The highlights of ASCCI activities are its Annual General Meetings (AGMs) and conferences attended by Presidents and Heads of State, Cabinet Ministers, Director Generals together with Captains of Industries, Presidents of Member Chambers, CEOs and leading business personalities networking at the highest possible level.
The highlight of the year’s events will be the following conferences:

President of RSA – Thabo Mbeki.

Dr Danny Jordaan – CEO – LOC – 2010 World Cup.

Annual General Meeting and Conference
This event will take place on 18th to 20th August 2007 in Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa and will see over 500 business leaders, government representatives and members of ASCCI getting together to discuss issues of Trade and Investments in the region.

Amongst other issues to be discussed at the AGM, the role of government and private sector in creating an enabling environment for economic growth and private sector development in the region. The other issues include NEPAD and African business opportunities, PPPs, SMME Development, 2010 opportunities for the region as well as the release of the results for the Regional Business Climate Survey for 2007, together with other current topical issues affecting business in the Region, Africa and Globally.

Mayor of Johannesburg, Mr Amos Masondo.

Sipho Mseleku, Harrison Kalua of ASCCI present Nelson Mandela with the ASCCI Presidential Award.

The conference will be followed by a Gala Dinner in honour of one of the world's leading statesman who has contributed immensely to the development of the region, continent and the socio-political and economic development of the world. ASCCI awarded the Inaugural
ASCCI Presidential Award, its highest honour, to the former President,
Dr Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.

ASCCI SMME Development Conference
This annual event has become one of ASCCI’s highlights since its inception a year ago. The conference focuses on challenges faced by SMMEs in doing business within their countries such as:

• Access to Finance
• Access to Markets
• Access to infrastructure support
• Access to Information
• Access to Training and Development Services
• Friendly regulatory environment; and
• Other related constraints preventing SMME's from doing business in a cost effective way.

ASCCI President, Harrison Kalua with Minister, Buyelwa Sonjica, Minister of Minerals and Energy (RSA).

Dr Nkosazana - Dlamini Zuma, Minister of Foreign Affairs (RSA).

The highlight of the 2006 SMME conference held in Soweto in partnership with Grace Bible Church and Nedbank was the launch of the SMME Business Toolkit. The conference was fully sponsored by Nedbank as the Platinum Sponsor and was supported by various
other ASCCI partners and major contributors such as:

• Coca Cola
• MER-Seta
• Rand Water
• AXIZ
• Various other sponsors
• Khula Enterprise Finance
• Gauteng Economic Propeller
• Wholesale and Retail Seta
• Mafube Publishing
• SABC Africa
• Business Day

ASCCI was able to distribute 2 000 SMME Business Toolkits to all the SMMEs who attended the conference and is looking forward to the success of this event in 2007.

Download 2006 ASCCI BEE SMME Development Conference Report>>
2007 Events Calendar

Economics for Prosperity Conference
The 1st biennial Economics for Prosperity Conference took place in SA between 30/11/05 – 01/12/05, covered such topics as:

• Millennium Development and the Market.
• A global perspective.
• Inter Regional Trade under legislative harmonisation: Myth or Reality?
• Doing business in Africa
• Property and income equality
• Challenges and changes in Transforming Public Sector Enterprises.
• Barriers to free trade and investment.
  And other topical issues.

The Corporate Council for Africa Summit in partnership with ASCCI
The Corporate Council for Africa, in partnership with ASCCI, plans to host its summit in South Africa in November 2007. The summit is intended to bring about 500 United States Companies intending to do business in the SADC region as well as in Africa.

ASCCI in partnership with its member chambers will mobilize companies in the SADC region to participate in this high level networking event designed to facilitate Business to Business, matchmaking, partnerships, joint ventures, foreign direct investment, as well as BEE opportunities.

Southern African Investment Conference in partnership with TOP 100 Companies.
This conference, hosted by ASCCI with its partners “Top 100, Top 300 and Top Empowerment Companies”, will take place in London in May 2007. The conference is designed to promote SADC and its private sector in London and amongst the European companies. For more info contact us directly.