Africa Rising: Unlocking Profit, Purpose & Partnership
Kenya Edition Vol. 1 – October 9, 2025 | Radisson Blu, Upper Hill, Nairobi
Introduction
Africa’s growth story is at a critical inflection point. On one hand, the continent is facing tighter global capital markets, elevated debt pressures, and fragility in project finance. On the other, its underlying growth engines an expanding youth population, accelerated digital adoption, the world’s cleanest energy mix in some regions, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), remain unmatched.
The Africa Rising Executive Forum is where these contradictions are reconciled, where profit meets purpose through partnerships. It is designed as a pan-African deal-and-dialogue platform, bridging CEOs, financiers, policymakers, and development leaders.
The Kenya Edition (Vol. 1) will convene 150+ C-Suite executives, investors, ministers, and changemakers for a day of bold conversations, curated partnership rooms, and actionable commitments. Unlike traditional conferences, Africa Rising is built to catalyze tangible outcomes, investments unlocked, policies influenced, and inclusive growth models accelerated.
The Big Why: Africa’s Urgency and Opportunity
Africa cannot afford to wait. The statistics highlight both the urgency and potential:
- Growth Outlook – Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to grow at 3.8 to 3.9% in 2025, outpacing many global regions despite financial headwinds.
- Financing Gaps – Africa’s MSME sector faces a US$331 billion credit gap, part of a staggering US$5.7 trillion global shortfall. SMEs remain the continent’s biggest job creators yet least served by finance.
- Decline in Project Finance – In 2023, global project finance flows fell 26%, stalling critical infrastructure, renewable energy, and SDG-linked projects across Africa.
- AfCFTA Potential – Full implementation of the AfCFTA could boost intra-African trade by 33–45% and increase continental GDP by about 1% annually.
As Eminence Global PR Founder and the Vice President of Africa International Chamber of Commerce & Industry Milkaela Mwangura notes:
“Profit, purpose, and partnerships are not tradeoffs in Africa, they are multipliers.”
This is the vision that underpins Africa Rising.
Why Kenya, Why Now?
Kenya is the natural launchpad for Africa Rising Vol. 1, offering a combination of resilience, innovation, and positioning as a regional hub:
- Clean Energy Leadership – Over 90% of Kenya’s electricity comes from renewables, with geothermal alone approaching 1 GW capacity.
- Access Transformation – Electricity access rose from 37% in 2013 to 79% in 2023, proving how policy, investment, and partnerships can deliver systemic change.
- Digital Finance Prowess – Kenya’s mobile money ecosystem is globally admired, with M-Pesa processing over 50% of GDP annually, fueling commerce and financial inclusion.
- Financial Hub Status – Nairobi is now home to regional HQs for global banks, DFIs, and investors making it a gateway to Africa’s markets.
For these reasons, Kenya represents more than just a venue, it is a proof-of-concept nation for the transformative agenda Africa Rising champions.
Forum Design – From Talk to Traction
Unlike conventional conferences, Africa Rising prioritizes deal flow, implementation, and measurable outcomes. The program is structured into three catalytic formats:
1. Executive Plenaries & Panels
Anchored by CEOs, ministers, AfCFTA leaders, and impact investors, these sessions will spotlight:
- Purpose-led capital and blended finance models
- Green competitiveness and climate-smart industrialization
- Digital rails for trade, payments, and governance
- AfCFTA-driven regional expansion strategies
2. Deal & Partnership Rooms
These curated matchmaking sessions will connect:
- SMEs with financiers and DFIs
- Investors with vetted projects in energy, infrastructure, health, and digital
- Corporates with counties and governments for PPP opportunities
- Continental Scaling up advisory
Unlike pitch sessions, the goal here is progress toward term sheets and MoUs.
3. Policy & Practice Roundtables
Facilitated by government agencies, DFIs, and the private sector, these closed-door sessions will produce action memos tied to AfCFTA implementation, capital market deepening, and ESG integration.
KPI Sidebar – Kenya Edition Impact Goals
What Success Looks Like:
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Capital Mobilized: $50M+ in deal pipeline commitments
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Partnerships Launched: 20+ MoUs, pilots, or trade collaborations
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Policy Actions: 5+ signed communiqués with 90-day sprint milestones
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SME Support: 40+ SMEs engaged in deal matchmaking
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Inclusion Focus: 30%+ of spotlighted businesses women- or youth-led
As Milkaela Mwangura frames it:
“The Kenya Edition will prove that green power, digital rails, and financial inclusion can anchor Africa’s next industrial and trade leap.”
Pain Points Addressed
The forum directly tackles structural barriers holding back Africa’s growth:
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Access to Finance: With banks often risk-averse, SMEs lack credit lines and guarantees. Deal rooms will connect them to DFIs and blended capital structures.
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Policy Gaps: Many reforms stall at drafting. Policy sprints will lock in timelines for execution.
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Fragmented Trade: AfCFTA is promising, but harmonization is incomplete. Panels will align corporates and policymakers on cross-border trade practices.
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Climate Vulnerability: Africa contributes just 4% of global emissions yet suffers disproportionately. Clean energy financing will be central to discussions.
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Youth Unemployment: With 70% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s population under 30, the forum will spotlight youth-led enterprise as a growth driver.
What Delegates Gain
Corporates – Playbooks for AfCFTA-ready expansion and direct access to investors.
Financiers – De-risked project pipelines, structured deals, and policy insights to boost confidence.
Policymakers – Evidence-based dialogue with the private sector and actionable reform plans.
Communities – More inclusive jobs, greener infrastructure, and scaling SMEs that meet local needs.
The Kenya Edition Promise
The Kenya Edition is not just a one-off event, it is Volume 1 of a continental movement. Future editions will rotate across Africa, with Mauritius, Ethiopia, Egypt, and South Africa among the next targets.
By launching in Nairobi, Africa Rising sends a signal: Kenya’s blend of renewable power, digital leadership, and financial connectivity is the perfect platform to model Africa’s next growth leap.
Call to Action
Africa is not waiting, it is building. Africa Rising 2025 (Kenya Edition, Vol. 1) is where ideas meet capital, policy meets practice, and leaders come together to unlock the continent’s next growth chapter.
Date: October 9, 2025
Venue: Radisson Blu, Upper Hill, Nairobi
Seats are limited. Register now at register.eminenceglobalpr.com
Join us in Nairobi. Build profit. Drive purpose. Forge partnerships. Together, we rise.