Dr Sifa, ICA Regional Director Africa at the International Co-operative Alliance Global Conference in Cape Town, November 2013.

1. Talking Notes of the ICA Africa Regional Director at
the Africa Ministerial Panel,
Cape Town, South Africa 5th, and
November 2013.

2. ICA President, Dame Pauline Green,
ICA Director General, Charles Gould,
The Chair, ICA Africa Ministerial Co-operative Conference, Hon. Francois Kanimba,
Honourable Minister of Trade and Industry, Republic of South Africa,
Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Keynote Speaker,
Honourable Ministers for Co-operatives from across Africa,
Regional Board Members,
Fellow Co-operators,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

3. LET ME TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY to thank The Government
of the Republic of South Africa
and African Ministers present, for this wonderful and exciting
session that we are about to start.
According to World Bank Data, 2012), we have
1.09 billion people, living in 54 countries of the African continent,
making it the 2nd most populated continent,

4. •Africa has great potentials. The Economist, 2011 described
Africa as ‘The hopeful continent’ following in the footstep of Asia
•The economy is described by IMF as the fastest - growing
economy of the world, with about 5.8% growths GDP for 2012.
•There is growth in agriculture, trade, industry and human
resources . The youth constitutes 65% of total employment in
agriculture

5. • The continent has a fast growing middle class
with improved skills
• There is improvement in technology and
infrastructure
• Africa has increasing foreign investment, from
China alone in 2012, Africa got 160 billion
dollars investments

6. •GDP at Purchaser’s Price from the world Bank
data is $2.02 trillion
•Africa productivity is growing at 3% per annum
compared to 2.3% in America.

7. •
Africa is beginning to develop manufacturing and service economies
• The continent has a fast growing middle class with improved skills
• There is improvement in technology and infrastructure
• Africa has increasing foreign investment, from China alone in
2012, Africa got 160 billion dollars investments

8. • Definitely , we are doing good but you will
also agree with me that we can do better.

9. In Sub-Saharan Africa
• Many Africans are still poor; and there is great
disparity in the distribution of wealth and
access to opportunities in the continent.

10. •African Development Indicators show that
• African Development Indicators show that
• GDP of South Saharan Africa is $744 billion.
This is equivalent of 28% of China’s GDP Youth
unemployment in Africa is 59.5%.This is higher
than the world’s average of 43.7% (CIA World
Fact book, 2012)

11. • According to the World Bank 2011, Africa
Development Indicators: Factoids 2011:
• Main sub-sector in Africa is agriculture but only
4.7% of the arable land is irrigated and the
commodity value- chain is much underdeveloped.
• Africa is saddled by environmental challenges of
drought, pest, erosion; security and related
issues.

12. • Literacy rate for female (ages 15-24 ) stands at
64.8%
• 90% of malaria deaths are in Africa and 68%
of HIV cases are in Sub-Saharan Africa
• 547million people in sub -Saharan are without
electricity

13. • This is the image of Africa that we are not
proud of and we wish to change it. We are
proposing the change through the Cooperative enterprise model.
• The report of the best 300 global Cooperatives
reveals the prospects and the resilience of
Cooperatives even in recession.

14. • With a statistics of one billion members,
securing the livelihood of three billion people
(about half of the world’s population),
employing one hundred million people, and
with a turnover of a trillion dollars, the
Cooperative Model of Enterprise has a
positive role in the socio- economic growth of
Africa.

15. • More than 40% percentage of the population of
Africa, according to the report, is affected directly
or indirectly by the Cooperative business?
• The contribution of Cooperatives to the
agricultural sector in Africa is huge. Cooperative
Finance is supporting many Small and Medium
Enterprises and households in Africa.70% of
African cannot access the formal bank loans.

16. • Cooperatives are developing other sub sectors
of the economy especially in finance and
industry and commerce.
• In
Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Cameroon,
Kenya and many other African countries
Cooperatives have played a major role in
advancing the agricultural sub-sector; in the
provision of affordable Housing and in
financing small Scale Enterprises.

17. • According to Kenya Ministry of Industrialisation
and Enterprise Development, 2013, In
Kenya, 45% of the GDP is from Cooperatives and
Cooperatives account for over 30% national
savings and deposits. 63% of Kenyan population
derives their livelihood through Cooperative
based activities

18. • However, More still can be done.
• The Cooperative Movement can be a key
player in:
• agriculture, ensuring food sufficiency
• redirecting the economy from primary
commodity export to commodity based
industrialisation
• expand the finance sub- sector through the
Africa Co-operative Bank

19. • Change the game of commerce sub sector by
focusing on more gain for more people.
• Claim a challenger position in the insurance
industry as it is already the case we CIC in Kenya
• and ensure the availability of the much needed
green energy supply throughout the continent.

20. • The call has been made. We need to take
action now and this gathering is the right one
to champion change.
• Thank you all for responding to the call,
especially Ministers who are participants in
this Africa Ministerial Panel of discussants;
• Wishing all a fruitful session.