“As forward-thinking business leaders, we are ready to take a positive stand not just for our communities and our nations, but for the continent. We are The B Team Africa, and together we can tackle the challenges of Africa’s present and future.” Bob Collymore, CEO, Safaricom
March 27, 2018, Abidjan: Bold, progressive African CEOs, policymakers, civil society leaders and entrepreneurs are stepping up to commit to a new way of doing business—one which benefits people and the planet as well as profit. Together, they have formed a new leadership collective, The B Team Africa, and at the Africa CEO Forum they are calling on other purpose-driven leaders to join them.
The B Team Africa includes the leadership of: Bob Collymore, CEO of Safaricom, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, Chair of GAVI, Dr. Mo Ibrahim, Founder and Chair of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Jochen Zeitz, Co-Founder & Executive Chair of The B Team and Former CEO of PUMA, Amy Jadesimi, CEO of LADOL Nigeria, Jesse Moore, CEO and Co-Founder of M-KOPA Solar, Rita Kavashe, Managing Director of Isuzu East Africa and Joshua Oigara, Group CEO & Managing Director of KCB Group.
The B Team Africa is a Pan-African platform to enable committed business and civil society leaders to work collectively in driving progress and addressing critical issues across the continent. The B Team Africa leaders are united in influencing and convening the private and public sector to drive long-term, inclusive, sustainable economic growth and social development for a prosperous Africa.
“It’s high time for business to recognise its role in making the world a better place,” said Jesse Moore, CEO and Co-Founder of M-KOPA Solar, “And nothing could be better than working with other business leaders across the continent to build a coalition that is working for exactly that aim.”
To achieve these goals, leaders are committed to work together and through current B Team initiatives. The B Team Africa’s ambitious work agenda includes, but is not limited to, open contracting, supply chain transparency, responsible tax practice, renewable and clean energy, environmental preservation, unlocking capital for value-add, green businesses and social enterprises, job creation, civic rights, gender equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
International non-profit organisation The B Team, co-founded by Richard Branson and Jochen Zeitz in 2012, established The B Team Africa in 2017 and continues to recruit Africa-based leaders to accelerate the shift toward a just and sustainable future for the continent and the world. The B Team’s mission and impact to date reflect the tremendous power of the private sector to catalyse new business opportunities and solutions to diverse global challenges.
The B Team Africa is one of a growing number of regional B Teams established to galvanize regional based leaders to harness business-driven solutions and create collective impact. In this spirit, The B Team Africa calls upon other leaders in Africa and partners to join them to: 1) Use their collective voice and influence to amplify key issues and drive progress on timely, critical issues 2) Lead by example in their own companies, and engage in B Team initiatives in Africa 3) Collaborate with others to develop and scale systemic solutions that benefit current and future generations
