09:15 – 09:30
Opening ceremony
MC – Peter Ndoro, Anchor/Broadcast Journalist, SABC
Opening remarks
Irene Ochem, AWIEF Founder & CEO
AWIEF 2021 Programme
AWIEF2021 is a two-day virtual event featuring leading high-profile keynotes, a ministerial panel, industry stakeholder panels, fireside chats, masterclasses, exhibition, AWIEF Pitch n Grow/Demo, the AWIEF Awards, and of course, networking opportunities.
09:30 – 09:40
Host City Keynote Welcome
Cllr Mpho Phalatse – Executive Mayor, City of Johannesburg
09:40 – 09:45
Opening keynote
H. E. Chris Cooter – High Commissioner of Canada to South Africa
09:45 – 10:45
In conversation with African business leaders
Conversation with African business leaders: Leading for growth and sustainability in a post-pandemic African economy
Speakers:
- Olugbenga Agboola, Co-founder & CEO, Flutterwave
- Barbara Makhubedu, Chief Financial Officer, Shell Downstream South Africa
- Shirley Machaba, CEO, PwC Southern Africa
Moderator: Peter Ndoro, Anchor, SABC
10:45 – 10:55
Plenary presentation
Nirmala Reddy, Strategy Specialist, Enterprise Development, Business Banking, Nedbank
11:00 – 12:00
Digitisation in Africa
Solving the digital workforce challenge: Skilling and re-skilling for success post-COVID-19
Speakers:
- Tiara Pathon, Digital Skills Lead – Africa, Amazon Web Services
- Daisy Mmabatho Molefhi, Founder & Vice Chancellor, ABM University College, Botswana
- Virginia Rose Losada, Global Coordinator & Senior Technical Officer, Women’s Entrepreneurship Development, International Labour Organisation (ILO)
- Sharmla Chetty, CEO, Duke Corporate Education
- Lesa Bradshaw, Managing Member, Bradshaw LeRoux Disability Inclusion Specialists
Moderator: Asanda Beda, Broadcast Journalist, SABC
12:00 – 13:00
Health & Wellbeing
Health is wealth: Delivering on equitable and inclusive healthcare systems
(Panel session sponsored by Roche Diagnostics)
Keynote remarks (7 – 10 mins): John Nkengasong, Director, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)
Speakers:
- Sandra Orta, General Manager, Roche Diagnostics, South Africa & sub-Saharan Africa
- Omar Shoukry Sakr, Founder & CEO, Nawah Scientific
- Mansi Dholakia, Founder & CEO, Global Mental Health Association
- Nonkqubela Mayatula, Founder, Miarestate Wildlife Estate
Moderator: Precious Nkabinde, Communications Lead, Roche Diagnostics, South Africa
Side Event (hosted by Shell) 12:00 – 13:00
Masterclass: Shell Retailer Recruitment Process
Presenters:
Thobile Dube, Retailer Recruitment Manager
Precious Mtimkulu, Retailer Development Manager
Michelle Koza, Operations Support Manager
13:00 – 13:45
BREAK
13:45 – 14:10
Fireside chat
Fireside chat with:
Waris Dirie, Activist, Supermodel, UN Special Ambassador for the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation
Interviewer: Peter Ndoro, Anchor/Broadcast Journalist, SABC
14:10 – 14:25
Presentation
Keynote futurist presentation: Brett King, Founder & Executive Chairman, Moven
14:30 – 15:30
Agriculture and Agribusiness
Catalyzing inclusive growth and resilience for women’s agri-enterprises
(High-level panel sponsored by Alliance for a Green Revolution for Africa – AGRA)
Speakers:
- Jemimah Njuki, Director for Africa, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
- Virpi Stucki, Chief, Rural Entrepreneurship, Job Creation & Human Security Division, UNIDO
- Ada Osakwe, Managing Partner, Agrolay Ventures, Nigeria
- Betty Kiplagat, Government Affairs Leader for Africa and the Middle East, Corteva
Moderator: Sabdiyo Dido, Head of Gender and Inclusiveness, AGRA
15:30 – 15:35
BREAK
15:35 – 16:40
Investing in women entrepreneurs
Maximizing gender inclusion and investment returns, the one does not exclude the other
Speakers:
- Carl Manlan, Vice President Social Impact, Europe, Middle East & Africa (CEMEA), Visa
- Zineb Sqalli, Partner, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Morocco
- Oulimata Sarr, Regional Director, West & Central Africa, UN Women
- Vanessa Adams, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships & Chief of Party, AGRA
- MEDA Representative
Moderator: Rose Sibisi, CEO, Style with Roses, Zambia
16:40
NETWORKING
09:00 – 09:10
Opening remarks by MC
Peter Ndoro, Anchor/Broadcast Journalist, SABC
09:10 – 09:25
Keynote
H. E. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, CEO, African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD)
09:30 – 10:30
Creative industry
Dialogue: Women making impact in the creative industry
- Bethlehem Tilahun-Alemu, Founder & CEO, SoleRebels, Ethiopia
- Adele Dejak, Founder & Creative Director, Adele Dejak, Kenya
- Nuru Nyerere-Inyangete, Executive Director, Epitome Architects, Tanzania
- Jenna Clifford, Founder, Jenna Clifford, South Africa
Moderator: Michael Sudarkasa, CEO, Africa Business Group (TBC)
10:30 – 10:45
BREAK
10:45 – 11:45
Ministerial panel
High-Level Ministerial dialogue – How can African governments bolster their economies beyond COVID-19 pandemic?
Speakers:
- H. E. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister, International Cooperation, Egypt
- H. E. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister, Communications and Digitalisation, Ghana
- H. E. Paula Ingabire – Minister, ICT & Innovation, Rwanda
- Amel Hamza – Acting Director, Gender and Civil Society Engagement Department, African Development Bank
Moderator: Eleni Giokos, Anchor & Correspondent, CNN
11:45 – 12:45
AfCFTA
The AfCFTA: Shaping Africa’s economic destiny – Opportunities for women empowerment
(Panel session sponsored by FedEx Express)
Speakers:
- Natasha Parmanand, Managing Director, Operations, FedEx Express, Southern Africa
- Tabitha Karanja, Founder & CEO, Keroche Breweries
- Sthembiso Dlamini, CEO, Gauteng Tourism Authority
- Patricia Obozuwa, Vice President, Government Affairs, Communications & Sustainability for Africa, Coca Cola Company
- Michael Sudarkasa, CEO, Africa Business Group
Moderator: Yavi Madurai, Founder & Executive Director, The Pan African Business Women’s Association (PABWA)
12:45 – 13:30
BREAK
13:30 – 14:30
E-Commerce
E-commerce for Africa: Promoting digital entrepreneurship
(Panel session sponsored by PayFast)
Speakers:
- Marek Zmyslowski, Co-founder, SunRoof & Regional Manager Africa, RTB House
- Colleen Harrison, Head of Marketing, Payfast
- Mark Matovu, Founder & CEO, Nampya Farmers Market, Uganda
- Farouk Khailann, CEO, Premium Africa Holdings
Moderator: Rose-Marie Bouboutou, Broadcast Journalist, BBC
14:30 – 14:45
Fireside chat
Fireside Chat with:
Manal Rostom, Athlete & Nike Ambassador
Interviewer: Mimi Fawaz, Broadcast Journalist, BBC
14:45 – 15:45
Young entrepreneurship
Future-makers: In conversation with African young women entrepreneurs
Speakers:
- Myriam Fournier Kacimi, Founder & CEO, Sungy, Algeria
- Chebet Lesan, CEO, BrightGreen Renewable Energy, Kenya
- Shamim Nabuuma Kaliisa, Founder & Executive Director, Chil Artificial Intelligence Lab, Uganda
- Odunayo Eweniyi – Founder & COO, Piggyvest, Nigeria
Moderator: Ramah Nyang, Business Journalist, Bloomberg & CGTN (Africa Bureau)
Side Event
12:00 – 15:30
Pitch
Pitch n Grow™ – Culminating Demo Day event for 2021 cohort AWIEF Growth Accelerator (In partnership with Nedbank)
15:45
Closing – AWIEF2021 Conference
Peter Ndoro, Anchor/Broadcast Journalist, SABC
2021 AWIEF Awards
Sponsored by: Amazon Web Services
Hybrid Event: Virtual; In-person at Marriot Hotel Melrose Arch, Johannesburg
19:00
2021 AWIEF Awards Ceremony & Gala Dinner
MC – Asanda Beda, Broadcast Journalist, SABC
Entertainment – Yvonne Chaka Chaka
Opening keynote address:
Tiara Pathon, Digital Skills Lead – Africa, Amazon Web Services
AWIEF Exhibition
AWIEF offers an exhibition platform for companies, organisations and women-owned businesses to showcase their projects and innovations.
This is a provisional programme and may be subject to change.
