African Futures

21/08/2026

AFRICA IN THE WORLD | Seminar Series Three

A Western alliance under strain could bring new uncertainties for Africa but could it also create greater room for African agency?

Shifts in US foreign policy are testing longstanding Western relationships across defence, trade, technology and multilateral cooperation. For Africa, this could disrupt established development and security partnerships, while opening space to diversify external relations and negotiate more balanced bilateral partnerships. Join us for the third seminar in our six-part AFRICA IN THE WORLD series as we explore what a changing Western alliance could mean for Africa.

Featuring:
• Lwazi Somya, Manager: Research, Policy & Stakeholder Engagement, Southern African Liaison Office
• Prof Bob Wekesa, Director, African Centre for the Study of the United States, University of the Witwatersrand
• Sanusha Naidu, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Global Dialogue
Moderated by Priyal Singh, Senior Research Consultant, Institute for Security Studies

25 August 2026
15:00–16:30 (GMT+2)
Online via ISS Zoom
Register now and join the conversation:
https://futures.issafrica.org/events/2026/The-Western-alliance-under-strain-implications-for-Africa

20/08/2026

Pretoria, you’re invited!

Join us for the first launch of Jakkie Cilliers’ new book, Africa’s Road to Prosperity: 10 Things to Know.

Ottilia Anna Maunganidze will be in conversation with Prof Gilbert Khadiagala and Jakkie Cilliers, exploring the ten priorities that could improve the lives of millions, and the choices Africa’s leaders must make today to build a more prosperous future.

Thursday, 27 August 2026
18:00–20:30 SAST
Exclusive Books, Menlyn Mall, Pretoria

Register now and be part of the conversation:
https://futures.issafrica.org/events/2026/Book-Launch-1-Africas-Road-to-Prosperity

19/08/2026

US-AFRICA SUMMIT | ADDIS ABABA

The global order is becoming more fragmented. For Africa, the central question is not which global power to follow, but how to protect its agency and help shape the rules of what comes next.

On 25 August in Addis Ababa, Session One of the 4th U.S.–Africa Futures Summit, “A Divided World: Africa’s Place in an Emerging Multipolar World,” will examine the ideas shaping U.S. policy towards the continent. The conversation will consider how U.S. civilizational narratives and Western geopolitical identity are reflected in the U.S. National Security Strategy and whether these approaches strengthen or constrain African agency.

Against a backdrop of rising instability and eroding multilateralism, the session will also explore how platforms such as the G20 are influencing U.S.–Africa relations and Africa’s position in the global system.

Dr. Fonteh Akum, Dr. Yann Bedzigui, Ottilia Anna Maunganidze, John “JT” Tomaszewski and Michelle Ndiaye will join the conversation, moderated by Dr. Joseph Sany.

Register: https://futures.issafrica.org/events/2026/Africa-Futures-Summit-2026

19/08/2026

𝟕𝟑𝟓 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. 𝟐𝟎 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞.

We are delighted to announce the 2026 African Futures Top 5 Young Changemakers , selected as part of the 3rd African Futures Conference.

Congratulations to Ann Nyagah, Bouakkaz Aymen, Elijah Koome, Immanuel Kiliu and Ndum Charlotte Ayeah.

Their journey began among 735 submissions from young Africans sharing bold ideas and perspectives on the choices that will shape Africa’s future. From there, 20 remarkable voices were shortlisted – and today, we celebrate the final five.

Our Top 5 will join us in Pretoria, South Africa, for the African Futures Conference 2026, where they will share their ideas and engage with policymakers, researchers, practitioners and fellow changemakers.

The African Futures Conference 2026 is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.

18/08/2026

The next UN Secretary General: picked to lead, designed to take the blame

The next UN Secretary General will inherit an institution under extraordinary strain, from funding pressures and geopolitical fragmentation to a paralysed Security Council and declining trust.

In our latest blog, Mukesh Kapila looks back at the leaders who have shaped the office and asks what history can teach us about the qualities the next Secretary General will need. His argument: success may depend less on credentials than on judgement, independence, resilience and the ability to lead through influence rather than command.

Read more: https://futures.issafrica.org/blog/2026/The-next-UN-Secretary-General-picked-to-lead-designed-to-take-the-blame

A UN facing insolvency, a paralysed Security Council and collapsed trust will hand its new leader an institution primed to attribute every failure to the top person.

14/08/2026

The global order is changing. Africa is not waiting to be assigned a place in it.

For the first time, the U.S.–Africa Futures Summit is coming to the African continent.
On 25 August 2026, policymakers, civil society leaders, researchers and members of the African diaspora will gather in Addis Ababa for the 4th U.S.–Africa Futures Summit. At a moment when geopolitical competition, changing development partnerships, the global race for critical minerals, migration and contested peace processes are reshaping U.S.–Africa relations, the question is no longer simply how the United States will engage Africa. It is how African priorities, agency and leadership will shape what comes next.

Hosted by Humanity United, the Global Futures Collaborative, the Institute for Security Studies and Open Society Foundations, the Summit will create space for forward-looking dialogue and practical ideas for a more equal and strategic partnership.

Spaces are limited. Register to attend in person or receive the recordings after the Summit: https://futures.issafrica.org/events/2026/Africa-Futures-Summit-2026

12/08/2026

The global order is shifting but the future may not be fully multipolar.

In Spotlight 4, Collin Meisel explores a possible “mini-polar” future, shaped by two global poles, a handful of mini-poles and a growing number of states with greater room to influence global outcomes. What could this changing balance of power mean for Africa, Europe and their relationship?

Read the full spotlight: https://futures.issafrica.org/blog/2026/Toward-a-mini-polar-future-where-do-Africa-and-Europe-stand-?utm_source=Institute+for+security+studies&utm_campaign=27211e4cd8-AFI-Blog&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-34daf9bb3f-620499530

𝘼𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝘼𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙣-𝙀𝙪𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙍𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙮 Institute for Security Studies African Futures, BDI - Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie e.V., Hanns Seidel Foundation 𝙖𝙣𝙙 Megatrends Afrika (𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP), German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) 𝙖𝙣𝙙 Kiel Institute for the World Economy). 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝘼𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙀𝙪𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙨 𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙡𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙮𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙨, 𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙘 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚.

07/08/2026

As development assistance declines, how can African governments protect essential services without deepening fiscal pressures?

In our latest blog, Dr Marvellous Ngundu and Dr Blessing Chipanda examine why the answer may lie not in higher tax rates, but in stronger institutions, more effective revenue collection and greater economic formalisation. Modelling suggests these reforms could generate enough additional domestic revenue to offset projected aid losses by 2034, strengthening Africa’s ability to finance its own development.

Read more: https://futures.issafrica.org/blog/2026/Aid-cuts-are-a-wake-up-call-for-smarter-domestic-resource-mobilisation-in-Africa

Reforms in government effectiveness and economic formalisation could generate enough revenue to more than offset projected aid losses by 2034.

07/08/2026

Meet the Top 20 Young Changemakers 2026!

Twenty young Africans. Twenty perspectives on the choices that will shape Africa's future.

Following our call for submissions, we are delighted to announce the Top 20 Young Changemakers selected as part of our 3rd African Futures Conference . Their ideas stood out for their creativity, foresight, leadership potential and commitment to shaping a better future for the continent.

From across Africa, these emerging leaders, thinkers, innovators and storytellers are bringing fresh perspectives to the question at the heart of this year's Young Changemakers initiative: What choices will shape Africa's future?

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟮𝟬!

And the journey isn't over yet. From this group, five finalists will be selected to join us in Pretoria, South Africa and present their ideas at the African Futures Conference 2026. Stay tuned as the Top 5 will be announced soon.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 2026 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘴 𝘚𝘦𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

05/08/2026

Africa’s prosperity will be shaped by the choices we make today.

We’re delighted to share that Jakkie Cilliers’ new book, Africa’s Road to Prosperity: 10 Things to Know, is now available in bookstores across South Africa and internationally through Amazon.

Drawing on extensive research into the continent’s development trajectory, the book explores ten critical priorities for unlocking inclusive growth and building a more prosperous African future. Essential reading for policymakers, researchers, development practitioners—and everyone invested in Africa’s future.

Order internationally: https://a.co/d/03ggjJGn