African Futures Conference 2025: insight, imagination, action

This event explores Africa's long-term development through evidence, creativity and practical engagement.

Date: 2025-10-21 to 2025-10-22

Venue:
21 October: 14h00 – 15h30 (GMT+2), online via Zoom

22 October: 09h00 – 17h00 (GMT+2), online via Zoom

The African Futures Conference is the continent's premier platform for exploring and amplifying African-led foresight. In 2025, we invite policymakers, analysts, researchers, young changemakers, and foresight practitioners to engage in two days of bold thinking, rigorous analysis and practical collaboration.

The theme Insight, Imagination, Action reflects our belief that sustainable African futures must be grounded in credible evidence, fuelled by visionary creativity and translated into meaningful impact.

This year's event will include:

The launch of the Africa 2043 Futures Report
Exciting speakers from across the continent
Curated sessions on Africa's future
A hands-on rotating Futures Lab
Young changemakers competition

Conference objectives

The conference aims to strengthen African foresight and long-term planning capacity by showcasing practical examples, innovative tools and inclusive narratives that bridge the gap between quantitative and qualitative methods. It will highlight how strategic insight can lead to real-world impact by showing tools, stories and partnerships that translate ideas into action. The event will also elevate the voices of African changemakers and explore effective strategies to connect researchers and policymakers for greater influence on decision-making. This year's conference will also be the start of developing the African Futures Network (AFN) of trusted collaborators.

Conference themes

The conference will offer talks, sessions, creative showcases and tools that fit within one or more of our three conference pillars: