2019 Africa Shared Value Summit Calls on Business to Take Action for Profit with Purpose

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Shift Social Development

PRESS RELEASE
2019 Africa Shared Value Summit Calls on Business to Take Action for Profit with Purpose
The Summit’s theme, Africa’s Business Growth – Grounded in Collaboration, was reflected in the message shared by many of the speakers
NAIROBI, Kenya, June 17, 2019/ — The third annual Africa Shared Value Summit (www.AfricaSharedValueSummit.com) took place last week in Nairobi, Kenya – the first time the event has come to East Africa. The diverse programme of thought leaders engaged a packed hall of delegates with thought-provoking insights and Shared Value case studies over the two days. The first of its kind in East Africa, the Summit was sponsored by local telecommunications giant Safaricom, as well as Old Mutual, Enel Green Power, Absa, KCB and the World Food Programme.

The Founder and CEO of Summit organisers the Shared Value Africa Initiative (SVAI), Tiekie Barnard, opened the Summit with strong words for the African business community: “We as a collective have a responsibility to run sustainable businesses that grow our economy and bring about change to the people whose lives we touch.”

“A really sustainable competitive advantage,” noted keynote speaker Mark Kramer, co-creator of the business concept and MD at FSG, in his opening plenary address, “comes from picking the particular customer segment you want to serve and designing every activity in your organisation to serve their needs better than anyone else.” Shared Value thinking is not about after-profit philanthropy or once-off PR moments – it’s about genuine differentiation and market leadership. Instead of competing for profit-margin percentages, business must rethink ‘business as usual’ to make operations more efficient, motivate and empower employees, and serve consumers better. Africa’s greatest challenges are ripe to become our biggest business opportunities – but it will take innovative, collaborative thinking to drive our continent’s economic growth. This is the essence of ‘profit with purpose’.

The Summit’s theme, Africa’s Business Growth – Grounded in Collaboration, was reflected in the message shared by many of the speakers. As Moses Muthui, Country Strategy Director of Barclays Bank of Kenya (part of Absa Group), noted on the second day of the Summit, “We can compete for profit, and collaborate for purpose.” Muthui emphasized the need to invest in the industrialization of Africa in order to promote growth, create jobs and enable us to navigate increasing urbanisation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

As with previous years, the UN Sustainable Development Goals were a theme at the Summit, underlining their usefulness in focusing a business’s purpose and providing tangible goals that business can contribute to achieving as a collective. “We believe that the Sustainable Development Goals provide the opportunity to really engage in a purpose-driven business, and business that is both sustainable and inclusive,” said Bob Collymore, CEO of Safaricom.

At the end of the Summit, it was announced that the 2020 Africa Shared Value Summit will take place in Kigali, Rwanda. The Shared Value Africa Initiative has since shared the proposed dates – 25-26 May 2020. The event’s continuing proximity to Africa Day (25 May) emphasises the SVAI’s commitment to building Africa’s most powerful Shared Value business network, connecting businesses across industries and borders to create change – and economic growth – at scale. To join the Shared Value movement in Africa, visit www.SVAI.africa or find the Shared Value Africa Initiative on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. For 2020 Africa Shared Value Summit sponsorship enquiries, visit www.AfricaSharedValueSummit.com/contact-us.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Shift Social Development.
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Email: rachel@shiftsocialdevelopment.co.za
tiekie@shiftsocialdevelopment.co.za

About the Summit:
The Africa Shared Value Summit (www.AfricaSharedValueSummit.com) aims to raise awareness and advocate for the success of the strategic implementation of the Shared Value business model – profit with purpose – in Africa. Hear from business thought leaders and changemakers about how Shared Value thinking can take business to the next level and make Africa an economic powerhouse. Engage on the pressing issues facing African businesses with speakers and panellists at Q & A sessions and breakaway discussions. Plus, the Shared Value 101 Masterclass offers the opportunity to take a deep dive into the business case for making the shift to profit with purpose.
Website: www.AfricaSharedValueSummit.com

Facebook: Africa Shared Value Summit
Twitter: @AfricaSVS
LinkedIn: Africa Shared Value Summit
Hashtag: #ASVS19

About the Organisers:
The Shared Value Africa Initiative (SVAI) (www.SVAI.africa) is a Non-Profit Organisation that aims to build a collaborative Shared Value network to accelerate sustainable change on our continent. The SVAI is the regional partner of the global Shared Value Initiative, the Australian Shared Value Project, the Hong Kong Shared Value Project, and Shared Value Initiative India.

Website: www.SVAI.africa
Facebook: Shared Value Africa Initiative
Twitter: @SVAItweets
LinkedIn: Shared Value Africa Initiative
Youtube: Shared Value Africa Initiative
Hashtag: #SharedValueAfrica

Shift creates and facilitates partnerships, initiatives and collaborations that drive social impact in Africa. We build and utilize our network to connect business, civil society, philanthropic foundations, non-profit organisations and government departments to leverage the resources to create inclusive growth and collective social impact at scale, aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Facebook: SHIFT – Connect Scale Impact
Twitter: @ShiftImpact
LinkedIn: SH!FT (www.Linkedin.com/company/15216368)
Website: www.ShiftSocialDevelopment.com

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