The first Black Industrialists and Exporters Conference will be opened on Wednesday at the Sandton International Convention Centre in Johannesburg by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The first Black Industrialist and Exporters Conference, supported by the President since its inception in 2015, will highlight the success of government initiatives to promote access and transformation to more black industrialists in the economy as well as the opportunities that the Africa Free Continental Trade Area (AfCTA) offers.
The conference will focus on the value that broad-based empowerment contributes to the economy and how it supports growth and job-creation strategies.
During the conference’s opening session, President Ramaphosa will give the keynote address and tour the market place exhibition.
At the Presidential Honors for Excellence luncheon later that evening, the President will present awards to outstanding black businesspeople.
The conference will feature six high-level panel discussions on topics such as quantifying the impact of BEE, assessing the impact of broad-based empowerment, strengthening the impact of transformation, facilitating transformation – the role of supplier development and procurement, challenges and opportunities with financing black industrialists.
Ministers, business and civil society executives, and well-known black businessmen will be on the panel.
The opportunity for attendees to network with possible funders, clients, and suppliers will be maximised at the conference.
Over 800 black industrialists, including new entrants, women, and young people in industries with high competition, have been empowered by the programme to date.