YPO Africa and Invest Africa Partner to Further Scale YPO’s Lead COVID-19 Response Impact Initiatives

YPO Africa and Invest Africa Partner to Further Scale YPO’s Lead COVID-19 Response Impact Initiatives

Cape Town, 5 August 2020 ‒ Today, YPO Africa, a global leadership community of chief executives, and Invest Africa, the leading trade and investment platform for Africa, announced that they have entered into a unique bilateral alliance. The key aim of this groundbreaking agreement is for YPO Africa and Invest Africa to support each other in their African impact efforts, with an initial focus on YPO’s Lead COVID-19 Response to begin making the right connections between organisations to start conversations and drive investment.

Launched in April, the Lead COVID-19 Response is a centralized platform that unites YPO’s 900 chief executives located across 22 African countries by indexing the efforts of the vast number of incredible member and spouse/partner led impact initiatives taking place across the entire region. Organized around 11 key focal pillars, the goal of the initiative is to create tangible, concrete, and replicable solutions to community, healthcare, and business challenges by providing access to best practices, toolkits, and resources.

“Both YPO Africa and Invest Africa are rooted in the belief that the role of business leaders has never been more crucial as we try to wrestle our lives and economies back from the COVID-19 crisis.” said Riël Malan, YPO Africa COVID-19 Response Committee Chair and Invest Africa Board Member, “This first-of-its-kind alliance unites two powerful organizations that, by working together in collaboration, can make a significant difference in Africa.”

“With over 60 years of experience in Africa, Invest Africa has a noted history of providing our members with unique information and exposure to business opportunities,” shared Karen Taylor, CEO of Invest Africa. “We are thrilled to be partnering with YPO Africa on their Lead COVID-19 Response and are keen to leverage the support of our members in this great cause. Together, we can pull on the resources of two great networks and make an even more meaningful impact.”

Invest Africa has a global footprint of more than 400 member companies, comprising of multinationals, private equity firms, institutional investors, development finance institutions, professional service organisations, government bodies, and entrepreneurs. With chapter cities in London, Dubai, New York, Johannesburg, and Cape Town, as well as an extensive network of country representatives across Africa, the organisation provides a platform to amplify the voice of the continent’s business and investment community and enables essential collaboration and support amongst public and private stakeholders alike.

Added Dhruv Pandit, YPO Africa Regional Chair, “In just a few short months, YPO Africa’s Lead COVID-19 Response has fostered incredible pan-African collaboration among our members, resulting in an immediate difference to people’s lives. Joining forces with the extraordinary Invest Africa team and utilizing their deep experience and connections enables us to increase the momentum around our vital efforts to beat this crisis and the virus.”

Some of the many inspirational projects that were spearheaded as a result of YPO Africa’s Lead COVID-19 Response include supporting over 1.5 million vulnerable people with more than 50 million nutritious meals in South Africa. In Lagos, Nigeria, fully funding and operationalizing a $5 million, 70-bed hospital and, in Kenya, mobilising and organising SAFEHANDS, which has raised $1.2 million for masks, washing stations, and a media campaign that has reached 90% of the country’s population.

About YPO:

YPO is the global leadership community of more than 29,000 chief executives in 130 countries who are driven by the belief that the world needs better leaders. Each of our members have achieved significant leadership success at a young age. Combined, they lead businesses and organizations contributing USD9 trillion in annual revenue. YPO members inspire and support each other through peer learning and exceptional experiences in an inclusive community of open sharing and trust. For more information, visit ‪ypo.org.

About Invest Africa:

Invest Africa is a leading pan-African business platform that promotes trade and investment in Africa. Invest Africa supports its members through a range of services and a programme of 100+ events annually. It connects members by leveraging its extensive global reach, offering unrivalled networking, market intelligence and exposure to business opportunities.

Media contacts:

YPO:

Amy Zelvin Reid, areid@ypo.org, +1 646 678 0575

Sheyaam Hill, SheyaamH@atmosphere.co.za, +27 (0)73 512 5785

Invest Africa:

Eleanor Brown, eleanor.brown@investafrica.com, +44 2037305035