After a two-year hiatus as the global community grappled with the onset of a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented scale, the 52nd World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting is again taking place in Davos, Switzerland this week.
Convened under the theme "History at a Turning Point: Government Policies and Business Strategies", WEF 2022 is the first major face-to-face meeting of political, economic and business leaders since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The recommencement of the event brings together nearly 2,500 leaders and experts from around the world, including more than 50 heads of state and 300 governmental representatives.
Reflective of the shared value in line with WEF's mission — "to shape global, regional and industry agendas "— the event serves as a critical platform for the exchange of insights and fresh perspectives, while advancing solutions to some of the world's most pressing issues.
This year's Davos discussions centre around its programme that is underlined by six thematic pillars.
These include fostering global and regional co-operation; how to restore stability amid a new era of geopolitical conflict and tension as well as advancing trade, prosperity and partnerships; securing the economic recovery and shaping a new era of growth.
A South African delegation (Team South Africa), led by minister of human settlements and head of the Cabinet Economic Cluster, Mmamoloko Kubayi, is attending the event, accompanied by Brand South Africa and more than 35 multisectoral thought leaders from the corporate sector.
The annual WEF meeting at Davos is an opportunity for SA's representatives to engage with the global community at a time of significant geopolitical uncertainty given the challenges arising from the Russia-Ukraine war and amid the ongoing challenges for global economic recovery and reshaping from the pandemic.
With a stark focus of promoting SA as an attractive investment destination, Brand South Africa's acting CEO, Sithembile Ntombela, reveals that Team South Africa's mandate is to position the country on its strengths and competitiveness and highlight the investment opportunities on offer in Africa's most industrialised economy.
The team will also share SA's progress in implementing the five-year investment drive which President Cyril Ramaphosa launched in 2018 to attract R1.2-trillion into the economy.
