Breakout 1
|
Workshop
Saturday
|
9:00 am
Aldrich 110

Building Sustainable Global African Brands

Research by Brand Africa (www.brand.africa) has revealed that over the past 15 years, while 64% of Africans claim to believe in their continent, only 20% of the brands they admire are actually made in Africa. This disconnect is further highlighted by the mere 15% of intra-Africa trade.  However, a new chapter is unfolding with the ratification of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), opening doors for homegrown brands to flourish.Coupled with a renewed global spotlight on African brands, there has never been a better time for companies to capitalize on this momentum. Strong African brands now have the potential to not only drive economic growth but also reshape narratives about the continent.

The Building Sustainable Global African Brands masterclass will equip participants with insights, knowledge and skill and best practices to build compelling, impactful and differentiated global African brands in Africa; as well as a brand-led approach to reshaping the African narrative and perceptions.  

Building Sustainable Global African Brands

Research by Brand Africa (www.brand.africa) has revealed that over the past 15 years, while 64% of Africans claim to believe in their continent, only 20% of the brands they admire are actually made in Africa. This disconnect is further highlighted by the mere 15% of intra-Africa trade.  However, a new chapter is unfolding with the ratification of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), opening doors for homegrown brands to flourish.Coupled with a renewed global spotlight on African brands, there has never been a better time for companies to capitalize on this momentum. Strong African brands now have the potential to not only drive economic growth but also reshape narratives about the continent.

The Building Sustainable Global African Brands masterclass will equip participants with insights, knowledge and skill and best practices to build compelling, impactful and differentiated global African brands in Africa; as well as a brand-led approach to reshaping the African narrative and perceptions.  

America/New_York
Feb 15, 2025 9:00 AM
Aldrich 110

Other Sessions

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Keynotes
Saturday
|
10:30 am
Klarman Auditorium
Morning Keynote: The AfCFTA Opportunity: Is Africa Ready to Unleash a New Era of Trade?
This panel explores strategies to overcome challenges and accelerate AfCFTA’s impact for a unified, competitive African market.
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Morning Keynote: The AfCFTA Opportunity: Is Africa Ready to Unleash a New Era of Trade?

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

America/New_York
Feb 15, 2025 10:30 AM
Klarman Auditorium
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Lunches
Saturday
|
12:45 pm
Batten Hives 304
Nala: Building Africa’s Next Fintech Titan
Join Benjamin Fernandes for a raw, behind-the-scenes look at building and scaling a fintech in Africa.
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Nala: Building Africa’s Next Fintech Titan

Building a fintech company that reshapes how money moves across Africa—and beyond—is no easy feat. The challenges go far beyond the headlines. Few succeed in this market. To scale, you need more than a great idea—you need resilience, sacrifice, and relentless determination.

How do you convince Silicon Valley investors to back an African startup? What does it take to challenge the status quo in the global financial system? And what are the real, behind-the-scenes battles of building something that truly lasts?

Benjamin Fernandes, Founder & CEO of NALA, has lived it all—and he’s here to tell the unfiltered truth.

Born and raised in Tanzania, Benjamin first made his mark as a national television personality. But he had bigger ambitions. Earning scholarships that took him to the U.S., he became the youngest African ever admitted to the MBA program at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Yet instead of climbing the corporate ladder or staying in Silicon Valley, he took the harder road—building a company that would transform how Africans send and receive money across borders.

That company is NALA. What started as a simple remittance app has grown into one of Africa’s most ambitious fintech ventures. Today, NALA powers seamless, low-cost payments from the U.S. and Europe into Africa, cutting through the inefficiencies of the global financial system. Now, with a $40 million oversubscribed Series A funding round, and a Forbes cover story to match, NALA is expanding beyond remittances—building its own payment rails, launching a B2B platform (Rafiki), and setting its sights on global markets, including Asia and Latin America.

In this rare, behind-the-scenes conversation, Benjamin will pull back the curtain on the real journey—the wins, the losses, the breakthroughs, and the breakdowns. No filters. No fluff. Just the raw truth of what it takes to build and scale a fintech company in Africa.

If you’re an entrepreneur, investor, or believer in bold ideas and Africa’s unstoppable rise, you won’t want to miss this.

Come for the insights. Stay for the inspiration.

America/New_York
Feb 15, 2025 12:45 PM
Batten Hives 304
More Info
Keynotes
Friday
|
3:15 pm
Klarman Auditorium
The Relationship Between developed nations and Africa – the past, the present and the future?
Farouk Gumel explores Africa’s evolving global partnerships and strategies for a stronger economic future.
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The Relationship Between developed nations and Africa – the past, the present and the future?

Africa’s relationship with developed nations has shifted from colonial rule to economic partnerships and global trade. In this session,
Farouk Gumel will explore key historical turning points and their impact on Africa’s current position. A moderated discussion will
follow, examining how Africa can build stronger, fairer partnerships and the role of business leaders, policymakers, and young
professionals in shaping the future.

America/New_York
Feb 14, 2025 3:15 PM
Klarman Auditorium