By Marcus Moloko
Deputy President Paul Mashatile delivered the keynote address at the NEPAD@25 Business Breakfast on Thursday, at the Marriott Hotel in Century City, Cape Town.
The gathering, co hosted by the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD) and the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, in partnership with the University of South Africa (UNISA), marks the 25th anniversary of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and 20 years of its operating agency.
The breakfast formed part of Africa Month commemorations and served as a premier economic and policy platform, focusing on a critical question: What concrete changes must occur for Africa to trade with itself at scale?
Mashatile reflected on NEPAD’s 25 year contribution to regional integration, infrastructure development, and structural policy reform and outlined the importance of accelerating economic development, including cross-border integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He highlighted South Africa’s commitment to the broader African development agenda, drawing on his role as Special Envoy to South Sudan.
