Six years ago, we set a bold ambition. Our purpose is to create Africa’s largest and most impactful shared value network. The Shared Value Africa Initiative was launched on Africa Day in 2018. Our strategy is rooted on this business management philosophy, as was conceived by the founders of shared value professors Michael Porter and Mark Kramer as chairperson of the Board. I’d like to congratulate the Shared Value Africa Initiative on Turning six. Here’s a few of my personal reflections of this journey.

We have launched six successful shared value summits in Johannesburg, Nairobi, Kigali and online, while engaging thousands of participants while in continuous dialog with our partners globally, all partnerships and opportunities to amplify our voice on the continent have been informed by a set of guiding principles that all of our stakeholders understand. Debates, discuss, test and learn. While adapting to the new environments, we have boldly tackled the Sustainable Development Goals, including gender inequality, on which we have emphasised the agency to have women participate actively in building a global economy.

Gender equality, #ITSNOTOK Movement has been a vehicle through which we have rolled out training on policy guidelines through a number of corporates. Our investment in the youth through our Africa University Partnership, as well as through our Entrepreneurship Forum, have fostered collaboration among the youth on our continent. Where mentorship, sponsorship and collaboration have built a business incubator. Where ideas thrive. The SVAI has since been granted PBO status, allowing investment opportunities through South African corporates with associated tax benefits. We are proud of these accomplishments as we transition from relaunching our organisation from the Shared Value Africa Initiative to Shared Value Africa. I’d like to congratulate Tiekie Barnard and the broader shared value community on this milestone of turning six.

Here’s to the next six.

My call to action to the broader community that feel the urgency to shift the dial in our continent. Is this.

”Membership and affiliation is not important. Collaboration and activism is. The Africa we want is a shared value Africa.”