President’s Message - April/May eJournal

This month marks my 100th day in office. Like any new president, I have been reflecting on my 100 days – on what I have accomplished, and thinking of where I hope to lead the organization.As promised in my first message, I have continued my listening tour of CCA. I have had over 100 insightful meetings with CCA staff, board members, CCA member companies, and key U.S. and African government officials, and will continue these meeting as the year goes on to ensure that CCA understands and meets the needs of all its major stakeholders. In March, I embarked on my first official trip to the continent. I visited South Africa, where I met with CCA member organizations including Boeing, Good Governance Africa, and AGCO, as well as public sector players including the Minister Counsellor for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy, and the NEPAD Business Foundation. CCA also hosted its first working group on the continent this year in South Africa, where we discussed ways to enhance the U.S.-South Africa business landscape. After South Africa, I went to Kenya, where I met with more CCA members and local business leaders including the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Trademark East Africa, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives among others.Right now, I am especially focused on the upcoming U.S.-Africa Business Summit on June 13-16, 2017. This Summit, to be held in Washington, DC, is already shaping up to be a pivotal conference for U.S.-Africa business. It is a first major opportunity for U.S. and African CEOs and African leaders to highlight the importance of the U.S.-Africa economic relationship to the new Trump Administration. H.E. Filipe Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique confirmed his participation last week and we expect to confirm more heads-of-state in the coming weeks. High-level representatives from the U.S. Department of Commerce, EXIM, OPIC and MCC are also confirmed and more than 60 business leaders in diverse industries are confirmed to speak in Washington and make the case for The U.S.-Stake in Africa.The economic opportunity in Africa cannot be overstated. MGI’s Lions on the Move 2016 estimates that there is a $4 trillion opportunity for businesses to tap into in the form of rising African consumer and business spending. Of this $4 trillion, household consumption accounts for $1.4 trillion, and business spending $2.6 trillion.For the United States to remain competitive in Africa with countries like China, there is a need for greater economic engagement between the U.S. and Africa, and the next four years will be critical. The Trump Administration’s Africa policy is still unclear and U.S. and African stakeholders are anxious about the future of U.S.-Africa business. In my meetings with the AU, African Diplomatic Corps and ministers like Amina Mohamed, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary of Kenya, Trump's policy and its influence on the existing and future U.S.-Africa economic relationship were paramount.As I have said before, I believe that CCA is uniquely positioned to inform the future of U.S.-Africa trade and investment policy. Within the first months of the Trump Presidency and my own tenure at CCA, we hosted roundtables on four key sectors in U.S.-Africa business: Agribusiness, Energy and Power, Infrastructure and ICT. The outcome of these roundtables was a set of policy recommendations, which will be shared with the White House and relevant U.S. government agencies. The 2017 Summit will also be a key opportunity for the U.S and African private sector and African governments to continue this conversation with the Trump administration and key U.S. agency appointees. The U.S. and its companies have a great stake in U.S.-Africa economic engagement, and this is therefore, the theme of the Summit.There is work to do as well on the Africa side. U.S.-Africa trade and investment will largely depend on confidence about the macroeconomic and business environment in Africa. At the Africa Finance Forum, key Africa finance ministers were asked to discuss the initiatives their countries have put in place to facilitate infrastructure investment for businesses. CCA will engage African government officials at the Summit and continue to advocate for an enabling environment that facilitates business on the continent.On a personal note, the 2017 U.S.-Africa Business Summit will be CCA’s first major conference under my leadership. As the 11th iteration, I believe it also will chart a new path for CCA. We have now hosted ten very successful summits and this Summit launches my vision for CCA as the premier organization for companies doing business in Africa – an organization that proffers actionable solutions for businesses looking to seize opportunities on the continent.I will be going on my second trip to the continent – Nigeria and Ghana – in a bid to ensure that CCA has a strong African presence at the Summit and to continue to get a better understanding of the needs of CCA members and our African business counterparts. I urge you to register to attend, sponsor, and recommend the Summit to your colleagues. I look forward to welcoming you to Washington.