The Mastercard Foundation Fund for Resilience and Prosperity recently participated in and exhibited at the Africa Debate event, held on Thursday 31 October 2024 in Dubai, UAE. The program spotlighted opportunities along the UAE - Africa trade and investment corridor, featuring sessions on logistics and supply chain optimisation, infrastructure development, and the energy transition. The event brought together global businesses, private and public investment bodies, thought leaders, and policymakers for a series of insightful dialogues on UAE - Africa commercial ties in 2024 and beyond. It provided an opportunity to interact directly with investors and market leaders from Africa and the UAE, and exchange perspectives, expertise and experiences, acquire invaluable insights into the future of trade and investment between Africa and the UAE, and connect with delegates and speakers.
The Fund team members, Smita Sanghrajka, Engagement Partner; Grace Mberia, Program Partner; Nashipae Leteipan, Communications and Convening Lead; Winfred Kinuthia, Grants and Climate Impact Manager; Elizabeth Mungai, Connect Lead; and Kelly Ochieng, Communication Associate, attended the different sessions throughout the day. These sessions highlighted the dynamic relationship between the UAE and Africa including how the relationship is closing infrastructure gaps and reshaping African economies, and has helped many African nations to experience an economic turnaround, enhancing economic diversification, boosting Africa’s global competitiveness, and empowering local enterprises to thrive in a rapidly evolving market. The key sessions included:
Smita Sanghrajka, Fund Engagement Partner, moderated the panel discussion titled Tech and Agribusiness in the UAE – Africa Trade Corridor. The panellists discussed how AgriTech has helped ramp up the income of smallholder farmers by empowering them with data and actionable insights. These technologies provide farmers with the resources they need to increase productivity, reduce waste and gain greater control over environmental variables. The panellists agreed that AgriTech is critical to global food security because it feeds a growing population while minimizing environmental impact. Adopting AgriTech offers farmers various benefits, notably improved yields and enhanced profitability. By integrating cutting-edge technologies and data-driven insights, AgriTech empowers farmers to elevate their crop management practices, resulting in higher productivity and financial gains. AgriTech equips farmers with real-time data on various aspects of their fields. Farmers make informed decisions regarding irrigation, fertilization and pest control with this information.
In addition, the Fund team had an exhibition stand that enabled them to share information on the Connect intervention and ongoing Agribusiness Challenge Fund as well as network with key stakeholders. The Fund team also held meetings with various stakeholders through the week and during the event. The team held one-to-one discussions with agribusiness industry players, investors and business advisors based in UAE who expressed interest in the Fund interventions. The discussions covered access to investment, market access and business advisory services for the SMEs that the Fund will support. The interactions allowed the Fund to expand its database of stakeholders that are relevant to the Connect intervention.
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