World Trade Center St. Louis wants the region to have a larger economic footprint in Africa

By St. Louis Public Radio | By Andrea Y. Henderson

World Trade Center St. Louis leaders have a growing interest in building more economic partnerships with Africa.

Some St. Louis companies already have footprints in infrastructure and agriculture in Africa, which encourages African entrepreneurs and investors to look at the region as a hub for innovation and trade, said World Trade Center St. Louis Executive Director Tim Nowak.

“The continent (Africa) is urbanized, digitized and innovative at an extraordinary pace for St Louis businesses, investors, educators and community leaders,” Nowak said Wednesday during the center’s global trade and investment summit. “Africa is no longer a distant frontier. It is a present opportunity. Our role is to lean into that future, to be a city that welcomes partnerships and embraces the exchange of ideas and goods and culture.”

According to recent reports, Africa’s population will double by 2050. Nowak said this is why St. Louis should consider trading and investing with young African entrepreneurs. The World Trade Center St. Louis plans to embark on a trade mission to Kenya and Rwanda next year to better help connect the area with potential economic partnerships.

The summit also included a panel conversation about global trade and investments with Fred Swaniker, founder and CEO of Sand Technologies; Elzandi Oosthuizen, senior vice president of the Head Enterprise Corn Product Team at Bayer Crop Science Division; and Arthur Asiimwe, deputy chief of mission for the Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda to the U.S.

St. Louis already has a vibrant African community, which will make it easier for St. Louis businesses to connect with Africa’s fast-growing economy, said Asiimwe. Keep reading. Keep reading.