CAPETOWN - Africa investor (Ai), a leading international investment research and communication group, has announced the shortlist for its annual Africa investor Investment and Business Leader Awards.

The Africa investor Awards are unique pan-African investment awards that recognise and reward the achievements of the private sector across wide-ranging sectors and disciplines.

Each year, the Ai Awards attracts international market leaders and business leaders from across the continent and salutes their achievements.

According to a statement from Ai, 2009 Investment and Business Leader Awards ceremony will take place during a gathering of global finance and business leaders at the Africa investor CEO Forum and UNEP Finance Initiative Global Roundtable Gala Dinner on 22 of October, in Cape Town, South Africa at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

The Best Initiative in Support of SMEs & the Millennium Developments Goals category sees a shortlisted number of top performing companies, including Harith Fund Managers, MTN, Barclays Bank of Egypt, and Coca Cola amongst others.

Rwanda Capital Markets Regulator, the Investment Climate Facility for Africa and the World Bank contend for gold in the Investment Climate Initiative of the Year category, while Nedbank Capital, Standard Chartered and Barclays Bank of Kenya go head-to-head in the Bank of the Year category.

Shortlisted organisations in the Investment Promotion Agency of the Year category include Uganda Promotion Agency, Botswana’s Export Development and Investment Authority (BEDIA) and the Board of Investment (BOI) Mauritius.

PetroSA, Standard Bank and IEA (International Energy Insurers) have all been shortlisted for Leadership in Sustainable Investment in Africa category.

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