Centre Director hosts the opening panel at the Indonesia Africa Forum 2024

Centre Director Amit Jain hosted the opening panel discussion at the second Indonesia Africa Forum in Bali. The 7-member panel discussion titled Outlook from the Regions: Update and Prospect for Cooperation identified areas of cooperation between Indonesia and Africa and how they can be exploited. The Forum which features meetings of heads of state, panel discussions, exhibitions, and business matching sessions is held under the theme Bandung Spirit for Africa's Agenda 2063. The focus is largely on economic transformation, energy and mining, food, health security, and development cooperation. It drew top decision-makers from policy to business from all over Africa. Jain attended the Indonesia Africa Forum at the invitation of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Amit Jain shaking hands with H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana.

President Joko Widodo has tried to rekindle the spirit of the historic 1955 Bandung Conference which for first brought together the newly independent countries of Asia and Africa and gave voice to what the world now refers to as the ‘Global South’. But that gathering was mostly political and driven more by an ideological imperative than an economic one. President Jokowi has announced ambitious 5-year plan for Africa which covers business as well as development aid.

At US$1.32 trillion, Indonesia is the biggest economy in SE Asia and is widely recognised as a regional power. As its economy grows Indonesia is being recognised as a development partner by many African countries. Trade between Indonesia and African countries has been growing steadily and now exceeds US$17bn.  Agriculture, health and natural resources has emerged as the key strategic sectors of engagement. State-owned energy giant Pertamina is by far the most prominent Indonesian investor in Africa. More recently, Indonesia has also helped build infrastructure in places such as Algeria and Niger. Inward investments from African countries into Indonesia is estimated to be around US$360m. Singapore-based food-to-infrastructure conglomerate Tolaram, which is today a well-recognised investor in Nigeria emerged out of a small town called Malang in Indonesia. It is responsible for making Indomee a household noodle brand in the West African republic.

Africans of Indonesian origin can be found today in South Africa and Madagascar. Historians believe that Javanese seafarers during the time of the Srivijaya empire sailed across the Indian Ocean and reached Madagascar somewhere around the eighth century. Remarkable linguistic similarities common between Bahasa Indonesia and Malagasy today suggest a deep historical link between present day Madagascar and Indonesia.

Read the transcript of the panel discussion here.