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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
THE high-level annual CEO Africa Roundtable kicks off in Victoria Falls today, with the forum set to launch a US$300 000 property fund whose goal is to encourage business to work towards the country’s development.

The CEO Roundtable 2021 is a leading international gathering for African CEOs, bankers and investors, board chairpersons and entrepreneurs.

Only local participants will attend this year’s three-day occasion, which is being held under the theme: “Charting the recovery curve, building momentum – crashing barriers, creating impact”, while others will follow proceedings on virtual platforms because of Covid-19 restrictions.

However, there will be foreign speakers, among high level local speakers including ministers.

The conference aims to assist CEOs and senior executives in different sectors to harness converging technologies in order to create an inclusive CEO who is prepared for the future.

President Mnangagwa was expected to officially open the conference on Friday but will be represented by Minister of Industry and Commerce, Dr Sekai Nzenza as he will be attending the Zanu-PF annual conference in Bindura.

In an interview, economist and Africa CEO Roundtable chief executive Mr Kipson Gundani said the major highlight of the occasion will be the launch of the property fund and venture scheme.

“This is a gathering of CEOs and a high-level platform, which discusses high level issues. This year we are focusing on a number of issues including trade in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and the 4th industrial revolution as we recover from the effects of Covid-19,” he said.

“Of major highlight is the property fund and venture company scheme, which we will initiate at this roundtable.”
Mr Gundani said the CEOs Roundtable will establish a property fund, which is a mechanism to encourage collective investment in an effort to destroy silo mentality in the economy.

“We are establishing a small US$300 000 project and calling on all CEOs to build a property they can call theirs.

This effort is not about the money but the message that it can happen collectively.

“The guest was supposed to the President Mnangagwa but he is no longer attending and the Minister of Industry will represent him,” he said.

Mr Gundani said the Roundtable will try to tackle issues affecting the economy such as inflation and exchange rate and driving the economy towards vision 2030. – @ncubeleon