This week South Africa returns to the global stage when we host the annual Investing in African Mining Indaba at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, writes Brand South Africa CEO Miller Matola. This follows our success at the World Economic Forum annual meeting Davos, Switzerland, a few weeks ago.
Delegates at the 2014 Investing in African Mining Indaba. (Image: Mining Indaba)
 Brand South Africa CEO Miller Matola |
I am confident the message we conveyed to the world in Davos – that South Africa is open for business and remains a reliable and attractive investment destination – will be reinforced at the gathering of the captains of the mining industry.
Mining Indaba will be followed by the annual State of the Nation address in the National Assembly in Cape Town on 12 February. This is one of the most important addresses of the year, as it accounts for the past 12 months and the guides us on priorities for the year ahead. It is an opportunity for President Jacob Zuma to take South Africans into his confidence about the state of the country.
We can achieve our priorities and goals once we have the necessary economic growth and development. As a nation we need to achieve a set of goals: necessary and enabling legislation and policy, and the will and ability to implement these policies to ensure we achieve the desired outcomes. As a nation we must foster the desire to work together across all sectors because, at the end of the day, we all have a role to play in growing and building our country.
Yes, we have challenges. But I remain unwavering in my belief that we– as a nation – have all the qualities necessary to drive our country’s growth and development. We were strangers to each other once, but we have given life to a resilient and agile homeland. We have the perseverance borne of a confidence and pride in our new democracy. I am confident that we will rise to the challenge to play our part and be the active citizens who will take our country to new heights.
Join the conversation and follow Team South Africa at Mining Indaba on @Brand_SA via the hashtag #MiningIndaba. Follow the State of the Nation Address on #SONA2015
Miller Matola is the CEO of Brand South Africa. Follow him on @MillerMatola
This article was originally published in the 8 February edition of Sunday Independent.
