The foundation of Kim’s experience stems from a childhood immersed in nature, combined with a never-ending fascination for wild places.

TFor 30 years He has followed this passion for conservation, safaris and people leading to tertiary studies focused upon conservation, guiding of luxury safaris throughout southern Africa, leading sales teams partnering with African trade specialists globally, and the management of extensive and intricate tourism portfolios.

His experience has included mobile safaris guiding and management, management of complex & diverse lodge operations and also extensive planning within the Commercial and Corporate Social Investment sectors of the industry.

Hamza Farooqui is a prominent South African-based entrepreneur with a special interest in real estate, technology, hospitality, leisure, and global financial services. He is the founder and CEO of the Johannesburg-headquartered boutique family investment office Millat Investments which he started in 2016.

He started his entrepreneurial journey in his early teens when he conceptualised and developed icricketer.com providing millions of fans around the world with live online cricket scoring and radio/audio updates. The business achieved global success and recognition.

Later he co-founded South Africa’s first Islamic satellite radio station, CII. CII went on to become a significant player in the Islamic media, Islamic retail, and Islamic financial services front. He helped launch a variety of multi-billion Rand pioneering Islamic financial services products with Old Mutual and Albaraka Bank.

Continuing with the entrepreneurial journey, he subsequently joined and became the managing director for satellite radio company WorldSpace in Africa. During this time, he was part of the team which supported the company’s capital raising process which led to the successful IPO of the company on NASDAQ. This provided him with significant experience in working with large capital providers such as global private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds and family offices.

He was also the driving force behind the first ever dry hotel built in Cape Town initially being branded by Hilton Worldwide. Farooqui is driven by an abiding passion for and firm belief in South Africa. He is an active and successful player in the tourism sector where, in partnership with the global Hyatt Hotels brand, opened four hotels in the country during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hamza’s most recent brain child saw Millat Investment becoming the first hotel group to open Dark Kitchen food brands in South Africa with Uber Eats coming in board as an exclusive partner for ordering and delivering.

He strongly subscribes to the concepts of community and family and values the importance of a service ethos in everything that he does.

Farooqui travels the world widely, has extensive business interests in the GCC and the sub-continent, and through an extensive network has high-level access to global companies and their leaders. He also draws inspiration from the cultural diversity in these regions and his parental roots of Pakistan and uses every speaking opportunity and engagement to extol the potential of South Africa as an investment destination.

Farooqui fervently believes that South Africa’s future economic success will be built through the power of entrepreneurship. The secret he says, is to remain laser-focussed on the job and to work in sectors that constantly move your spirit.

Keabetswe Pheko-Moshagane is the Managing Director of Absa Bank Botswana Limited is a seasoned Financial Services Executive and Corporate Leader, passionate about innovation, community impact and diversity. She successfully led the Bank through one of the largest brand transition projects undertaken in Botswana, which saw Barclays Bank Botswana Limited change to Absa Bank Botswana Limited in February 2020. and initiatives to ensure the business operates in a stable environment.

Keabetswe has established herself and been lauded as an authentic and inspiring speaker, sharing her insights at a number of events, such as the DeBeers W 2019 Summit and webinars centred on Women Upliftment, Agriculture and STEM, which are some of her other interests. She was recently recognised as one of the top50 women CEOs leading listed, large and complex businesses on the African continent. She holds a Bachelor of Administration in Information Technology from the Tshwane University of Technology and recently completed her Master’s in Business Administration with Mancosa.

Sam Nganga is the Upstream & Advisory Manager for Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) where he leads advisory and project development work across Eastern & Southern Africa.

In this role, he is focused on supporting private sector partners in multiple sectors including Manufacturing; Agribusiness; Tourism, Retail, and Property across the region.

Ambassador Petra Pereyra is a lawyer by profession with over fifteen years of experience in European Union External Action, having served in various functions prior to joining the EU Delegation to Botswana and SADC in September 2022 as the Ambassador.

Previously, she has been heading the Unit for Communications in the department for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations and leading the Humanitarian Aid Operations in the Sahel and West Africa region. In the department for International Partnerships, she was in charge of designing and supporting the EU Delegations to implement programmes in the areas of justice, security, the rule of law and good governance. She has also been responsible for inter-institutional relations within the EU and budget discharge for the EU external action spending.

Before joining the EU, Petra Pereyra worked as a researcher of international law at the University of Helsinki and in the Legal Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. She holds Master of Laws and Licentiate of Law (postgraduate research) Degrees from the University of Helsinki

Dr Bao Rasebolai Mosinyi appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana (CAAB) on the 01st July 2021.

An Aerospace Engineer, he is armed with a broad experience in Aviation and Aerospace matters acquired in a period spanning over 20 years. His extensive experience has seen him working for an Aviation Regulator, an Airline, Aircraft Manufacturer in addition to an Aircraft Engine Manufacturer in the United States of America.

Dr Mosinyi, a citizen of Botswana, joined CAAB from Pratt & Whitney where he held the position of Associate Director. He had previously served at the US Federal Aviation Administration as a Senior Research Engineer and at Airbus as an Aircraft Structures Engineering expert.

Bao Mosinyi holds both Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering & Mechanics from Drexel University – specializing in Aircraft Structures. He also holds an MBA degree (Strategy & Finance) from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

Hon. Eric Mothlbi Molale was appointed Minister of Transport and Communication in 2022. He is an expert in development economics and has extensive knowledge in socio – economic development issues. As Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration his portfolio includes governance, as well as coordination of all Government and management of the Public Service.

His Public Service career spans three decades, and includes policy analysis, and development planning at district and central government. His proficiency in resolving key development issues, is highlighted by his appointment to key roles. He was appointed District Officer (Development) 1981 – 1988 and later as District Commissioner, a responsibility that made him manage the overall development process at district level.

In the year 2000 he was appointed Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government where he was responsible for efficient operation of all local authorities and provision of basic essential services key to social upliftment of Batswana. Minister Molale is also former Senior Private Secretary to the 3rd President of the Republic of Botswana His Excellency F. G. Mogae. In 2003 he was appointed Permanent Secretary to the President. As Permanent Secretary to the President he was Head of the Public Service and also Secretary to Cabinet, a position he held until 2014 when he retired and joined politics.

He was appointed Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration in 2014. His major focus was reforming the Public Service, so as to improve efficiency and effectiveness and providing guidance on Strategic Management to all Accounting Officers across all Ministries and Departments.

In April 2018, Hon. Molale was appointed Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security. Minister Molale holds MSc. Agricultural Economics, B.A in Economics and Environmental Science and various other qualifications. He has served as Chair of Debswana, the largest producer of diamonds by value in the world and a flagship diamond company co-owned by De Beers and Botswana Government. He was also a member of the Board of the Commonwealth Association of Public Administration and Management.

Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) since Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) since June 2019, brings a wealth of industry experience to aid the continued growth of Ras Al Khaimah as one of the fastest growing destinations in the world and will spearhead RAKTDA’s drive to attract 3 million visitors by 2025, while developing the Emirate’s tourism infrastructure, creating sustainable investment opportunities and enhancing the quality of life for Ras Al Khaimah’s residents.

Phillips is an award-winning hospitality veteran and serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience working with some of the world’s most renowned brands including Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Universal Studios Orlando. He was recognized & published by Hotelier Middle East as “Top 20 Most Powerful Arab Hoteliers”.

Phillips, an American national and a fluent Arabic speaker, has a great understanding of the region having worked in the Middle East since 2005 and specifically in the UAE since 2007.

Phillips joins RAKTDA, the authority tasked with establishing Ras Al Khaimah as a world-class destination for leisure and business travel, from the Dubai based International Hospitality Consulting Group INHOCO, where he was Senior Partner and Senior Vice President of Development. In this role he developed hotel project pipelines exceeding $5 billion in assets and negotiated multimillion-dollar hotel deals for global luxury brands in 12 countries and 26 markets.

As well as launching and developing hotels globally, Phillips is one of the Co-Founders of Earth Hotels a sustainable, tech-forward and design centric hotel concept.

Phillips is also an expert in the food & beverage sector and was behind several successful concepts including Hard Rock Live Orlando and Noire the Middle East’s first Dinner in the Dark restaurant. He is also the Co-Founder and former CEO of SugarMoo Desserts, Dubai’s first online dessert delivery bakery that has expanded from a home grown UAE concept to a popular regional brand in multiple countries including KSA & Oman.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and an MBA in Organizational Management.

H.E. Albert M. Muchanga, born on May 21, 1959, a Zambian national was elected as the new commissioner for Trade and Industry of the African Union Commission. Mr. Muchanga was the Permanent Secretary in the Cabinet Office in charge of Parliamentary Affairs in Zambia.

H.E. Muchanga was also a former Ambassador to Ethiopia with extra accreditation to the African Union. He has both at home and abroad dealt with issues broadly related to international economic policy analysis and implementation as well as regional integration, foreign policy analysis and implementation.

H.E. Wamkele Mene was elected by the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of States & Government of the African Union, to the position of Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.

Prior to being elected Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, he served as Chief Director: Africa Economic Relations, at the Department of Trade & Industry of South Africa. In this role, he was South Africa’s chief trade negotiator in the AfCFTA and Tripartite FTA negotiations. During his tenure as chief negotiator, South Africa ratified both the AfCFTA and Tripartite FTAs agreements.

Prior to assuming this position, H.E. Wamkele Mene occupied the position of Director: International Trade Law & Investment Law at the Department of Trade & Industry, a role in which he was principal legal counsel on international trade law and international investment law.

From 2010 until 2015, H.E. Wamkele Mene represented South Africa at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland. He was elected to the position of Chairman of the WTO’s Committee on International Trade in Financial Services.

Prior to joining the Department of Trade & Industry of South Africa, H.E. Wamkele Mene worked for Wall Street based law firms in the London and Hong Kong offices.

H.E. Wamkele Mene has written and lectured internationally on international trade law, international investment law and international business law. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Law) degree from Rhodes University in South Africa, a Master of Arts in International Studies & Diplomacy (with specialization in International Economics) from the School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), University of London and a LL.M. (Master of Laws) in Banking Law & Financial Regulation from the Law Department of the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE).