16 January 2015
South Africa’s Minister of Finance Nhlanhla Nene and Deputy Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams met the country’s top chief executives and other business leaders on Thursday to discuss the key messages South Africa will be taking to the World Economic Forum’s 2015 annual meeting in Davos next week.
The briefing aimed to share the “key themes” about South Africa’s economy and investment environment that the local delegation would be taking to Davos, and to get feedback from business, the Treasury said in a statement on Thursday.
International forum
The 2015 WEF annual meeting will be held from 21 to 24 January in the Swiss town of Davos. The World Economic Forum is an international forum dedicated to improving living standards for all by promoting public-private cooperation in the spirit of global citizenship.
This year’s gathering will be held under the theme “The New Global Context”, reflecting on the political, economic, social and technological era the global economy has entered after the worst global financial crisis since 1930.
Important issues on the meeting’s agenda include delivering sustainable and inclusive growth, lower global growth and looming geopolitical risks, improving global governance through public-private cooperation, and exploring social and political transformations in all regions.
Key messages
Nene said South Africa had developed three key messages based on its National Development Plan, a long-term vision of the country and a tool to addressing its social and economic deficit. These are:
- South Africa remains a competitive business and investment destination of choice.
- South Africa supports growth in Africa through regional integration and direct investment.
- South Africa continues to advocate for the developmental agenda of the South in its international engagements.
The South African delegation to WEF Davos will be made up of government, business, civil society representatives, and will be led by President Jacob Zuma.
SAinfo reporter
