Annual Africa Shared Value Summit to be held in Nairobi

Among the keynote speakers this year is American co-author of the seminal Harvard Business Review article 'Creating Shared Value', co-founder and managing director of FSG, and a director of the US-based Shared Value Initiative, Mark Kramer. Kramer is an economist by training and a Shared Value pioneer who has authored various influential publications on collective impact, impact investing, and more, including co-authorship of several foundational Shared Value articles.

Sponsored by Safaricom, Old Mutual and the World Food Programme, the annual Africa Shared Value Summit is a meeting of minds, where business leaders, entrepreneurs from both the private and public sectors, and representatives from governments, academia and civil society, discuss ways in which businesses can use their power and influence to affect real change, without sacrificing profit.

"Purpose has to become central to a business's core strategy in order to create true change. In order to position yourself as a market leader and gain true growth, specialisation of a new kind is required, such as finding new ways of doing things that will be more ethical and less harmful to the environment, as well as reaching underserved populations while ensuring that current and future employees are able to deliver at their best," says Tiekie Barnard, CEO and co-founder of the Shared Value Africa Initiative (SVAI).

The Africa Shared Value Summit raises awareness and advocates for the success of the strategic implementation of the Shared Value business model – profit with purpose – in Africa. Over two days, discussions at the 2019 Summit will be focused on the importance of Shared Value ecosystems in driving Africa's business growth. The first day will focus on Shared Value in healthcare and food security, and the second will feature speakers and panel discussions exploring Shared Value in the energy and manufacturing industries.

"Businesses do not operate in a vacuum, and as entrepreneurs and human beings, we have a moral obligation to take on the challenges facing our continent and its population. Embracing Shared Value is the key to long-term sustainability, enabling businesses to survive and thrive in a changing business climate," says Cindy Langeveld, co-founder and director of the Shared Value Africa Initiative.

Other speakers will include members of the SVAI Africa Council of 8, Safaricom CEO Robert “Bob” Collymore and managing director for the Rockefeller Foundation Africa Regional Office, Mamadou Biteye.