa today.
“Regardless of all the risks, the returns in Africa are higher”, said Tutu Agyare of Swiss investment bank, UBS. “If hedge funds in the City of London can see the opportunities, we should all be investing.” Arthur Arnold of the Dutch development agency, FMO, was equally blunt. “If you’re not investing in Africa today, you’re missing the boat,” he said.

“Africa is changing” was the key message from Andrew Bainbridge, Barclays’ Managing Director with responsibility for the bank’s business portfolio in nine countries across Africa. Bainbridge highlighted the importance of the small and medium sized enterprise (SME) sector, stating that it was only the development of this sector that would drive the 7% growth needed to attain the Millennium Development Goals. Speaking of Barclays’ creation of Business Clubs in Africa to bring together business clients in order to provide advice and build business capacity, he acknowledged that “we need to provide the support mechanisms for enterprise to flourish.”

The conference ended with a presentation by Larry Drake II, CEO of Coca-Cola Nigeria and Equatorial Africa. Touching on his experience of growing up as a poor African American, he outlined his company’s strategy in Africa and addressed some of the misconceptions of Coca-Cola’s role in Africa.

The conference, which was organised by the London Business School’s Africa Club, also saw the launch of the African Scholarship Fund which the School has established to provide scholarships to outstanding Africans wishing to study for an MBA.

For further information about contributing to the Africa Scholarship Fund, contact the London Business School or visit: Africa Club