Online Reporter
Wallace Ruzvidzo
Herald Reporter
Africa has the capacity to transition from capital to impact by driving investments and partnerships that generate employment, foster innovation and unlock the continent’s creative potential, SADC Executive Secretary Mr Elias Magosi has said.
Speaking after attending the 9th Africa Business Forum 2026, Mr Magosi said SADC was committed to harnessing the region’s demographic dividend, scaling innovation ecosystems and advancing industrialisation as a catalyst for inclusive growth and sustainable economic transformation.
“Upon the conclusion of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union on February 15, 2026, I participated in the 9th Africa Business Forum 2026, convened on February 16, 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“Organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the Forum has been repositioned as the continent’s premier platform for mobilising partnerships, investments and blended finance to accelerate Africa’s youth economy,” he said.
Held under the theme, “Financing the future of Africa: Jobs and innovation for sustainable transformation”, Mr Magosi said such platforms connect financial and partnership commitments to measurable results, including job creation and business growth. This, he added, is backed by a transparent delivery dashboard and an ongoing monitoring framework.
“The Africa Business Forum remains a strategic continental platform aligned with Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“SADC’s participation reaffirms our commitment to harnessing the region’s demographic dividend, scaling innovation ecosystems and advancing industrialisation as a catalyst for inclusive growth and sustainable economic transformation,” he said.
Mr Magosi said it had been noted that fragmented initiatives, insufficient capital for youth- and women-led enterprises, weak accountability in tracking commitments, and limited pathways for scaling successful programmes across countries and value chains were key constraints to Africa’s transformation.
At the meeting, the Jobs Wall Commitment Tracker, an accountability mechanism designed to ensure visibility and follow-through on public- and private-sector commitments, was also launched.
Mr Magosi said the platform will link financial and partnership pledges to measurable outcomes such as job creation and enterprise growth, supported by a transparent delivery dashboard and a sustained monitoring framework.
In his remarks, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ECA, Mr Claver Gatete, tipped Africa as the next engine for global growth.
“Growth will emerge where the world’s youngest workforce lives, where urbanisation is accelerating, where digital adoption is expanding and where new consumer markets are forming.
“That place is Africa,” he said.
