Africa Soft Power Summit Puts Creative Power, Capital & Leadership at the Centre of Africa's Future in Nairobi This May

NAIROBI, NAIROBI, KENYA, May 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The continent's premier cross-sector convening returns for its 7th edition, 20 to 23 May 2026, with an expanded programme anchored by Africa's first dedicated gathering for African women's leadership

The Africa Soft Power Summit (ASP) will convene in Nairobi, Kenya, from 20 to 23 May 2026, with an extended programme running through 24 May. The seventh annual edition of the summit gathers founders, investors, policymakers, media executives and cultural leaders from Africa, the diaspora and global markets around a single strategic argument: that Africa's next growth chapter belongs to those who can align finance, creative enterprise and human capital at the same time.

The theme, Africa's Compound Interest: Aligning Ecosystems of Finance, Creativity and Human Capital for Growth, names what summit organizers describe as the continent's most consequential near-term challenge. Capital, creativity and talent development have long been treated as separate domains in Africa's development conversation. The 2026 edition makes the case that it is their alignment, not their individual scale, that determines whether value is created, sustained and owned.

"The world is looking for fresh solutions, credible leadership and new pathways for growth," said Dr Nkiru Balonwu, founder of the Africa Soft Power Group. "Africa's creative and innovation sectors have already shown that they are not peripheral to that future. They are central to it. Nairobi gives us a fitting setting for that conversation because it reflects so much of the ambition, energy and connectivity the continent is building."

The 2026 programme opens with the Remarkable African Women's Leadership Conference on 21 May, positioned as the continent's first convening dedicated entirely to African women's leadership, their power, and their institutional role in Africa's economic architecture. The Creative and Innovative Industries Conference follows on 22 May, examining what it takes to translate creative ambition into commercial scale. The ASP Gala and Awards Night on 23 May recognizes individuals and institutions advancing African excellence across art, fashion, film, entertainment, media and technology. Curated experiences across Nairobi and beyond extend the programme through 24 May.

ASP has built a cross-sector participant network that sets it apart from both conventional business conferences and cultural gatherings. Previous editions have drawn senior decision-makers from Netflix, Meta, the NBA, Apple, Amazon Studios, Trace and MTN alongside Afreximbank, IFC, Mastercard, Safaricom, the Bank of Industry and the AfCFTA Secretariat -- as well as former heads of state, trade ministers and leading founders from across the continent and the diaspora.
For members of the African diaspora in the United States and United Kingdom, the summit offers direct access to the creative, innovation and policy ecosystems reshaping the continent -- and to the founders, executives and capital allocators driving that transformation. Attendance is curated. Delegate passes are now open. Organizations registering five or more delegates will be recognized as Participating Organizations across summit materials.

Registration and full programme details are available at www.theafricasoftpowerproject.com/africa-soft-power-summit-2026

About Africa Soft Power Summit

The Africa Soft Power Summit is an annual cross-sector convening focused on the intersection of Africa's creative and tech industries, women's leadership, policy and capital. Founded and produced by the Africa Soft Power Group, ASP has grown from virtual editions in 2020 and 2021 into one of the continent's most influential in-person platforms, drawing a high-level mix of African and global voices united by a shared conviction that Africa's creative and innovation economy is central, not peripheral, to the continent's future. Learn more at www.theafricasoftpowerproject.com

Omoruvie Oruma
Africa Soft Power Group
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