Africa’s future growth and prosperity hangs in the balance, as corruption erodes the basic fibre of economies, organisations and communities, according to human capital and strategy expert Buyani Zwane.

“Our ability to achieve growth and prosperity in Africa by 2063 is becoming more elusive than ever before,” Zwane contends.

Agenda 2063 is the African Union’s (AU’s) blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future. Signed in May 2013, it envisions a long-term, 50-year development trajectory for Africa – from 2013 until 2063. “Seven years since its formulation the agenda has been hijacked by a rise in maladministration and unethical practices. In addition to this, leaders are grappling with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, security of information, generational differences, BBBEE and human resources policies that are outdated, to name a few. The pace of change is overwhelming. The implementation challenge has now been further compounded by the imperative to rebuild African economies post Covid-19, and strengthen resilience against future economic disruptions,” he states. 

What is needed most, Zwane says, is ethical leadership. “This is the foundation on which we must build the path to attaining inclusive and sustainable economic growth for the SADC region and African continent undeterred by pandemics.”

Zwane will be sharing his experience and insights on this critical challenge at the 2020 SAPICS Conference in November. Hosted annually by SAPICS, The Professional Body for Supply Chain Management in Southern Africa, the SAPICS Conference is Africa’s leading knowledge sharing and networking event for supply chain professionals. This year, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the event takes the form of a virtual conference on 23 and 24 November.

SAPICS president Keabetswe Mpane stresses that SAPICS 2020 will not be just another webinar. “In addition to an exceptional line up of speakers, there will be networking opportunities. From virtual booths to VIP meeting rooms, the ‘FLOOR’ virtual conferencing platform that we are using will enable delegates to meet fellow supply chain professionals from across industry and the world.

“Skills development, learning, knowledge sharing and networking is more important than ever for the supply chain profession, as we strive to unpack and understand the impact of Covid-19 on global supply chains and build resilience to withstand future disruptions. Events aimed at educating and upskilling supply chain professionals cannot be put on hold until Covid-19 is behind us. We hope to be back in Cape Town next year for the 2021 SAPICS Conference, but right now, we look forward to capitalising on opportunities offered by a virtual event and to connecting with the SAPICS supply chain community as always at our reimagined annual conference,” she says.