In a European hotel, in rooms named after Africa’s economic hubs, business leaders from the continent close deals, network and debate about solutions to some of Africa’s economic woes.The Africa CEO Forum was held in Geneva at the end of March to ignite a dialogue and rethink the "business model" for the continent, to remain relevant in a changing and competitive environment.The general consensus is that the "Africa rising" narrative is still in full force but SA and Nigeria are lagging behind.Amir Ben Yahmed, founder and president of the forum, says declining growth across Africa has renewed the urgency to come up with solutions."Even more alarming is the fact that the two biggest economies in Africa, Nigeria and SA, which produce 32% of the continent’s production, have been very badly affected."For Africa’s top two, it’s been a trying year. SA’s GDP growth dropped to 0.3% in 2016 while Nigeria’s economic growth contracted by 1.51%, the first negative GDP growth since 1991.The foru...
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