Many things have been said about discovering unexpected opportunities on the African continent, by no less a person than the erstwhile secretary general of the United Nations. Kofi Annan once pointed out that Africa’s profitability is one of the best kept secrets in today’s world economy.

But is that fact or fiction? Do untapped opportunities really exist for willing investors? And what does this really mean for the commercial and industrial property industry in SA?

Kelly Clinton, the general manager heading up property equity and cross-border finance at ABSA’s Commercial Property Finance division, will explore this question as part of a panel discussion at the 39th annual SAPOA Convention next month. Entitled Beyond the Comfort Zone: Rural and African Development, the session will feature Dale Ramsden of Actis Africa Real Estate Fund and Tshiwo Yenana of the SA National Treasury.

The theme of this year’s Convention is ‘The Road to 2012 – Masterminding the Next Five Years’ and there is an impressive line-up of local and international experts scheduled to address the audience, including: former executive vice president of the Trump Organization Carolyn Kepcher; and Romilly Madew, the chief executive of the Green Building Council of Australia, who will be talking about why commercial office developers and landlords went green Down Under.

The 39th annual SAPOA Convention and Property Exhibition, sponsored by Nedbank Coporate, is taking place from 16-18 May 2007 at Sun City.