On behalf of South Africa, the Province of KwaZulu-Natal and the city of Durban were proud hosts of the WEF Africa (WEFA), which took place from 3-5 May, 2017.

The WEFA 2017 theme was driving economic transformation in Africa through inclusive growth models Over 1100 participants were expected at the WEF Africa, including forum member companies, representatives from government, international organisations, civil society, academia, media and the arts.

The Co-Chairs of the WEFA were:

• Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director, Oxfam International,
• United Kingdom Siyabonga Gama, Group Chief Executive Officer, Transnet, South Africa
• Frédéric Lemoine, Chairman of the Executive Board, Wendel, France
• Rich Lesser, Global Chief Executive Officer and President, Boston Consulting Group, USA
• Ulrich Spiesshofer, President and Chief Executive Officer, ABB, Switzerland

The WEF Africa was an important occasion for KwaZulu-Natal to showcase the province as a tourist and investment
destination. KwaZulu-Natal was provided an opportunity to formally present its tourism and its investments opportunities to delegates during the proceedings.

The main message from the KwaZulu-Natal delegation was that the Province is open for investment. The province
has sound banking and financial systems and reliable infrastructure both soft and hard.

WEF Africa provided a platform for sharing experiences. Local entrepreneurs were given an opportunity to engage with international investors and to share experiences and network in order to build partnerships. KwaZulu-Natal has benefitted greatly from a number of partnerships with foreign investors in recent months. A key message to take forward is that there is much potential for future private public partners to assist in the growth of the region.

The WEFA also provided a platform to say that KwaZulu-Natal is home to all people of Africa and that all people of the world are welcome in KwaZulu-Natal.