Speaking at a recent conference organized by the Italian Embassy in South Africa, Massimo Dal Checco, president of Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterraneo, didn’t hold back when it came to his optimism about the bright road ahead for economic partnership between Italy and Africa. In the context of a discussion on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is now entering its implementation phase, Dal Checco discussed a range of partnership opportunities to be seized across various sectors and fields “from logistics to infrastructure, from semi-finished to finished products, from digitalization to sustainability, from transportation to engineering knowledge." Dal Checco hoped that Italy, which has had its own history of economic turmoil, could serve as a mentor for African countries in the areas in which Italy excels, particularly the success of small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and in the sectors of digitalization and sustainability—all of which are vital to economic growth.

In recent years Italy has entered the ranks of the top investors in Africa, reaching  €28 billion of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the continent in the year 2018. But the potential for economic partnership doesn’t end there. Along with the flows of goods and capital between Italy and the African content, the circulation of students and workers has the potential to promote growth on both sides of the Mediterranean. This potential is also due to the fact that Italy and many parts of Africa find themselves in opposite situations in terms of population demography. That is, while Italy has famously entered into a demographic winter, sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, has a median age of around 17. Italy stands to benefit from an influx of young workers in its labor force, which in turn can benefit their home countries both financially and through skills and knowledge acquired abroad.

The potential for economic partnership between Italy and Africa will be the theme of the next webinar in the Diaspora Webinar Series hosted by Luiss University in partnership with Le Reseau Diaspora Organization on Wednesday, March 23 at 2:00 pm CET. The webinar, titled Italian and African Business Perspectives is part of an ongoing series of webinars conceived as a bridge between Italy and Africa, as well as other emerging regions, to promote international cooperation in education and knowledge-sharing. The event will be opened by Marco Francesco Mazzù Recruiting Leader and  Professor of Marketing & Digital at Luiss University and moderated by Alberto Magnani, Journalist at il Sole 24 Ore. Keynote speakers will include Roberta Datteri, Vice President of CNA Nazionale; Marta Sachy, General Director of Fondazione Aurora; Jihen Boutiba Mrad, General Director of BUSINESSMED - Union of Mediterranean Confederation of Enterprises; Massimo Zaurrini, Journalist at Africa e Affari; and  Gianluigi Vassallo, the Italian Ambassador to Khartoum.

Register for the webinar