Prudential plc has partnered with Invest Africa (InvestAfrica.com), a leading trade and investment platform for African markets, to support the development Environmental, Societal and Governance standards. The partnership will centre around Invest Africa’s flagship programme, The Africa Debate (TheAfricaDebate.com), which sees the Continent’s business leaders and policy makers assemble annually to discuss future investment priorities for the region.

Arjun Mallik, Managing Director, East Africa, Prudential plc, will join a discussion with leading figures in risk management, finance, business and law to outline why ESG policies should be a priority for investors in Africa and share best practice in ESG strategies. Alongside Prudential plc, DLA Piper, EBII Group, Jersey Finance and Vodafone Group will take part in the debate, drawing on experiences across the region.

In recent years, ESG has moved up the agenda for businesses globally as investors have placed greater emphasis on the integration of ESG measurements to strategic plans and operations. With Covid-19 placing severe strain on African economies, fulfilling local needs while meeting ever more stringent international standards is a challenge for emerging markets. Given the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on these regions, the private sector has an important role to play in setting the agenda for the region’s push to build back better from the current crisis.

Now in its 7th year, The Africa Debate will provide the platform to amplify the social, environmental and governance priorities of the region’s leaders as they seek to secure the long-term investments needed to drive progress towards the sustainable development goals. The conference will assemble leading figures from government, multilateral institutions and multinational companies including the IMF, World Health Organisation, Google, Afreximbank and the African Development Bank

Karen Taylor, CEO of Invest Africa said, "The focus on ESG-led investment within our membership network has become more prominent over the last five years. It is ever more important for businesses to have a set metrics for their plans to define, achieve and measure ESG goals and we aim to facilitate this through cross-sector and cross-border collaboration at The Africa Debate. We are delighted to have a leading institutional investor like Prudential lend their experience and expertise to the discussions."

Arjun Mallik, Managing Director, East Africa, Prudential commented, "Prudential’s purpose in Africa — as elsewhere - is to help people get the most out of life. Our ESG strategy is integral to how we fulfil that purpose, and we are committed to living the three pillars of this ESG strategy across the continent: making health and financial security accessible to as many people as possible, taking steps to curb the human impact on climate change and building social capital through promoting diversity of thought, a culture of inclusion and a sense of belonging within and outside our organisation."


Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Invest Africa.

Press contact:
Eleanor.brown@investafrica.com

About Prudential Plc:
In Asia and Africa, Prudential has been providing familiar, trusted financial security to people for over 95 years. Today, headquartered in London as well as Hong Kong, we are ranked top three in nine Asian markets with 17 million customers, 560,000 agents and access to 20,000 bank branches in the region. Prudential is focused on opportunities in the most exciting growth markets in Asia and Africa. With access to over 4 billion people in both these regions, we are investing in broadening our presence and building our leadership in the life and asset management markets. A key focus of our strategy is to establish mutually healthy and sustainable relationships to deliver the most innovative savings, health and protection solutions to people. Our strategic partnerships drive mutual growth, create financial benefits and provide success to our partners, investors and the communities where we operate. At the core of what we DO is people. We are committed to making a positive impact on our customers, our employees and our communities by delivering the best savings, health and protection solutions to people so they can get the most out of life.

About Invest Africa:
Invest Africa is a leading business and investment platform with a global footprint of more than 400 member companies, comprising multinationals, private equity firms, institutional investors, development finance institutions, professional service organisations, government bodies and entrepreneurs.

Formerly the Business Council for Africa, founded in 1956, Invest Africa leverages sixty years’ experience in Africa to provide its members with unique information and exposure to business opportunities. The organisation regularly works closely with governments and investment promotion agencies across the Continent to encourage private sector support and international investment in line with national and international development objectives.

Headquartered in London, Invest Africa also operates in four additional chapter cities: Johannesburg, Cape Town, New York and Dubai.

Our vision is to play a central and influential role in Africa’s socio-economic growth by guiding sustainable capital towards key prospects on the continent.

© African Press Organization, source Press Releases