Jack Ma to attend Unctad, Alibaba Group event on digital economy in Joburg

Jack Ma, the Alibaba Group founder and UN Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) special advisor, is set to speak at an event on the digital economy next week Wednesday (8 August) in Johannesburg.

The event — titled Netrepreneurs: The Rise of Africa’s Digital Lions — is jointly organised by Alibaba Business School, Unctad and the Jack Ma Foundation. It will be held at the Linder Auditorium. Those looking to attend the event can register here, or catch the live stream from 1pm Central African Time.

At the even Ma, who advises Unctad on youth entrepreneurship and small businesses, is expected to announce the launch of the Jack Ma Africa Netrepreneur Prize which aims to support exemplary young internet leaders.

Jack Ma is expected to launch the Africa Netrepreneur Prize at the Netrepreneurs: The Rise of Africa’s Digital Lions event

Topics to be covered at the event include: challenges young entrepreneurs are facing developing new businesses, the role of the public sector in providing a conducive environment for innovation, access to capital and how the youth can be enabled to power the new economy.

Ma was reported to have landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Tuesday (31 July) and was yesterday spotted in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

#Alibaba co-founder and executive chairman Jack Ma in Victoria Falls today.
pic.twitter.com/WATnrnLVj8

— Business Times Zimbabwe (@BusinessTimesZW) August 2, 2018

Read more: Meet the African entrepreneurs who took part in Jack Ma’s eFounders Fellowship
Read more: Five things I learnt from Jack Ma and why Africa’s tech future is bright
Read more: SA logistics startup Pargo selected to join Alibaba, Unctad training initiative

Featured image: UNCTAD via Twitter

Editors note (8 August 2018): The event will be streamed live from 1pm Central African Time. An alternate stream of the event can be accessed here as well.