A Private Public Dialogue on Impact Investment, overseen by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will take place during this year’s Africa Finance & Investment Forum 2015 (AFIF 2015), held in Cape Town, South Africa from 24-26 November.

“Africa’s impact investment sector is still nascent, with approximately only US$9 billion worth of impact investments deployed in the continent. The time is ripe, therefore, for African policy makers, investors and other key sector players to devise practical solutions that will help to improve impact investment practice in Africa and stimulate the sector to grow to its true potential,” explains Tomas Sales, Special Adviser Private Sector AFIM Unit UNDP RSCA, in the run-up to AFIF 2015.

This inaugural PPD provides a platform through which the public and private sector in Africa can discuss, agree and follow up on concrete interventions to catalyze the impact investment sector and contribute towards the achievement of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the recently ratified Sustainable Development Goals. 

“The PPD will facilitate the exchange of information and collaboration between key public and private sector players, and will feature plenary keynote addresses and a technical working & negotiation session to map the next steps in growing the sector,” adds Sales. This will culminate in the development and endorsement of a Cape Town Outcome Declaration, advancing an “Impact Investment in Africa” Action Plan & Roadmap.

The impact investment theme, a first for AFIF, is a component within the forum’s general theme “Access to Finance & Entrepreneurship”, which will also focus on innovative financial solutions to assist Africa’s businesses, showcasing the financial challenges and opportunities in agriculture, health, infrastructure and energy.

Held for the first time in Africa, AFIF 2015 is organized by EMRC in collaboration with the EIB, UNDP, DEG, Old Mutual Investments Group, Agri Academy, Pfizer, Rabobank, BlueCloud, ICD and IFC.

An expected 300 delegates from all over Africa, Europe, America and Middle East. This year AFIF will include a pre-conference Training on “Entrepreneurship” (23Nov), pre-arranged B2B meetings and informal networking activities. AFIF will also incorporate the “AFIF Entrepreneurship Award 2015” (http://www.emrc.be/en/events/afif-2015/award.aspx), a competition supported by the Rabobank Foundation.