More than 2,000 African and global business leaders, alongside heads of state, are expected in New York on 20 and 21 September for Unstoppable Africa 2026, the flagship event of the Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI).
The fifth edition will be convened by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, chairperson of the African Union Commission. It will be organised and coordinated by the UN Global Compact under the theme “Powering Business, Scaling Economies, Shaping the Future”, according to a GABI statement.
The event will take place at the New York Marriott Marquis during the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Week. It will bring together investors, policymakers, creatives, sports executives and other decision-makers to discuss Africa’s role in global business, trade and investment.
Sanda Ojiambo, assistant secretary-general and CEO of the UN Global Compact, said the event would focus on mobilising capital, forging partnerships and turning Africa’s assets and opportunities into investable and scalable outcomes.
“The ambition is not simply to shape how the world sees Africa, but to shape where global capital flows, where value is created and how Africa can capture it,” she said.
The programme will examine how Africa can capture more value from its critical minerals, strengthen infrastructure and trade, mobilise capital at scale and build more integrated and competitive markets.
Discussions will also focus on the continent’s energy transition, the development and ownership of artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure, the financing and global distribution of African creative industries, and the role of sport in investment, talent development and economic growth.
The event comes as geopolitical tensions, energy insecurity and changing trade rules reshape global supply chains. Organisers say Africa’s critical minerals, renewable-energy potential, expanding consumer markets and young populations could help attract long-term investment and retain more value on the continent.
Confirmed speakers include Julius Maada Bio, president of Sierra Leone, Duma Gideon Boko, president of Botswana, Samaila Zubairu, president and CEO of the African Finance Corporation and from South Africa Nolitha Fakude, chairperson of Anglo American South Africa and Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, CEO and executive director of Naspers.
edward.west@nationalmg.co.za
THE NATIONAL