The second regional Africa summit on human resource has kicked off at the Diamonds Leisure Beach and Golf Resort in Kwale bringing together over 200 stakeholders.

The summit organized by financial services provider Zamara group reinforced the continent’s commitment to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.

The AfCFTA agreement represents a major opportunity for countries to boost growth, reduce poverty and broaden economic inclusion.

Human Resource Summit attracted senior HR decision makers and budget holders looking to discover the latest HR solutions in order to aid business opportunities.

Themed, Afrocentricity, curating solutions for Talent and workspaces in Africa, the conference highlighted several challenges, including skills mismatches, a lack of inclusive workplaces, and technological disruptions that can hinder effective talent management whilst also emphasizing on addressing these challenges to aid in unlocking the immense opportunities for innovation and growth across the
continent.

Keynote speakers at the conference called on public and private organizations to prioritize value creation for a boundless workforce in Africa.

Zamara group Chief Executive Officer Sundeep Raichura has challenged organizations to rethink their approaches towards talent management amidst the changing dynamics of the workforce.

Raichura reiterated the significance of the summit’s theme, describing it as both timely and crucial.

He says the summit provides a unique opportunity to gain insights from top HR leaders and network with professionals across the continent.

‘As we navigate the complexities of an ever-changing global landscape, the role of HR in shaping the future of work has never been more critical. We are at a pivotal moment where the decisions we make today will determine the success of our organizations and continent in the years to come,’ he stated.

He further stated: ‘Our continent’s abundant resources and human capital uniquely position us on the global stage. It’s time to harness
these strengths and turn them into tangible economic and social progress.

The Zamara Group CEO said the regional HR summit brings together HR leaders, industry experts, and policymakers from across the region to discuss strategies and solutions that will shape the future of work in Africa.

He says this year’s theme aims to inspire HR professionals to take proactive steps in building resilient, innovative, and efficient organizations.

Raymond Muthama, Chief People and Culture Officer at Zamara challenged employers to focus more on providing value to their talent and skills pool as a means of retaining talent.

‘If you provide a platform for meaningful work in your organizations, your talent pool will remain but if you do not give them the opportunity to grow within the organization and to express themselves and be themselves, they will leave you,’ said Muthama.

Muthama urged employers to invest in their employees to adapt to skills set to match the changing job landscape in this digital era.

He emphasized
on the significance of understanding the needs of each generation in a bid to provide talent into the workspace.

He further noted that Africa must be at the forefront of curating solutions for talent and workspaces in Africa, as 60% of the available global labor force is in the African Continent.

Muthama says this perspective comes at a critical time when businesses across Africa are grappling with high turnover rates and a workforce increasingly seeking purpose and growth in their careers unlike in previous generations, where individuals stayed with one organization throughout their career life.

He says this shift in mindset is particularly crucial in the modern workforce where the average age of employees is between 30-35 for most organizations, depending on the industry with an employee tenure that averages only three years.

Muthama says in a rapidly changing digital workplace where IT resources are limited it is critical for employees to be empowered to embrace Artificial Intelligence.

Emily Mburu Nd
oria, Director for Trade in Services, Investment, Intellectual Property Rights at AfCFTA, stated that human resource plays a critical role in driving organizational innovation and efficiency, highlighting the importance of AfCFTA in providing the regulatory framework necessary to facilitate talent and labour migration across the region.

She further emphasized HR’s role in driving innovation and efficiency within organizations and noting that HR professionals play a crucial role in driving organizational change and innovations in the face of technological advancements.

‘AfCFTA is spearheading the development of mutual recognition across the continent and helping in developing regulatory frameworks and agreements to enable the boundless movement of talent from one country to another,’ she noted.

Emily stated that tariff barriers at border points have continued to deal a big blow to the realization of free trade within the African continent and wants countries that have ratified AfCTA agreements to deal with
it.

She also called for the removal of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) to facilitate trade, noting that countries are witnessing the resurgence of non-tariff barriers in virtually all partner states.

She says non-tariff barriers are trade barriers that restrict imports or exports of goods or services through mechanisms other than the simple imposition of tariffs.

Source: Kenya News Agency