SA delegation participates in World Economic Forum engagement

South Africa joins sustainable method production discussions to increase agricultural investment, writes Jyothi Laldas.

South Africa showcased its national pride and commemorated 30 years of democracy with a series of events at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos Klosters, Switzerland which took place from 15 to 19 January.

The South African delegation comprised government, business, and civil society leaders led by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana.

He was joined by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel, Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande, Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Mondli Gungubele, Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, and Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla. The business delegation included business leaders and captains of industry for various sectors, including agriculture, agro-processing, and green energy, the financial sector, telecoms, and mining, among others. One of the many topics discussed at the WEF was harnessing the purchasing power of the world’s leading companies and governments to accelerate more sustainable production methods, as food systems are allegedly responsible for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, yet receive less than 4% of climate financing, it said. The discussion noted that more investment was needed to scale the production of low-carbon, naturepositive food commodities, such as beef cattle, dairy, rice, row crops, soya beans and palm oil. The session was directly linked to the launch of the First Movers Coalition for Food by the WEF Centre for Nature and Climate. Brand South Africa, the country’s official marketing agency, partnered with Old Mutual, South African Breweries (SAB) and Naspers to support the programme and build on the success of the recent post-pandemic, in-person attendance at the WEF.

“We are proud and ecstatic that South Africa’s voice was heard in Davos,” said Brand South Africa’s Acting CEO Sithembile Ntombela. “With three decades of democracy, South Africa has transformed into the most industrialised and diverse economy on the continent. Our presence at Davos aimed to highlight the country as a competitive business and investment destination.”

She described the WEF as a global platform that drives private-public co-operation and gives South

Africa a chance to add its voice to discussions about global issues.

The programme of the 54th annual meeting of the WEF discussed critical issues across four interconnected thematic priorities, which included Achieving Security and Cooperation in a Fractured World, Creating Growth and Jobs for a New Era, Artificial Intelligence as a Driving Force for the Economy and Safety and A Long-Term Strategy for Climate, Nature, and Energy.

Ntombela added that public–private partnerships were critical in elevating South Africa’s voice at the WEF.

“It is for this reason that we are grateful for our partnership with Old Mutual who are on board for the second year, SAB and Naspers. The partnerships help to showcase some of the best that South Africa has to offer,” said Ntombela.

Richard Rivett-Carnac, CEO of SAB, said: “As the biggest brewer in Africa, we believe that beer is an engine for economic growth and development. In a study we commissioned in 2022 on the country’s beer sector, we found that one in every 66 jobs in the country was linked to economic activity in the beer industry. WEF serves as an opportunity to share our approach to contributing to South Africa’s domestic growth by leveraging the power of partnerships and local sourcing, with 95% of our raw materials being sourced locally.”

Ian Williamson, CEO of Old Mutual, said: “We are honoured to be part of [the] impactful discussions at WEF. We look forward to exploring how collaboration can help the continent address challenges such as the energy supply, high inflation, stagnating or low growth, as well as the climate crisis.”

South Africa reported on its progress on economic reforms, highlighting the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, and its Just Energy Transition Investment Programme.

It also said it intended to use the expanded Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) bloc to drive development.

‘WE ARE HONOURED TO BE PART OF [THE] IMPACTFUL DISCUSSIONS AT THE WEF’

WEF Countries showed they are ready to talk sustainability at the conference in Switzerland.