World leaders and prominent business figures arrive in Dallas for the 2024 U.S.-Africa Business Summit to analyze and brainstorm how to take advantage of Africa's growing population and business environment. Ta.
The event is hosted by the African Business Council and is expected to welcome 1,500 attendees from Monday to Thursday at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. Dozens of talks, panels and roundtables will focus on how to maximize Africa's business potential in Texas and the rest of the world.
Here are some of the celebrities who will be attending the conference.
João Lorenzo, President of the Republic of Angola
At least five African presidents are expected to attend the summit. But perhaps one of the biggest names is President João Lorenzo of the Republic of Angola. Lorenzo, 70, represents Angola, one of Africa's largest countries with a population of more than 35 million people.
Even more important to the executives in the room, Angola's 2022 GDP output was $106.8 billion. Angola, like Texas, prides itself on its oil production, so oil and gas entrepreneurs may be lucky to strike up a conversation with Mr. Lorenzo.
According to the International Trade Bureau, Angola's oil industry is responsible for about half of the country's GDP and more than 90% of its exports.
Mr. Lorenzo is a former deputy leader of Angola's social democratic party, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola. He seized power in his 2017 year and ran on a promise to bring more transparency to the country's government.
Dallas business leaders may see themselves as part of Mr. Lorenzo's platform, with the presidency focused on diversifying Mr. Angelo's economy to attract strong foreign investors. is placed.
Mokgweetsi EK Masisi, President of the Republic of Botswana
Botswana's President Mokgweetsi EK Masisi, 61, leads a country of 2.6 million people who are literally looking for diamonds in the rough.
With a GDP of over $20 billion, Masisi and Botswana are heavily dependent on the diamond mining industry. Botswana, one of Africa's fastest growing countries, estimates that 90% of its total exports come from the diamond industry. In 2021, the country unearthed a 1,098-carat diamond, the third largest gem-quality diamond ever discovered.
Masisi is the former vice president of Botswana from 2014 to 2018, and has since served as president. He holds a Master of Science degree from Florida State University, where he attended from the late 1980s until the early 1990s.
Beyond his focus on the diamond industry, Masisi has announced support for lifting the ban on elephant hunting and “decriminalizing homosexuality.”
Lazarus Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi
Agribusiness promises to be one of the largest industries featured at the event. Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera is the leader of Africa's most agriculturally influential country.
Malawi has a population of over 20 million people and a GDP of $13.16 billion, much of which depends on agriculture. This industry contributes approximately 30% of Malawi's GDP and accounts for approximately 80% of its export earnings. More than 10 million people are engaged in agriculture in Japan.
Chakwera, 69, is no stranger to the industry. In his youth, he was involved in agriculture through subsistence farming and helped his family. He has been president since 2014 and has played a major role in world politics since his inauguration.
He is working to build stronger relationships with world powers like the UK, pledging that his efforts will bring more green jobs to Malawi, and recently cutting international travel for all government employees, including himself, to 50%. % reduction.
Having recently faced a significant currency devaluation, the country's economy is going through a difficult period as it battles inflation and oil shortages.
Joseph Boakai, President of the Republic of Liberia
Liberia, which means “Land of the Free” in Latin, is Africa's oldest republic. The country of more than 5 million people remains one of Africa's least developed countries. But its chairman, Joseph Boakai, 79, is trying to change that.
The country has a GDP of over $4 billion and relies on raw materials such as diamonds and gold deposits to become internationally famous. Mr. Boakai, a Baptist and deacon of Effort Baptist Church, served as Liberia's vice president from 2006 to 2018. He took office in January and is one of the most recently elected African presidents.
Boakai ran on a platform criticizing the corruption of Liberia's previous government and promising to restore hope to people who feel disenfranchised by Liberian politics. He also recently signed an executive order establishing the nation's first war crimes court.
Diversifying the country's economy remains one of his top priorities, as he aims to increase the country's productivity and output in areas such as energy, agriculture and technology.
Jose María Neves, President of the Republic of Cape Verde
Cape Verde is one of the smallest countries in Africa. The country has a population of about 600,000 people, about the same size as the state of Vermont, and a GDP of $2.2 billion.
José María Neves, 64, who has spent most of his adult life in politics, took over the presidency of Cape Verde in 2021 after winning a close election.
Unlike other African countries, Cape Verde's main economic production comes from commerce, tourism, and transportation. These industries account for approximately 75% of the country's GDP. Cape Verde consists of her ten islands and her five islets.
The country is one of the least developed countries in Africa, but Neves hopes introducing advanced technology, such as increasing its telecommunications presence, will bring transparency and jobs to the country. He said in a 2023 lecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
