Gill Marcus, Governor of the South African Reserve Bank, told the meeting Africa was playing an ever larger and more positive role in the world at a time of great economic problems in the US and Europe. Underlining the meeting's cautious optimism, Prof. Lord Meghnad Desai, chairman of the OMFIF advisory board, said the improved picture across Africa showed all countries could achieve growth and dynamism by exploiting their own particular strengths and individual economic models.During separate ceremonies at the meeting, Governor Linah Mohohlo of the Bank of Botswana was presented with an OMFIF Lifetime Achievement Award for services to central banking in her home country and internationally. Dr. Monde Mnyande, Chief Economist at the South African Reserve Bank, was conferred with a Honorary Fellowship at the newly-founded OMFIF International Academy of Central Banking.
The meeting - built around the theme "The New African Market: Development and Diversity" - discussed possible setbacks for Africa caused by the threat of a new recession in industrialised countries and softer commodity prices.But it emphasised an overall brighter outlook, based on greater political stability, broader wealth creation, reduced debt burdens and more efficient financing.
