United States President Barack Obama has showered praise on South Africa’s recent success in hosting the FIFA World Cup, speaking at the African Youth Leaders Forum in Washington DC, on Tuesday 3 August 2010. Obama said while there were two European teams in the FIFA World Cup final, Africa was the real winner at the end.

Obama also told the young leaders the US stands ready to work with African youth in promoting trade and investment that will help build strong economies.

"We're going to keep helping empower African youth, supporting education, increasing educational exchanges," he said.

Declaring that Africa's future belonged to the youth, he urged them to help improve their governments, saying that good governance is at the centre of development.

"It will be up to you - young people, full of talent and imagination, to build Africa for the next 50 years," Obama said.

The meeting brought together 115 members of the private sector from more than 40 countries, to examine how they see Africa's future over the next 50 years and to help craft innovative solutions to regional challenges. The topics included the HIV and AIDS epidemic, as well as human rights issues in Zimbabwe and the Sudan, among others.

"Africa's future is up to Africans," she said, adding that the US stood ready to partner "in a spirit of mutual respect and accountability."

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