Casa África presents the neighbouring continent’s economic prospects at the 5th Canaries-Africa meeting

"Being prepared is important. But making the most of the adequate moment is the key." It was with these words that the president of Gran Canaria’s Chamber of Commerce José Sánchez Tinoco opened the 5th  Canaries-Africa Business Meeting last Wednesday at the Expomeloneras Convention Centre (Maspalomas, Gran Canaria). The opening was attended by more than 300 entrepreneurs from the Canary Islands and Africa, together with a large institutional delegation of the 16 participating African countries: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo.

The aim was to put Canary Island businesses in contact with potential trading or industrial partners of the different participating countries, reinforce and consolidate the already existent commercial activity of Canary Island companies in the area, show the our Archipelago's potential as an introductory element and reinforce inter-institutional cooperation as part of Canary Island companies'  internationalisation activities as set out by Gran Canaria’s Chamber of Commerce and thus make this 5th edition a success.

Casa África participated today in the meeting's last day, which dealt with the role of the African Development Bank  and its programme for international tenders. During this session, Casa África's general secretary, Luis Padilla, spoke about the edition of Investour 2012 and presented the latest Casa Africa African Notebook on Economy whose title is African Economic Outlook and the role of emerging countries.

Also, and because of the meeting, Casa África took the exhibition Soutoura to the south of Gran Canaria. It is a collection of 70 photographs by the photographer Ángel Luis Aldai taken in Mali, Níger, Ghana and the Ivory Coast. This is a photographic exhibition that collects images of African women in different situations and tasks in their daily lives.