Socio-Economic Impact Summit forges socio-economic collective transformation
Inaugural summit launched in Sandton, addressing the impact of socio-economic factors on the road to realising Africa’s sustainable Development Goals.
This October, Sandton became the launching pad for the inaugural Socio-Economic Impact Summit, which was attended by a range of industry professionals, analysts, activists, government authorities and entrepreneurs changing the game in their field.
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The summit, hosted by the Maslow Hotel on October 14, facilitated keynote addresses on discussions over different sustainable development goals (SDGs). The discussions covered topics from environmental sustainability, economic growth, food security, funding for SMMEs and entrepreneurs, corporate-government partnerships and the role of the African Continental Free Trade Area in bolstering the continent’s global economic competitiveness.
Katie Mohamed is the CEO and founder of ChangeHub, which coordinated the summit. Mohamed summed up the summit in her address saying, “We know that social impact equates to economic impact. And by bringing together people with the power to influence social impact we can pinpoint solutions that are mutually beneficial to both our people and our economy.”
Also read: Next generation economic leaders emerge from EMA programme
Additional keynote addresses were heard from Continental Governance Officer at the African Union Sara Hamouda, who addressed delegates on the role of South Africa’s transformation in the journey towards achieving SDGs in alignment with the AU’s Agenda 2063. Also, South African entertainment legend Yvonne Chaka Chaka delivered an impassioned speech on the role of humanitarianism in achieving SDGs, and particularly how much we undervalue kindness.
The summit intends to be an annual event, holding captains of industry, activists, NGOs, government and corporate entities accountable for their roles in the socio-economic transformation in the country.
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