Welcome to the Standard Bank Africa Forum conference, underway in Cape Town, South Africa from 27–29 Oct 2009. Read about the day’s topical issues and join in the dialogue on our blog. View photos of the day's proceedings. Review our daily news and press alerts. Time to explore? Read about what to visit in Cape Town. As Standard Bank’s flagship conference, this event seeks to inform investors about the opportunities of investing in emerging economies, specifically the rich and diverse continent of Africa. Equally, the Conference serves to connect these investors with heads of industry, members of governments, and regulators from across the Continent, enabling them to explore avenues of potential common interest. Standard Bank has a long history of doing business in South Africa and now, more recently, has also gained immense experience in the East, primarily in the global growth powerhouse that is China. Conference Information The 2009 Standard Bank African Forum, previously known as the Standard Bank Emerging Financial Markets Conference, is the 13th annual conference of its kind and is themed specifically around Africa due to the growing importance of the continent as an investment destination, and Standard Bank’s African heritage with a history of over 147 years. The focus on Africa will be further concentrated on the sectors that we believe will be the most important drivers for growth over the next decade, namely Oil, Gas and Renewables; Power and Infrastructure; Mining and Metals; Telecoms and Media and Local Markets. As Standard Bank’s flagship conference, this event typically hosts around 200 delegates. Past prominent speakers have included former US President Bill Clinton, former Treasury Secretary John Snow, former Governor of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan, former World Bank President James Wolfensohn, former Deputy President of the United States Al Gore and financial commentators such as Jim O’Neil, Dr Jim Walker, and Jim Rogers. Many policy makers from Ministries of Finance and other portfolios as well as Central Bank Governors have been regular attendees. This year’s format will be more comprehensive than ever before. A number of sessions will focus on addressing the world economic situation, and how that relates to the likely outlook for Emerging Markets, using prominent commentators and experts including Nouriel Roubini and James Kynge. Various policy makers from South Africa and throughout the rest of Africa will also be present to address delegates on issues and initiatives surrounding policy in their countries. The Standard Bank African Forum
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