Profile Round Table Africa


Round Table Africa is set-up to stimulate expertise development in the area of sustainable business in Southern and Eastern Africa. The program aims to achieve a structural collaboration between international businesses, local companies and policy-makers. They meet at conventions to explore business opportunities and resolve bottlenecks. Round Table Africa looks at economic and social development from a business angle.

Background

Human Development Index (HDI) figures for East and Southern African countries reveal that social economic development has not improved during the last decade. On the contrary, many of these countries have faced a decline in their social and economic development.

The quest is for an analytical framework from which actionable indicators can be extracted. It is argued that the global framework for competitiveness studies as promoted by among others the World Economic Forum is both too abstract due to its focus on the macro level, and conceptually flawed because its one-size-fits-all approach does not accommodate for the idiosyncrasies of developing countries.
The aim of Round Table Africa is to dig deeper by focusing on the challenges of local industries acting within international contexts.

The single one issue development scholars do agree upon is the lack of entrepreneurship and actual investments in potentially successful value chains, in developing countries. In order to create a conducive and enabling environment for sustainable economic development, value chain analyses in a comparative, either cross-country or cross-industries, setting should generate the knowledge required to steer the economy.

Contact



Round Table Africa is an initiative of Maastricht School of Management's Sustainable Development Center, in partnership with the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI) and the Expert Centre for Sustainable Business and Development Cooperation (ECSAD).

Maastricht School of Management's:
PO Box 1203
6201 BE Maastricht
The Netherlands
Phone: + 31(0)43-3870808 
Fax: +31 (0)43-3870802
Email: info@roundtableafrica.net

Eastern ans Southern African Management Institute:
PO Box 3030
Arusha
Tanzania
Phone: +255 (0)874 370087
Fax: +255 (0)27-2508285
Email: esami@roundtableafrica.net

Approach Round Table Africa


The Round Table approach is based on value chains. Its approach is holistic, comprising stakeholder dialogue, match-making and business development. Core to the concept is the “educate and assist” formula. MSM, together with local or regional partners, acts as a project manager and process facilitator of the Round Table programs.

Value chain analysis
Round Table programs start with a sound analysis of high potential value chains. Studies are executed by an international team of experienced researchers who guide African Students in Doctor of Business Administration. Local values and perspectives are well-embedded in the process, thus promoting local ownership.

Follow-up activities
The research results are presented during Round Tables in which international key stakeholders are represented. The help of development venture capitalists will be sought in order to exploit the opportunities to the full. Following the Round Tables, a variety of activities will get off the ground: match making, policy advice to government institutions and to civil society organization, capacity building advice to producer organizations and business development advice.

For more information visit the website: www.roundtableafrica.net