Developing entrepreneurs for inclusive economic growth

Jacques Vermeulen, CEO of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa.

Africa is a continent of extraordinary prospects, from its wealth of natural resources to the untapped talents of its youthful population, yet it has not lived up to its potential, and too many of its people have been left behind despite the accelerated economic growth of the past decade.

Partly, that’s because many of Africa’s economies rely too heavily on commodity exports, with little beneficiation taking place before these are loaded onto ships for other countries to convert into finished goods.