- •The next edition of the Africa CEO Forum will take place on 14-15 May 2026 in Kigali, bringing together more than 2,000 CEOs, investors, heads of state and public decision-makers from over 75 countries.
- •As multilateralism is challenged, capital flows are reshaped and leading economies
leverage their corporate champions to project global influence, the Forum will place scale
at the centre of Africa’s strategic agenda. - •Under the theme “The Scale Imperative: Why Africa Must Embrace Shared Ownership”, the 2026 edition will call on public and private leaders to commit capital, share risk and build transnational African ownership to secure the continent’s long-term prosperity. The call to action is: scale or fail.
Kigali, 23 March 2026 – The Africa CEO Forum has established itself as the continent’s leading platform for high-level public-private dialogue and dealmaking. At a time of profound global economic realignment, the 2026 edition will convene in Kigali to address a defining question for Africa’s future: how to achieve the scale necessary to compete, integrate and thrive in a fragmenting world.
As global power dynamics evolve, the ability of Africa to rely on competitive, agile and internationally integrated corporate champions has become a defining corporate imperative. In this shifting global landscape, one lesson is clear: scale is no longer optional. It is the first line of defense.
While the continent has demonstrated remarkable resilience, with growth rates rising, sovereign ratings improving and record replenishment secured for key African financial institutions, reaching the necessary scale will require more than removing physical and regulatory barriers. It will mean embracing a new mindset anchored in a new vision: shared ownership.
Organized by Jeune Afrique Media Group and co-hosted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Africa CEO Forum 2026 will convene Africa’s leading public and private decision-makers around a clear conviction: scale can only be achieved through shared African ownership.
The Forum will explore three strategic levers to build continental scale:
- •Shared equity: Unlock cross-border equity investment to create multinational African champions. Mobilize African institutional capital across markets to strengthen resilience and enhance long-term returns.
- •Shared infrastructure: Design complementary infrastructure to integrate African value chains. Champion transformative projects that serve regional, not merely national, needs and create truly connected markets.
- •Shared frameworks: Harmonize standards, rules and regulations to boost investor confidence and enable the free flow of capital, goods and services. Build future-proof digital rails for health, education, agriculture and cross-border payments.
Amir Ben Yahmed, President of the Africa CEO Forum, stated: “If Africa wants to compete in a world defined by scale, it must move beyond economic patriotism and embrace a new model: African capital investing together. Shared ownership, cross-border partnerships and continental ambition will define the economic future of Africa and the next generation of African champions.”
Makhtar Diop, Managing Director at IFC, stated: “Africa has the capital and the opportunity to grow and create quality jobs. What matters now is putting that capital to work at scale. That means building trust, sharing risk, and investing across borders. The Africa CEO Forum brings leaders together to connect policy and private investment, and to help shape Africa’s next phase of growth.”
Ten years after the launch of the AfCFTA negotiations, the Africa CEO Forum community will reconvene in Kigali on 14-15 May 2026 to turn ambition into concrete commitments. Business leaders, investors, heads of state and ministers will be called upon to commit capital, share risk and take ownership, ensuring that Africa stakes its claim in its own future.
About the Africa CEO Forum
Founded in 2012, the Africa CEO Forum is the leading platform dedicated to the CEOs of Africa’s largest companies and multinationals, investors, heads of state, ministers, and representatives of key financial institutions active across the continent. The Forum provides a high-level space for networking, experience sharing, and analysis of the trends shaping the business world. Its annual summit aims to offer concrete, innovative solutions to advance the continent and its private sector. The Africa CEO Forum was created by Jeune Afrique Media Group and is co-organized with the IFC, a member of the World Bank Group.
More info: https://www.theafricaceoforum.com/forum-2025/en/
About IFC
IFC — a member of the World Bank Group — is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2025, IFC committed a record $71.7 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging private sector solutions and mobilizing private capital to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet.
For more information, visit www.ifc.org.
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Press Contacts
ACF: Soukaina Harti – s.harti@jeuneafrique.com / Thibaut Cabrera – thibaut@poinciana.co
IFC: Edwin Etumbo Eselem - eeselem@ifc.org
For Press Accreditation: press@theafricaceoforum.com
