Africa’s AI Strategy: Opportunities, Challenges, and the Path Forward

For too long, philanthropy and traditional nonprofits have been the primary avenues for empowering communities across Africa. This panel will explore how entrepreneurship can serve as a transformative tool to drive lasting impact without relying on handouts. Bringing together impact investors, entrepreneurs, and VCs, we will discuss strategies to build sustainable, scalable enterprises that transcend borders and create real change across the continent. Attendees will hear firsthand from investors and founders on the trade-offs and synergies between profitability and purpose.

‍

Despite flashes of global attention, African fashion brands often struggle to achieve lasting prominence. Too often, Africa’s fashion industry is measured against Western frameworks - fashion houses, fashion weeks, and global runways - that fail to align with the continent’s unique resources, market dynamics, and strengths like sustainability and local artisanship. This panel will challenge these conventions, exploring how African brands can forge a resilient and distinctly African fashion ecosystem by harnessing the talent, traditions, and opportunities already present within the continent, to create a model that thrives locally and competes globally.

‍

With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) set to transform Africa’s economic landscape, the potential for intra-African trade is immense. However, realizing this promise requires overcoming political, infrastructural, and logistical hurdles. This panel will examine lessons from other regions and outline concrete strategies to accelerate AfCFTA’s impact, fostering a truly integrated and competitive African market

‍