Douglas Alexander in South Africa
Backing business and helping victims of racial violence
13 June 2008
 Earlier this month, the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa took place in
Cape Town. Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State for International Development,
visited South Africa on 5 June to speak at the high-level meeting, and to launch
two initiatives that will help African businesses to become a stronger force in
the fight against poverty.
The visit also saw the Secretary of State meet leading South African
political figures and announce £500,000 for victims of the recent outbreaks of
xenophobic violence in the country.
Pushing back the boundaries for business
At the WEF meeting, in a session titled Taking Control of Global
Partnerships, Douglas Alexander spoke of the need for a global trade deal that
allows Africa to take its rightful place in the world trading system. Amongst those who
attended this year's event - which was tied together by the theme of
"Capitalizing on Opportunity" - were politicians, members of the private sector,
and
figures from civil society, academia and the media.
 Other points of discussion
over the three days included raising the quality of education in Africa,
improving energy efficiency, and addressing rising food prices.
 Find
out more on the WEF website.
The Secretary of State's day-long visit also provided an occasion to take the
Business Call to Action to
Africa. Talking to business people from around the continent about the role they
could play in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, he announced two
initiatives - the
Africa
Enterprise Challenge Fund and a new
Intellectual
Property guide- that will help them to do this.
"Business is essential in the fight against poverty, from a global to a
grassroots level," he said. "This is why we want the Africa Enterprise Challenge
Fund to generate innovative business ideas in agribusiness (and) in rural financial
and media services."
A first call for proposals was made for the $50 million fund.
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Increasing income from exports
 Speaking about the launch of the DFID-sponsored booklet "Distinctive values in
African exports: How Intellectual Property can raise export income and alleviate
poverty", the Secretary of State commented:
"We also want to ensure African
companies do not lose out to global business. Our new Intellectual Property
guide will help businesses to know their rights."
The 14 product sectors selected for this study - which include Sudanese cotton,
Malian mudcloth and Mozambican cashews – have the potential to increase export
income from $1.1 billion per annum to between $2.5 billion and $3.5 billion per
annum. This would significantly raise the gains to poor African producers.
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Building relations with South Africa
Douglas Alexander also had the chance to meet for the first time with Jacob
Zuma, the head of South Africa's ruling party, the ANC, and the Finance Minister
Trevor Manuel. Topics under discussion ranged from the forthcoming presidential
election to the situation in Zimbabwe, as well as the UK's bilateral programme
in South Africa. The Secretary of State also raised the crucial issue of showing
political leadership in tackling HIV/AIDS in a country where nearly a
thousand people die every day from the disease.
In addition, he underlined the importance of the UK's partnership with South
Africa in stimulating economic growth in the region as a whole. Agreeing with this
emphasis on growth, Jacob Zuma talked of the very real potential to achieve it in
Southern Africa, particularly through the
Southern
African Development Community.
Also, in response to recent racially-motivated violence in the provinces of
Gauteng and the Western Cape, the Secretary of State announced humanitarian
assistance worth £500,000. This money will provide basic food and other
items to migrants living in temporary shelters as a result of the attacks.
Read the press release for more
information.
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Taking a stand on Zimbabwe
With Zimbabwe very much in the news during his visit, the Secretary of State
also took the opportunity to make clear the UK Government's position on the
current situation:
"The arrest of Morgan Tsvangirai, the intimidation of opposition activists,
and now Mugabe's decision to target the poorest and most vulnerable people in
Zimbabwe show a callous disregard for all normal standards of decency and
democracy," he said.
"The role of neighbouring countries in guaranteeing free and fair elections has
never been more important," he added. "The credible presence of international
election observers is vital if the situation in Zimbabwe is not to deteriorate
still further."
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