Deputy Administrator Paloma Adams-Allen will travel to South Africa from September 19-22, 2023 to underscore the United States’ commitment to South Africa and advance our shared priorities of elevating local leadership, driving inclusive economic prosperity, improving health outcomes, combating wildlife trafficking, and advancing rule of law across the Southern Africa region. The Deputy Administrator will also meet with U.S. Embassy and USAID Mission senior leadership and staff to advance Agency initiatives that are driving progress beyond programs, including supporting and strengthening our global workforce, reducing administrative burdens, and better localizing USAID’s assistance.
In Pretoria and Johannesburg, Deputy Administrator Adams-Allen will meet with a broad range of local and private sector partners who are increasing the reach and effectiveness of USAID’s work, particularly in the health sector. In Pretoria the Deputy Administrator will engage five local partners from across the Southern Africa region to learn about their experiences collaborating with USAID.
In Johannesburg she will visit the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, which creates opportunities in the digital space for youth with disabilities. The Deputy Administrator will meet with a diverse group of South African private sector fund managers to discuss how they have overcome barriers in the investment ecosystem in Southern Africa. She will visit a Prosper Africa-supported private investment firm and an investee who is creating employment in their community.
On the eve of World Rhino Day, Deputy Administrator Adams-Allen will get a behind-the-scenes look at the Johannesburg airport to see firsthand how South Africa is working in partnership with USAID to combat wildlife trafficking.
In Cape Town, the Deputy Administrator will meet with various USAID partners, including private sector companies exporting to the United States, and female truck drivers who are overcoming barriers in the male-dominated transport industry. She will also learn more about USAID’s work with local government counterparts and local organizations to provide services to vulnerable populations and to innovate and test new models of health service delivery.
At Ener-G Africa, the Deputy Administrator will hear how this women-led organization is offering local, household solutions to the South African energy crisis. And to hear how USAID is supporting rule of law, she will meet the executive team behind the Judicial Institute for Africa at the University of Cape Town and learn how USAID’s decade-long partnership helped to establish this local institution, which now offers world-class training for justices and judicial staff around the region.