Thank you Bill, and good morning everyone.
I'd like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land we are gathered on today, the Whadjuk Noongar people.
I pay my respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to any First Nations people here today.
Excellencies, ministers, parliamentary representatives from across the African continent.
It is a pleasure to see you here today. You have travelled many hours, crossed oceans and time zones. Thank you for making the journey.
I want to also acknowledge the business delegations who are at this Conference.
It's an honour to join my friend and the state Minister for Mines, Petroleum and Exploration, the Honourable Daniel Pastorelli, in warmly welcoming you to our beautiful home of Perth, Western Australia.
The presence of all of you here is a testament to the important relationships that Australia and countries across Africa share, and to the opportunities that lie ahead.
Some of you in this room today may be aware I was born in Egypt, and also have Moroccan heritage.
And in welcoming to Australia my friends and colleagues from across the continent where I was born, I am reminded of just how deeply connected our stories really are.
For me, Africa Down Under has always represented these special connections.
It's a mining and energy conference, yes. Which presents wonderful opportunities for networking, information sharing and skills development.
But at it's heart, it is about bringing people together.
It is about partnership.
It is about shared opportunity.
And it is about the social, cultural and economic ties that connect Africa and Australia.
Those ties are underpinned, first and foremost, by people.
Modern Australia has been shaped by the contributions of Africans who have chosen to make this country home.
Their influence can be seen everywhere.
In our communities.
Our classrooms.
Our universities.
Our stages.
Our sporting teams.
Our businesses.
And in positions of leadership.
People like Rose Mosero, a lawyer registered in both Australia and Kenya, who is harmonising data protection laws and fortifying digital infrastructure across multiple nations in Africa.
Or Tkay Maidza, born in Zimbabwe and raised here in Perth, who is one of Australia's most celebrated musicians.
Or our national football team, the Socceroos – which are studded with players whose stories begin in Africa.
Nestory Irankunda, who is of Burundian heritage was born in Tanzania. He grew up in Adelaide and is now the face of Australian football.
Across government, too, we see African Australians making history.
My friend and colleague Ayor Makur Chuot became the first South Sudanese-born member of the Western Australian Parliament.
And then there is me – born Azza Mahmoud Fawzi Hosseini Ali el Seroughi, the second girl child in a family which chose a future in Australia when I was two.
These stories, along with countless others with ties to Africa and indeed every corner of the world, make up the fabric of modern Australia.
There are now more than half a million African-born people living in Australia.
And their stories will continue to enrich our national story as we look ahead to the opportunities we see in our growing partnership with the African continent.
A partnership that spans trade and investment, education, research, multilateral cooperation and peace and security.
A partnership built not only on interests, but on trust.
Because if we want a world that is stable, prosperous and secure, these connections matter more than ever.
We live in a period of profound global change.
Strategic competition is intensifying.
An unprecedented number of conflicts continue to unfold around the world.
The rules and norms that have underpinned global stability face increasing pressure.
All of this, while countries are navigating technological disruption, economic uncertainty and the escalating impacts of climate change.
Challenges that no nation can solve alone.
Challenges that demand cooperation.
Africa and Australia look out at these same challenges.
Across our continents, nations are navigating fierce geopolitical competition for investment and resources.
Our countries all rely on open markets and secure maritime routes which connect us to the global economy.
And our own economies are feeling the pressure of global trade tensions and regional instability.
Meanwhile, climate change continues to burden our communities by way of droughts, floods and extreme heat – hampering efforts to deliver economic growth.
And many countries continue to confront complex security challenges.
At the same time, Africa is central to the future of the world.
African nations are not peripheral players.
You are consequential actors.
More than one quarter of UN member states are African.
More than one third of Commonwealth members are African.
The African Union now holds a permanent seat at the G20 table, along with South Africa.
And demographic trends tell an equally powerful story.
Over the coming decades, much of the world's population growth will occur in Africa.
The continent is already home to one of the youngest, most dynamic and fastest-growing populations on earth.
The significance of that cannot be overstated.
And conversations about the future must place Africa at their centre.
Because the challenges that lay ahead cannot be overcome without your leadership, without African partnership, or without African voices at the table.
Australia knows this.
We know we cannot make true our vision of a stable, prosperous, and secure world without you.
And we know that this vision is only achievable through true partnership.
To Australia, true partnership means working together where it makes sense to solve shared challenges.
But it also means upholding respect for the sovereignty of individual nations to identify and address their own priorities.
We know that for a rules-based international order to be effective, international institutions must be representative of the people and nations they serve.
This is why we have committed to continued multilateral partnership with African countries to address economic, climate, and security challenges.
And as we campaign for a seat on the UN Security Council for the 2029-2030 term, we will continue to advocate for greater representation for Africa across the multilateral system.
Global challenges require global voices.
And Australia seeks to strengthen our partnerships across Africa as we confront these challenges and continue to build a future for all of us to live in.
We will continue to make progress together on international peacebuilding. On the transition to net zero. On food security. On countering violent extremism. As we respond to global economic and health crises. And build climate resilience.
Next month, for example, Australia, the UN and the Indian Ocean Commission will convene a regional dialogue with African Small Island Developing States in Mauritius ahead of COP31.
Elevating the voices of nations that are disproportionately impacted by the existential threats of climate change.
We appreciate too, the part that economic development will play in the security and prosperity of Africa in the future.
We have a parliamentary committee currently conducting an inquiry into strengthening trade and investment with Africa to look at how we can grow this even further – giving stakeholders a chance to pitch their own ideas on the opportunities ahead.
Those in this room know of the importance of the mining and extractive sector to a lot of this.
Africa possesses approximately one third of the world's mineral resources.
Resources that are essential to modern economies and increasingly essential to the global clean energy transition.
Australian expertise in mining, governance, environmental management and mining services is recognised globally.
Today, more than 170 Australian companies operate across 35 African countries.
Collectively, they have invested more than $60 billion across the continent.
And what is particularly important is that the best investments create value far beyond extraction alone.
They support jobs.
They develop skills.
They improve infrastructure.
They strengthen communities.
They create pathways to broader economic opportunity.
We see this in Tanzania, where development of the Nyanzaga Gold Mine is creating new economic opportunities alongside supporting local infrastructure and training.
We see it in Mozambique, where investment has supported schools, community facilities and expanded access to electricity and water.
And we see it across many other countries represented here at Africa Down Under.
Taken together, this is what partnership looks like. Not simply investment, but shared prosperity.
And looking ahead, the opportunities become even more promising.
Because while mining will remain an important pillar of growth, it is only part of the story.
Back to the demographics I spoke to earlier – and Africa's population is projected to approach two and a half billion people within the next quarter century.
More than 60 per cent will be under the age of 25.
That represents one of the greatest reservoirs of human potential anywhere in the world.
A young population.
An entrepreneurial population.
An ambitious population.
And Australia's cooperation with Africa has much to offer our bright, young people.
Not just through trade and investment, but through education and training.
Through our research and business partnerships.
And through the exchange of ideas.
It brings me back to the change we can achieve together at the grassroots level.
And the importance of the impact we can have on the lives of individuals and families.
Because one person's opportunity can create opportunities for thousands more.
One person's leadership can transform institutions.
One person's confidence can inspire an entire generation.
This is the power of investing in people.
That is what Australia and Africa continue to do together.
Across our diaspora communities.
Across our universities and through our Australia Awards scholarships and short courses.
Across our engagement on climate resilience, social inclusion and women's leadership.
Across our business ties and diplomatic relationships.
We seek to be a practical and reliable partner for you.
A partner that listens.
A partner that learns.
And a partner that works alongside African countries to advance shared goals.
Friends,
The story of Australia and Africa is still being written.
The relationship is growing stronger.
Our economic links are expanding.
Our educational and cultural connections are deepening.
And our cooperation on the challenges shaping this century has never been more important.
The opportunities before us are immense.
But so too are the responsibilities.
Together we will foster peace and stability, support sustainable growth, and prepare our future generations for success.
And we will ensure that the international system reflects the realities of the world we live in today.
Australia stands ready to work with African countries in pursuit of those goals.
Not as distant observers.
But as partners.
Partners connected by people.
Partners connected by history.
Partners connected by the future we hope to build together.
Thank you for your friendship.
And thank you for your commitment to the Africa-Australia relationship.
I wish you every success for Africa Down Under 2026.
Thank you.