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The African Chamber of Commerce

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki

The African Chamber of Commerce, known more commonly by its acronym AFCHAM, is located in Shanghai, China. Established in 2015, AFCHAM is the leading African organisation in Asia and the Pacific through which companies are making their first steps into Africa, with a current membership of 450 companies and 600 students. AFCHAM is a registered not-for-profit and non-partisan business organisation with the main objective to strengthen Africa-China commercial ties and provide high-quality business information and resources to its members. AFCHAM preserves the interests of its members by promoting a healthy business environment in China; encouraging helpful connections, and enabling a platform for relationship-building opportunities between African and Chinese businesses.[1]

Mission[edit]

The African Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to provide consultation for African companies that wish to operate in China or Chinese companies that wish to operate in Africa. The Chamber also establishes a platform upon which it provides market information and works as a match-maker for potential African and Chinese business partners. Afcham works as a facilitator in creating business relationships through networking events, providing guidance for African companies that are inexperienced with Chinese business practices and equally helps Chinese companies that wish to do business in Africa by sharing inside knowledge of needs in African nations.[1]

The Chamber aims to be a leading association in its field by bringing experts together from around the world and across different fields. Afcham’s consular service advises companies and individuals on visa regulations to ensure the continuity of their operation in China and/or Africa by remaining lawful and compliant.[2]

Progams[edit]

The African Chamber of Commerce strongly believes in the empowerment of young people and one of its founding values is to inspire and enable young people to take up their role as the future of the business world. The Afcham Youth Empowerment program ran at the end of 2016 with the aim of equipping young people with the skills to be successful individuals in the corporate world and realise their potential, specifically tailored to Africans wanting to work in China. The program nurtures aspiring youths whilst they operate Afcham’s missions.[3]

Afcham’s partners with The World Bank Group (WBG) to run the Young Professionals Program (YPP). The application window is open from 14th of June to 31st July 2018 (midnight EST).[4]

History[edit]

The African Chamber of Commerce was founded in 2016 by a group of Africans. There was a gap in the market for a facilitator to aid the process for Chinese companies wanting to operate in Africa, and vice versa. Previously, Chinese businesses had to go through individual chambers of commerce for specific nations to find a suitable project. Afcham has successfully eased this process by acting as a consultant for Chinese companies, able to advise on projects throughout a range of African nations.

Events[edit]

Invest in Africa[edit]

17 May 2016[edit]

For the first time, the young chamber brought together business executives from over 20 countries around the world and matched investors with opportunities in African countries in a highly successful networking evening. The event celebrated AFCHAM’s partnership with Next Step, a PR company based in Shanghai and Bridge Afrique Magazine, the only English language publication on economy, finance and culture in China owned and managed by Africans.[5]

Focus on Nigeria[edit]

30 June 2016[edit]

For this event, AFCHAM focused on Nigeria as the country with the 7th largest population worldwide, the largest and fastest growing economy in Africa and the number one destination for foreign investors on the continent, with Free Trade Zones and abundance of natural resources. The event saw presentations throughout the evening guiding investors on investment opportunities in Nigeria and a list of Nigerian companies willing to partner with foreign investors was revealed as available for consultation at the AFCHAM office.[6]

African Growth and Opportunities Conference[edit]

21 November 2016[edit]

The conference was held in Beijing and organised as part of a series of conferences designed to gather stakeholders in Africa’s booming construction industry. Among those attending were diplomats from the embassies in China of Nigeria, Senegal, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Benin, Rwanda and South Sudan. Other attendees included spokespeople for China-Africa relations and business development. The event was chaired by Dennis Tamonkia, Afcham’s chairman whose opening speech focused on the need to include Africa on policy decisions relevant to the continent’s future with the motto; “Build with Africans”. He also introduced Afcham’s CSR program to help companies have a more positive impact on African society.[7]

Social Entrepreneurship[edit]

29 September 2016[edit]

This networking event focused on the development of social entrepreneurship in Africa. Guest speakers Jovita Tjandra from the Solar Buddy project, providing solar energy solutions to those suffering from energy poverty, and Angrius Oleme from Foundation Combi, a social enterprise empowering women in their communities, presented their projects and shared their visions about the future of social entrepreneurship in Africa. These projects represent AFCHAM’s aim to affect society positively.[8]

Africa Day[edit]

25 May 2018[edit]

For the first time since its creation in 2015, AFCHAM celebrated Africa Day with a Gala Dinner in downtown Shanghai. The event saw the attendance of 120 high profile guests including Diplomats from African nations in Shanghai, 6 renowned chambers of commerce in Shanghai, senior management staff from top companies, senior management staff from top companies, representatives of state level economic zones in China, media professionals, friends and well-wishers of AFCHAM.  Chairman, Dennis Tamonkia invited all to rise to a symbolic toast marking the celebration of Africa Day under the theme ‘Celebrating Africa Rising, Rise with us!’.[9]

Global Development Summit for Africa[edit]

6 September 2018[edit]

The upcoming Global Development Summit for Africa will take place in Beijing on the 6th of September 2018, in the same week as FOCAC. AFCHAM is bringing together over 400 participants, including African government officials, Chinese state owned enterprises and C-level executives from multinationals to meet and promote their interests.

The Summit will see the presentation of four different panels on the following topics: ‘One Belt, Two Roads Initiative in Africa, ‘Free Trade Agreement and Currency Flow’, ‘How the Global Trade War is affecting the Investment and Trade in Africa’ and ‘Successful ways to promote the image of your brand in Africa’.[10]

Membership[edit]

Afcham's member companies which include state-owned enterprises, African companies, European companies and Chinese companies. The Chamber also includes student members. Member profiles are displayed in the printed Annual Directory which is publish on the third quarter of the year.

Corporate members enjoy access to private meetings with decision makers (public and private), travel visa, discounts on flight tickets, health insurance and other services that support business and day-to-day living in over 40 African countries, invitations to international fairs and exhibitions, directory of over 1500 companies in Africa, front-line information and publications, networking opportunities at AFCHAM events, company promotion via AFCHAM’s wide range of programs and channels, priority partnership opportunities and discounts for sponsorship programs. [11]

Student membership comprises of mentorship, youth empowerment, training and the scholarship program which involves workshop events but most importantly it enables African students to access scholarships at Chinese universities and to find jobs after graduation. Student members also enjoy access to latest job openings, access to events (conferences and seminars), discounted flight tickets when travelling with partners, free access to AFCHAM’s quarterly publications and magazines and access to weekly training programs.[12]

Committees[edit]

AFCHAM holds committees on sector specific issues driven by the interests and needs of member companies. They include Education, Small Business, Science, Technology, Innovation & Information Technology, Marketing, Real Estate, Human Resources, Travel, Tourism & Hospitality, Women’s Executive Network, Healthcare, Food, Agriculture & Beverage and Charity. [11]

Corporate Social Responsibility[edit]

The Chamber has carried out several initiatives in line with its ethos on Corporate Social Responsibility, but it’s main initiative has been the Solar Electrification for Rural Schools.

Afcham teamed up with BrightBeam Solar and TASCO Aid to supply solar-powered lamps to rural schools in Somaliland and Senegal. The initiative had two main objectives: to demonstrate the potential of solar energy to rural villages and to enable students to study for longer after sunset with the hope of increasing their performance at school and enabling them to fulfil their potential.[13]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 "AFRICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN CHINA". Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  2. "Corporate Immigration 6.1 Business Visa Services". Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  3. "The African Chamber of Commerce: Youth Empowerment Program". Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  4. "Young Professionals Program". Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  5. "Minutes of the Invest In Africa Event May 17, 2016". Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  6. "June 30, 2016 – Focus on Nigeria – A Networking Event Hosted by the African Chamber of Commerce (AFCHAM)". Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  7. Djon, Jilles (21 November 2016). "AFRICAN GROWTH & OPPORTUNITIES CONFERENCE- BEIJING 2016". Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  8. Yang Lan (9 October 2016). "Networking event by African Chamber of Commerce focuses on social entrepreneurship projects". Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  9. Khaoula (29 May 2018). "AFCHAM CELEBRATES THE 2018 EDITION OF AFRICA DAY". Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  10. "The 2nd Global Development summit for Africa". Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  11. 11.0 11.1 "Membership". Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  12. "AFCHAM MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS" (PDF). 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  13. Kibaar, Mowlid (6 February 2017). "Hay'adda Waddaniga Ah Ee Taakulo Oo Deeq Laamabaddo Soolar Ah Gaadhsiiyey Dugsiga Hoose/Dhexe Ee Gadh-yogol". Retrieved 16 July 2018.


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