Business continuity conference focuses on Africa

The Business Continuity Institute will be hosting its first ever conference focused on African challenges and solutions. The conference will take place over two days on the 7 and 8 September 2016 at the Hilton Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg.
The Business Continuity Institute is the leading global membership and certifying organisation for business continuity and resilience professionals. ContinuitySA, a Premium Gold Member of the Business Continuity Institute and the largest provider of business continuity and resilience services on the continent, is the lead sponsor of the conference.
“This is a highly significant event because it signals the fact that Africa is serious about itself and its place in the world, and is taking steps to protect its businesses and government entities. Business continuity is now considered a societal security issue, essential to protect a society or economy,” says Michael Davies, CEO of Continuity SA.
“Africa is an intricate patchwork of diverse cultures and economies with unique challenges and solutions–an African approach to protecting the continent’s assets is absolutely critical, and that’s what this conference aims to kick-start.”
Keynote speeches will be delivered by Dr Melanie Irons, who will speak about how she used social media to save lives during a bushfire crisis in Tasmania, and David James-Brown, Chairman of the Business Continuity Institute, who will unpack the hidden messages in the Institute’s Horizon Scanning report. The rest of the programme is a who’s who of leading business continuity practitioners from Africa and beyond.
Some highlights include Eskom’s Trida Ngobeni on “The challenges of implementing business continuity management in the public sector”, PwC Africa’s Reginald Atta-Kesson on “Implementing business continuity management services within the African landscape” and Louise Theunissen on “Resilience: The view of Africa in 2016”.
Another highlight of the conference will be a gala dinner and the Business Continuity Institute Africa Awards Ceremony.
“ContinuitySA has always believed that the route to excellence in business continuity is through adherence to global standards, which is why our company and many of our staff are members of the Institute,” says Davies.
“We see this conference as the beginning of new era of business continuity and resilience in Africa, and a great way to tap into international thinking while also strengthening Africa’s growing network of business continuity professionals. If you are involved in business continuity at any level, this is the year’s must-attend event.”