The African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA), with its regional office in Johannesburg, today highlighted that Nairobi, Kenya, will host the 2025 AVPA Conference from November 3 to 5, 2025, at the Trademark Hotel. This flagship event comes at a pivotal time for Southern Africa, where nations like South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana are leading innovations in impact investing amid regional challenges such as climate resilience, energy transitions, and economic diversification.
Under the theme “Future Proofing Africa: Driving Sustainable Investments and Innovations for Resilient Growth,” the convening will gather over 400 leaders from across the continent and beyond, with significant participation from Southern African impact investors, philanthropists, policymakers, development finance institutions (DFIs), pension funds, and social enterprises. The three-day event aims to fast-track Africa’s transformation by mobilising catalytic capital at scale, with tailored discussions on issues critical to Southern Africa, including renewable energy access, agricultural value chains, and gender-smart financing.
“This is more than just a conference; it’s a pan-African movement to rethink how capital flows to where it matters most,” said Dr Frank Aswani, CEO of AVPA. “From Lagos to Lusaka, and Nairobi to Cape Town, we’re breaking down silos and rallying investors, innovators, and changemakers to co-create bold solutions that shape Africa’s future, with a particular emphasis on unlocking opportunities in Southern Africa’s dynamic markets.”
Key Conference Highlights
• High-level plenaries and breakout sessions on policy innovation, local capital mobilisation, blended finance, and visionary leadership, featuring insights from Southern African experts on regional economic integration and sustainable development.
• Sector spotlights focusing on renewable energy for climate resilience, fintech for financial inclusion, agri-tech for food security, and AI/technology for scalable impact.
• A lively “Impact Disco” for informal networking and cross-sector collaborations.
• The event culminates in the Impact Safari, a post-conference experience highlighting partner activities and case studies across Southern Africa’s impact hubs.
With impact investment in Africa surpassing $11 billion in 2025, including robust growth in Southern Africa where returns in renewables and agri-tech range from 15–25%, the conference positions the region as a global hub for purpose-driven investment. Southern Africa’s pension funds and sovereign wealth funds, managing trillions in assets, are poised to play a leading role in this shift.
“Africa stands at a unique inflection point. We are not short of capital or talent; we are short of alignment,” said Adedotun Sulaiman, AVPA Board Chair. “This conference is about converting intent into investment and ambition into impact. As a Board, we are committed to ensuring that AVPA remains a trusted platform where African capital and global partnerships converge to unlock capital for social impact.”
Patrick Parring, Chair, Southern Africa Board, added, “Across Africa, an estimated $12 billion in local capital lies dormant from pension funds to insurance reserves and other under-utilised assets, with Southern Africa holding significant untapped potential in funds like South Africa’s Public Investment Corporation. The AVPA Conference is where we reimagine how that wealth can be mobilised, turning idle capital into investments that drive inclusive and sustainable growth.”
Registration for the conference is open via https://avpaconference.africa. Early registration is encouraged for Southern African delegates to secure spots in region-specific sessions.
