Organizers of the Africa CEO Forum have announced that this year’s event will be held from May 14th to 15th in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.
Founded in 2012 by Jeune Afrique Media Group and co-hosted by the International Finance Corporation, the Africa CEO Forum brings together more than 2,000 CEOs, investors, heads of state and decision makers from more than 75 countries. It’s a room full of heavyweights with the power and money to enact real change across the continent.
To that end, the theme of the 2026 forum has been identified as “The need for scale: why Africa must embrace shared ownership.”
“While the continent has shown remarkable resilience, with growth rates rising, sovereign ratings improving, and performance replenishment of Africa’s leading financial institutions secured, reaching the necessary scale will require more than just removing physical and regulatory barriers. It will mean embracing new ways of thinking, rooted in a new vision of shared ownership,” reads the theme description sent to Hypertext.
There has never been a better time to talk about Africa’s resilience. Geopolitical tensions have reached a breaking point and the time has come for Africa to become self-reliant and reduce its dependence on other countries. Although Africa is “on the rise,” as many say, the continent is not immune to global headwinds, and economic growth could easily be hampered by, for example, a war with Iran. Africa therefore needs to address pressure points such as inflation and domestic banking growth, and focus on development spending rather than debt servicing.
As we have seen many times before, public-private partnerships are a great way to drive initiatives, and events like the Africa CEO Forum should be fertile ground for discussions about these types of partnerships.
The 2026 edition of the forum will be based on three pillars:
Shared equity: Unlocking cross-border equity investment to create transnational champions for Africa. Mobilize African institutional capital across markets to strengthen resilience and improve long-term returns. Shared infrastructure: Design complementary infrastructure to integrate Africa’s value chains. We promote innovative projects that meet national and local needs and create truly connected markets. A shared framework: Harmonize standards, rules and regulations to increase investor confidence and enable the free flow of capital, goods and services. Build future-proof digital rails for healthcare, education, agriculture, and cross-border payments.
“If Africa wants to compete in a world defined by size, it must move beyond economic chauvinism and embrace new models of co-investment of African capital. Shared ownership, cross-border partnerships and continental ambition will define Africa’s economic future and the next generation of African champions,” Amir Ben Yahamed, president of the Africa CEO Forum, said in a statement.
Registrations for this year’s forum are now open and tickets cost 3,290 euros (approximately R6,2 350) excluding tax. If you wish, you can also add 200 euros to the gala dinner. Although it costs a lot of money, it is an event worth attending if you are investing your business in Africa.
Click here to register for Africa CEO Forum 2026.
Get the technology news you want to read. Tell us how we can better support you by taking our reader survey.
