Africa in the World
September 12-16, 2023
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Our Story
A Festival of Hearts and Minds
Welcome to Africa in the World, a festival that brings together the world’s most innovative thinkers and top leaders to platform invigorating ideas for fresh changes and sustainable solutions for African people. Our purpose is to spark connections and engage actions that can move African society forward. Learn more about our story and meet our founder, Dele Olojede, who believes in the power of dialogue to bring the best and brightest together in unearthing solutions that can be implemented and sustained over the long term.
Africa in the World is an ideas festival. We have conceived it as a convening of great minds, not only to explore how the best ideas can help us solve our biggest challenges, but also to infuse the festival with spirit. That’s why we don’t call it a conference. We call it a festival of hearts and minds.
Dele Olojede
What’s New
The world’s civil religion, football… and the meaning of life
Journalist, author and documentarian, John Carlin is interviewed by Emir Muhammadu Sensui II As a ‘dinner provocation’ during Africa in …
The here, the now and the road ahead
Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Nigeria’s Kaduna state interviews iconic Rwandan economist, Donald Kaberuka In this …
How to stop manufacturing poverty on an industrial scale
Muhammadu Sansui II, Emir of Kanu in Nigeria Both a modern African leader and a …
The sources of violent xenophobia in South Africa – African backlash
Panellist, Alan Storey gives us a metaphor that can hold us In the weeks before …
Highlights from the Inaugural Festival
2023 Speakers
Wole Soyinka
Wole Soyinka is a Nigerian playwright, poet, author, teacher and political activist. He was born in Abeokuta, Nigeria, in 1934. In 1986, the playwright and political activist became the first African to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. He dedicated…
Dr David Sengeh
Dr. David Moinina Sengeh is the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education and Chief Innovation Officer for the Directorate of Science, Technology, and Innovation of the Government of Sierra Leone. He is a senior TED Fellow. He also launched…
Phumzile Mblambo-Ngcuka
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is Former Executive Director of UN Women & Deputy President of SA Founder of Umlambo Foundation Gender Activist and Campaigner for Universal Access to Education. She was sworn into office on 19 August 2013 and brings a wealth…
Abdulzarak Gurnah
Novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah was born in 1948 on the island of Zanzibar off the coast of East Africa. He came to Britain as a student in 1968. He is on the advisory board of the journal Wasafiri and lives in…
Our Influence
How the electrifying Africa in the World 2019 keynote address sparked coding education projects for African children
As a Festival of ideas, Africa in the World is intentional about being a change-maker. We know that sometimes transformation takes time, and on this path, small gains are highly valuable.