The 19th World Economic Forum on Africa began on Wednesday in the coastal city of Cape Town, South Africa, with the theme of “Implications of the Global Economic Crisis for Africa.”

The discussions will be based on five general themes in the fields of politics, business and economics, namely, Global Shifts, Regional Effects; Drivers of the Economy; Change Leadership; Collaboration across Borders; and Growth through Innovation.

One high-profile topic to be under discussion is Macroeconomic Shifts in the Global Agenda, Economic Crisis and Impact on Africa.

The global economic meltdown has mounted pressure on major economies in Africa, sucking the strength of traditional economic drivers like foreign investment, demand for raw material and oversea remittance. Participants of the forum will try to seek practical solutions to foster better business practices and greater investment across the continent.

In addition, with the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa coming, the sports gala also attracted the attention of business leaders in the world. They will try to explore the economic and social impacts of the international football event in the forum.

The closing plenary session of the platform scheduled for Friday afternoon will highlight the outcomes of the meeting and map out the future engagement of main stakeholders.

The Africa meeting followed the international economic talks in Jordan sponsored by the World Economic Forum to map out the Middle East’s response to the world’s worst recession in decades.

- Xinhua

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