This week more than 50 of the continent’s infrastructure heavyweights descend on Johannesburg for the continent’s biggest annual infrastructure event that will take centre stage as Africa’s preferred destination for connecting and investing in African infrastructure projects.

Africa has a long history of grand regional strategies that have at times taken a back seat to political instability and national interests. Attracting investment and instilling business confidence requires more than good programmes and strategies. Governments need to provide policy certainty and show their commitments to the continent’s growth through regional government investment in infrastructure. This week’s Infrastructure Africa Business Forum at the Sandton Convention Centre (9-10 June) will unlock some of the enormous growth potential in Africa's infrastructure sectors through its high calibre of delegates and unique business matchmaking programme that assist delegates in securing new deals and meeting prospective project partners.

There are exciting highlights expected at this year’s event, including the partnership with the African Development Bank which has raised the delegate numbers and African ministers attending the continent’s biggest infrastructure symposium. The 2016 event also sees the launch of the African Inclusive Infrastructure Forum (AIIF), a side event of the main conference dedicated to gender issues and women’s empowerment in infrastructure. Year on year, the Infrastructure Africa Business Forum has drawn infrastructure experts who are responsible for the development and roll-out of Africa’s build programmes.

Some of the others speakers present at the 2016 event on the 9th and 10th June at the Sandton Convention Centre include:
• H.E Dr Elham Mahmood Ahmed Ibrahim: African Union Commission
• Mrs Geraldine Joslyn Fraser-Moleketi: African Development Bank
• Abdallah Hamdok, Deputy Executive Secretary, UNECA.
• H.E. John Byabagambi, Minister for Public Works and Transport, Republic of Uganda
• H.E. Joshua Setipa, Minister of Trade and Industry, Kingdom of Lesotho
• H.E. Nganou Djoumessi Emmanuel, Minister for Public Works, Republic of Cameroon
• H.E. Mamadou Hachim Koumare, Minister of Works, Transport and Integration, Republic of Mali
• HE Oumou Camara, Minister of Public Works, Republic of Guinea
• Dr John Tambi, NEPAD Agency
• Moe Shaik, DBSA
• Coenraad Bezuidenhout: FTI Consulting
• Rajen Pillay, Garuda Finance
• David Renwick, Barclays Africa
• Peter Ballinger, OPIC
• Admassu Tadesse, PTA Bank
• Minister Joshua Setipa, Trade & Industry, Lesotho
• Muzi Kubeka, Norton Rose Fulbright
• Tapiwa Dube, IDC
• Sheila Oparaocha, ENERGIA
• Cynthia van der Hoeven, Marida
• Lydia Muchiri, Practical Action
• Ibrahim Sory Sylla, Carbone Guinee
• Anne Githuku-Shongwe, UN Women
• Dr Martyn Davies, Deloitte
• Benoit Fugah, ECIC
• Clive Ferreira, GAIA Infrastructure Capital Limited
• Mary Chege, Development Finance International
• Lida Fitts, US Trade and Development Agency
• Elliot Monama, Development Bank of Southern Africa
• Johanna Mapharisa, Ernst & Young
• Sharron L McPherson, WEDI International
• Michaella Rugwizangoga, The Next Einstein Initiative
• Dr Justina Dugbazah, Gender and Development Expert
• Nonnie Wanjihia, EAVCA Kenya
• Charles Reeve, DFID
• Tomomi Tokuori, JICA/DBSA
• Karen Stefiszyn, PowerAfrica
• Michelle Ruiters, DBSA
• Kogan Pillay, SADC-DFRC
• Stanley Subramoney, Menston Holdings
• Hilda Bertha Kundu, Development Bank of Southern Africa
• Anesu Charamba, Frost & Sullivan
• Peter Kahiigi, NITA
• Byron Clatterbuck, SEACOM
• Onyebuchi Memeh, Standard Chartered
• Asif Valley, Oracle
• Dr Audrey Verhaeghe, SA Innovation Summit
• Mahama Kappiah, ECREE
• Dr Vivienne Apopo, EADB
• Ibrima Sall, CODESRIA
• Mahboub Maalim, IGAD
• Yana Watson Kakar, Dalberg
• Gaurav Nair, Jaltech
• Fazel Moosa, Investec
• Robert Appelbaum, Webber Wentzel
• Jonathan First, Development Bank of Southern Africa
• Mohan Vivekanandan, DBSA
• Jurie Swart, African Infrastructure Investment Managers
• Eleni Giokos: CNN
• Dr John Purchase, ABC
• Loyiso Ndlovu, Land Bank
• Kabiito Karamagi, Ligomarc
• Harvey Keown, Africa Foundation for Sustainable Development
• Josephine Gustafsson, SIWI
• Mtchera Chirwa, AfDB
• Nigel Gwynne- Evans, the dti
• Dr Michele Ruiters, DBSA
• Barbara Mommen, MCLI
• Muzi Kubeka, Norton Rose Fulbright
• DeBuys Scott, KPMG
• Stanley Subramoney, Menston Holdings
• Paul Runge, Africa House
• Jason Schäffler, Nano Energy
• Prof Mosad Elmissiry, NEPAD Agency
• Andrew Etzinger, Eskom
• Ebrahim Takolia, Monetizing Gas
• Kannan Lakmeeharan, McKinsey
• Robert Ashdown, Swiss Re Solutions
• Mervin Chetty, Transnet
• Pearl Munthali, PRASA Group
• Christopher Olobo, IFC
• Amadou Oumarou, African Development Bank
• Jacob Makambwe, SACBT
• Siza Mzimela, FlyBlueCrane
• Julia Prescot, Sustainable Infrastructure Foundation
• Honorable LaDoris ‘Dot’ Harris, US Department of Energy
• Robert Tashima, Oxford Business Group
• Duncan Bonnett, Africa House
• Pulane Tshabala Kingston, Webber Wentzel
• Dr Mzukisi Qobo, Tutwa Consulting Group
• Nicholas Mitsos, China Overseas Infrastructure Development & Investment Corporation (COIDIC)
• Guang Zhe Chen, World Bank SA
• Karl Fickenscher, Power Africa
• Colin Coleman, Goldman Sachs
• Konrad Reuss, S&P Dow Jones Indices
• Dr Bola Olabisi, WEISED2020
• Dr Sunita Pitamber, AfDB
• Mr. Asfaw Kidanu, ILO, South Africa
• Mr. Mike Mulcahy, Green Cape
• Ms. Hema Vallabh, Women in Engineering
• Dr Tabarak Ballal, University of Reading

Infrastructure Africa is organised by Siyenza - http://www.infrastructure-africa.com/