University of Pretoria's Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) has announced the launch of the Centre for African Management and Markets (CAMM), a hub that will drive research, innovation, and thought-leadership across the continent. The centre was inaugurated at the Business of Africa Conference held at the GIBS campus in Illovo, Sandton.

CAMM will conduct research on the economies and management philosophies, processes and practices of African countries, and host networking events including forums, masterclasses, seminars, and white-paper sessions. The flagship Business of Africa Conference will take place annually, bringing together the best thinkers and practitioners on topics influencing and shaping African markets and business.

Adrian Saville, professor of economics, finance, and strategy at GIBS, and chief executive of Cannon Asset Managers, is the inaugural director of the centre. Saville teaches on the GIBS MBA programme, and has more than 20 years of investment and work experience in a number of African economies. A large focus of his work is on the competitiveness of companies, industries, and countries, including determining what ingredients make up winning growth strategies, and why. Saville has published broadly in peer-reviewed academic journals, and is a member of the Investment Analysts Society and Economics Society of South Africa (IASSA).

Speaking about the centre, Saville said, "It is a critical part of the GIBS mission to be close to business across our continent. The need is unmissable. With six of the world's ten fastest-growing economies, Africa is one of the most exciting regions to be in for business people, investors and academics alike."

Commenting on the centre’s launch, Nicola Kleyn, professor of marketing and dean of the business school, said: "GIBS has delivered executive education programmes in a growing number of African countries over the past ten years, and the creation of this centre is further testament to our commitment to the broader African context."

Africa has been the world's second-fastest growing region for the past decade-and-a-half, behind Southeast Asia. With growth slowing in the US and Europe, and a heightened focus on emerging markets, CAMM is an important vehicle to purposefully expand GIBS' work, network, expertise and influence in this fast-growing and diverse continent.