About The
Africa Responsible Business (ARB) Forum

Responsible businesses are principle and value-driven, demonstrating in addition to profit-making activities, consideration for employees, customers, suppliers and the wider society. The ARB Forum will showcase how African businesses are attempting to be responsible, and provide an avenue for collaboration, innovation and learning for responsible business practices in Africa. While the primary focus of The ARB Forum will be on the role of the private sector, it will also include considerations of how the public sector and civil society can work with the private sector to contribute to the sustainable development of Africa.

Africa is transforming, and as the continent experiences change including an increase in the rate of urbanisation, and an expansion of the working population, the level of consumption and the scale of industrialisation will change. But to what end is the industrialisation and expansion of Africa? There is an opportunity for the continent to channel its economic and industrial development to ensure that businesses operate responsibly and contribute to the holistic vision of economic, social and environmental development. Businesses in Africa are strong, resilient and entrepreneurial. They strive to succeed, notwithstanding the number of challenges encountered. In many instances, businesses have stepped in to address infrastructural and other developmental challenges in their communities, seeing themselves as responsible for, and to the society from which their businesses emerge, exist and thrive. As such businesses are critical change agents, well-positioned to be at the helm of the transformation of Africa.

INAUGURAL ARB FORUM
Lagos 2018

Can Responsible Business Practices Contribute to Business Successes in Africa?

Businesses in Africa are strong, resilient and entrepreneurial. They strive to succeed, notwithstanding the number of challenges encountered. In many instances, businesses have stepped in to address infrastructural and other developmental challenges in their communities, seeing themselves as responsible for, and to the society from which their businesses emerge, exist and thrive. As such businesses are critical change agents, well-positioned to be at the helm of the transformation of Africa. The first ARB Forum aggregated, showcased and highlight responsible business practices on the continent. The forum focused on Businesses’ responsibility to the society in which they operate; Responsibility, and the impact on developing economies and How can responsible business

Recommended Actions Going Forward

  • Creating strong business networks and linkages to provide support, share strategies on responsible business practices and successes and act as peer-to-peer mechanism for holding businesses accountable
  • Governments must continually improve the business environment to allow businesses thrive and impact society
  • Public-private sector collaboration to drive investment in critical infrastructure

2ND ARB FORUM
Nairobi 2019

Economic Empowerment Through Responsible Business Practices.

The second edition of the ARB Forum held in Nairobi, Kenya on October 10-11, 2019 in partnership with the Riara University School of Business. This forum brought together participants from Nigeria and Kenya to discuss the ways that responsible business practices can improve the lives of consumers, centred on the theme “Economic Empowerment Through Responsible Business Practices.” Dialogues, panel discussions and presentations at the forum focused on four key areas, including (1) Financing Africa’s Sustainable Development (Sustainable Finance, Impact Investing, Social Impact, Green and Climate Funds) (2) Innovation for the Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP targeting and integrated business models, products and services) (3) Social Entrepreneurship (Building business for social return on investments as well as financial returns) and (4) Technology as a solution/catalyst for scaling the impact of responsible business practice, for collaboration on sustainability and as a key differentiator/USP.

Key takeaways from the discussions at the 2nd ARB Forum include:
  • Sustainability needs to be embedded in the framework of organisations in order for those organisations to successfully implement responsible business practices and sustainable business models
  • Collaboration and collective or community-based initiatives can help to address the challenges that many sustainable businesses face. Strong networks and collaborative action are key resources for successful sustainable businesses and help them to find creative solutions to problems.
  • Investing in the education and training of human capital creates value not only for the company but also for the communities that the employees live in.
  • Business leaders interested in sustainability must look to other metrics for success outside of profit to gauge the impact of sustainable business practices.

3rd ARB Forum

Driving Africa’s Recovery and Growth with Responsible Businesses

Partner Opportunities:

Partner-led sessions Forum Sponsorship and Brand Affiliation

Forum Features –

Keynote Address, Fireside Chats Panel Discussions, Best Practice Case Presentation.

Forum Delivery –

Two Day Virtual Event Date –  13 – 14 April 2021