China-Africa Investment Forum in Morocco Nov.27-28

Over 400 senior Chinese and African business leaders and decision-makers will meet at the China-Africa Investment Forum in Marrakech this November 27-28 to discuss partnership projects in transportation, infrastructures, industry, technology, trade and energy.

The  event is meant to be a platform facilitating business meetings and networking between the main stakeholders of trade and investment in China and Africa in order to foster the creation of sustainable partnerships with high added value, particularly in the industrial sector.

The program of the gathering includes conferences and debates on the financial implications for African economies of the new Silk Road and how to capitalize on this new dynamic aimed at making the continent a true industrial hub.

The agenda also features workshops that will provide insights and keys to understanding Chinese and African economic policies and operational environments.

Participants will discuss African-Chinese cooperation projects in renewable energies and Chinese input in this sector as more than 600 million African people still don’t have access to electricity.

They will also review African investment priority sectors and look into ways to accelerate industrialization and encourage skills transfers to speed socioeconomic development in the African continent.

The economic and commercial cooperation between China and Africa has not reached its full potential, says a McKinsey survey, noting that revenues generated in Africa by Chinese companies could increase by up to 144 pc by 2025.

With more than one billion people and competitive labor costs, Africa represents the future of industry and a competitive environment for Chinese industrial relocation, at a time when the world value chains are evolving.

More than 10,000 Chinese companies are operating in Africa. They generate $60 billion a year in industrial production and trade while Chinese direct investment rose by 31 pc to reach $2.5 billion in 2016. China is today Africa’s most important trading partner.