12 September 2013
Brand South Africa is flying the country’s flag at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the Champions, or “Summer Davos”, in Dalian, China from Wednesday to Friday.
The country’s official marketing agency is leading a high-powered delegation to the meeting to network with government, business and civil society leaders as it seeks to position South Africa as a competitive, developed economy that offers good returns on investment.
Earlier this month, the World Economic Forum released its 2013 Global Competitiveness Index, which found that South Africa had improved on four of 12 “pillars” of competitiveness, namely: institutions, goods and market efficiency, business sophistication, and innovation.
“Economists recognise that innovation is a product of entrepreneurial activity and injects dynamism into an economy,” Brand South Africa CEO Miller Matola said in a statement on Wednesday. “It is also the factor that has been shown to drive social and economic development in other developing countries.”
South Africa’s improved innovation ranking “reflects very positively on the South African economy and opportunities for growth,” Matola said. “South Africa is open for business, and we invite investors to look at what we have to offer.”
Among the 20-person delegation accompanying Matola at this year’s Summer Davos are African Rainbow Minerals chairman Patrice Motsepe, Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) board chairperson Monhla Hlahla, Eskom chairman Zola Tsotsi, Frontier Advisory CEO Martyn Davies, Sekunjalo Investments executive chairman Iqbal Surve, and Standard Bank head for China Africa business development Bruce Hart.
SAinfo reporter
