Forces of the Future:
Explore the 2026 edition

The days when Africa was seen simply as a frontier for growth to be conquered are over.

The days when Africa was seen simply as a frontier for growth to be conquered are over. The romantic narrative of "Africa, continent of the future" or "resource reservoir" is giving way to an undeniable reality: the African continent is forging its own path to emergence, moving beyond inherited patterns of aid and resource rents.

Despite a context of uneven economic recovery, fiscal constraints, volatile alliances, and protectionist tendencies, Africa is assuming a pivotal role in the "New South," at the heart of value chains, energy transitions, and the reconfiguration of the multilateral order. The continent continues to be driven by dynamics and deep-rooted structural forces that are difficult to reverse: rapid population growth and urbanization, the rise of markets, continental integration through the AfCFTA, and the rise of green and digital economies. These forces are reshaping national economic, social, and political trajectories, making Africa one of the few global growth hubs likely to exceed the global average in the medium term.

The question is no longer "how can we help or develop Africa?", but "how can we join forces with Africa to secure the global future?"

How can we strategically align ourselves with these transformative dynamics, moving away from rent-seeking approaches to co-construct partnerships based on influence, investment, and sovereignty? How can we accelerate the urgent transition to robust endogenous models, rethinking risk, financing, and structured intervention models based on African priorities and the new power relations that shape the international scene? How can we rearticulate governance models based on renewed African political frameworks capable of combining security, democratic legitimacy, and the effective exercise of sovereignty?

The 2026 edition of Africa Political Outlook, designed as a true strategic policy summit, will be the place where the " Forces of the Future" will be deciphered, debated, and translated into concrete roadmaps for African decision-makers and their partners, at the intersection of economic, political, institutional, and diplomatic agendas. By bringing together senior public officials, business leaders, think tanks, multilateral institutions, and young leaders, the Summit will offer a strategic reading of "African futures" and levers for action for those who intend to take full part in this new era of possibility.