One Young World Summit Cape Town, 2026

Please have your QR Code ready which can be found in the email from 2 November or inside your event app.

Delegates will be collected from the CTICC and transported to Green Point Athletics Stadium, where they’ll enjoy a pre-ceremony dinner in the adjacent event space. Sponsored by Spur, the dinner will provide an opportunity to eat, connect with fellow delegates and enjoy the atmosphere before the Opening Ceremony begins.

The One Young World Opening Ceremony is proudly presented by the City of Cape Town, Absa Group, and Schneider Electric

The One Young World Opening Ceremony will take place at Green Point Athletics Stadium, bringing together delegates from around the world for an unforgettable evening in Cape Town.
The ceremony will showcase incredible South African performances from The South African Youth Choir, The University of Cape Town Opera Society and local legend Amy Jones alongside keynote speeches from Maria Ressa, Professor Muhammad Yunus, Graça Michal and Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, as well as the much-anticipated annual One Young World Flag Ceremony.
The evening will be hosted by Shudufhadzo Musida and Maps Maponyane.
The One Young World Opening Ceremony is proudly presented by the City of Cape Town, Absa and Schneider Electric.

Actress, Executive Producer, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and TIME100 Next honouree Nomzamo Mbatha opens the Summit, reflecting on what it means to gather in South Africa at this moment in history and preparing delegates for three days of dialogue, accountability and action that lie ahead.

Founded by Professor Selva Pankaj & Dr Tharshiny Pankaj, who fled civil war in Sri Lanka, Regent Global's $250,000 Award to End Conflict is the biggest single prize ever presented at One Young World created to recognise and resource young leaders tackling conflict at its roots. From ten global finalists - each selected by a panel of expert judges for their work bridging divided communities and building sustainable peace - the inaugural winner is announced on stage alongside the runners-up whose work is equally deserving of the world's attention.

A close colleague of slain opposition leader Boris Nemtsov and a key architect of Magnitsky sanctions against top Russian officials, Vladimir Kara-Murza was twice poisoned and left in a coma, then sentenced to 25 years for "high treason" and released in August 2024 as part of the largest East-West prisoner exchange since the Cold War. He joins his wife Evgenia, who led the global campaign for his freedom, in conversation with multi-award winning journalist Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson to reflect on what it demands - personally, politically and practically - to stand firm against authoritarian repression.

The Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative works across six regions worldwide, including in Cape Town, where it supports young peacebuilders in the Cape Flats. Academy Award-winning actor, UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, and WPDI Founder and CEO Forest Whitaker is joined by Executive Director Caroline Descombris and two young peacebuilders from the Cape Flats for a conversation on what community-led peace work looks like on the ground.

The keynote/panel will make the connection between meaningful, purpose-giving work and overall peace and stability. When people have jobs that fulfill them and allow them to support themselves and others, society is more stable and less conflict-prone as a result. While exploring this topic Judith will touch on what the young leaders in attendance can do to embrace their own purpose, how they can encourage those in their own networks to do so, and how tools like AI are democratizing knowledge and helping people boost their own employability.

Two figures central to South Africa's democratic transition examine what makes institutions resilient and what makes them vulnerable. Lord Peter Hain, lifelong anti-apartheid campaigner and former British Cabinet minister, and Justice Albie Sachs - who lost an arm and his sight in one eye to a bomb planted by apartheid security agents, before going on to help draft the post-apartheid constitution and shape the character of the Constitutional Court - draw on South Africa's hard-won experience to explore lessons that resonate far beyond its borders.

Mteto Nyati will take to the stage to deliver a keynote on what it truly takes to lead. He will challenge and inspire young leaders to back themselves in the face of systemic barriers, to rewrite the narratives others have written for them, and to use their position to transform the institutions they lead. A Yale World Fellow, chairman of Eskom and executive chairman of BSG, Nyati has spent decades doing exactly that, rising to the top of corporate South Africa as CEO of MTN South Africa and Managing Director of Microsoft South Africa. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Johannesburg.

We celebrate medical breakthroughs, but often
overlook the work required to make them available to people. Richard Saynor, CEO of Sandoz, the global leader in affordable medicine, and Tripti Jha, Sandoz Chief People Officer, explore why access remains one of the world's biggest healthcare challenges. Using the story of penicillin and examples from across Africa, they show how it takes leadership and persistence to turn scientific progress into better health outcomes.

A keynote address from Benedikt Franke, Chief Executive of the Munich Security Conference

Hear from our inspirational delegate speakers

It’s impossible to talk about startups in the 21st century and leave out the African continent. Entrepreneurial spirit has always been an integral part of African societies, and Africa’s ever-growing youth population is at the forefront of economic development. But what challenges do entrepreneurs still face? What role does the international community play? And how can we create an enabling environment that allows innovation to thrive? Join this session, in which you can vote in favour or against statements on entrepreneurship in Africa, and join the discussion with three African impact entrepreneurs that are active in agroforestry, aquaculture and health tech.

AI is changing the way we work, and two questions matter most: How do we keep up, and what is the pace of change costing us? There are skills worth developing and parts of your well-being worth prioritizing. Join Bristol Myers Squibb's Courtney Nash and Jamaal Sebastian-Barnes for an honest conversation about future-ready skills, well-being, and what it takes to thrive through transformation rather than just survive it. No slides. Just real talk with the room, and a guide worth keeping.

Becoming a leader is one thing. Staying credible once you get there is another. Leaders today hold power under constant scrutiny, with fewer places to hide and shorter patience from the people they serve. But the leaders ready to meet that challenge are already here - and they are in this room. This is a conversation moderated by seasoned diplomat Michael Møller, with CEO of ENS Mzi Mgudlwa, offering the perspective from the boardroom and Prof. Thuli Madonsela examining who still gets left out of leadership, and what that costs. How does a good leader leave a legacy? Who is missing from the table, and who pays? How does a good leader manage when doing the right thing is costly?

How do you create change when systems are flawed, resources are limited and there’s no clear consensus on a way forward? Following her keynote, Sandoz Chief People Officer Tripti Jha joins Bianca Morgan (Head People & Organisation, Sandoz South Africa) for a candid discussion on purpose, resilience and leadership. Together, they explore how to navigate barriers, build support networks, challenge expectations and turn ambition into action, offering practical lessons for anyone committed to making a positive impact in their community, organisation or beyond.

Human creativity and craftsmanship are ever more important in today’s world. At One Young World, Elizabeth Anglès d’Auriac, President of UK and Open Innovation at CHANEL, will be joined by Daniel McAuliffe, Director of Education at The King’s Foundation and Métiers d’Art Fellowship graduates (Barnaby Horn, Bonnie Magee, Tamsin Lines) to explore how investment in learning, mentorship and artisan skills unlocks confidence, careers and new possibilities for emerging talent. Together, they will consider the impact of meaningful routes into craft, turning creative dreams into opportunity, connecting heritage with innovation, and advancing a vision for the future that values creativity, and skills built to endure.

With an ever-growing global population, how are we going to obtain food security? What role does circularity play, and what can we learn from innovative entrepreneurs? In this session, the Deputy Director for the Department Sustainable Economic Development of the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs will interview an innovative entrepreneur from Ghana who might have the answer to these questions.

Hear from our partners at Novartis.

Hear from David Gibbons, Country President African Cluster, AstraZeneca and young leaders, Magdaline Anguche and Abishek Kumar

Isra Chaker is the Founder & Chief Executive Officer Every Pregnancy. The human rights advocate and campaigner who has mobilised $135M+ worldwide for maternal and newborn health will reflect on her journey from applying for a chance to speak at the 2019 One Young World to becaming an Ambassador and paying that investment forward by establishing the inaugural Every Pregnancy Scholarship to support and invest in young leaders advancing maternal and newborn health in their own communities around the world.

Mohit’s session would draw from his personal highlighting key values and tenets that have shaped him as a professional and a leader. Beginning with his formative years—studying across nearly ten schools and developing a lifelong passion for reading—the session will highlight how early exposure to diverse environments fostered an open, adaptable mindset. It will explore his academic and professional journey across history, management, banking, and technology, and how global experiences across multiple geographies broadened his perspective on leadership.

Mental health advocate, Sophie Trudeau will lead the One Young World in a moment of reflection ahead of content relating to Gender-based Violence.

Delmari Van Zyl, YSL Beauty Brand Purpose Director in conversation with Jessica Mahlekisi, Partnerships and Performance Manager, L'Oréal

Uniting two trailblazing women from the worlds fashion and entertainment women whose voices transcend borders, this panel will explore the power of purpose in shaping a more inclusive future. Acclaimed actor, writer and activist will join model and humanitarian Adot Gak to reflect on their personal journeys, the challenges they have overcome, and the responsibility that comes with using their platforms for meaningful change.

In August 2019, Noma Mrwetyana's daughter Uyinene, a 19-year-old University of Cape Town student, was raped and murdered at a post office in Cape Town. Her death ignited a national reckoning with gender-based violence in South Africa. Women took to the streets asking #AmINext and a movement that refused to be silent was born. Through the Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation, Noma and her family have channelled their unimaginable grief into action. She will speak about her fight for justice, for accountability, and for a world in which no mother has to bury her child this way.

A keynote address from actor, activist and presenter of America’s Got Talent, Terry Crews

Hear from our inspirational delegate speakers

As demand surges and new energy systems grow more complex, what does it really take for us to keep the grid stable and crucially, sustainable? This session brings together those at the forefront of the sector to assess how we can harness the road ahead. What does a credible energy transition look like in practice, and how are organisations genuinely preparing for it? Where does today’s technology fit into the future, and how significant a role might it play? As data centres reshape the picture, are they a challenge to manage or an opportunity to seize?

Gen AI has gone from curiosity to everywhere fast, and the models keep getting better. Some are great for research, some for making content, some for taking the dull operational stuff off your plate. The real question isn’t what they can do. It’s what’s useful to you.So we’ll find out together. In a live challenge, we’ll put different models to work side by side, so you can see their strengths first-hand.Gen AI isn’t the answer to everything, and we won’t pretend it is. This is about understanding it better so you can make up your own mind on whether it helps you deliver more impact.Hands-on, practical and hopefully fun. You’ll leave with something you can use. We can’t wait to see you!

A beach bbq hosted at Cabo Beach Club, sponsored by Novartis.

A conversation between young Indigenous Women who are reshaping diplomacy, climate justice and technology. They will explore how ancestral knowledge and community values ground their own leadership, how they remain connected to their communities while navigating global spaces, and why young Indigenous leaders do not have to choose between who they are and where they are going.

AI will change work, but it does not get to decide our future. Young people can use it to solve real problems, create opportunities and shape the rules - turning uncertainty into agency.

Hear from Peter van Binsbergen, CEO, BMW Group SA

Mining has shaped Africa's past in profound and often complex ways. As critical minerals become the defining geopolitical asset of the 21st century, the question is – how Africa can use this moment to drive sustainable development, job creation, and long-term prosperity for the region.

From devices to data centres, cars to cities - mining underpins every aspect of modern life. Yet, the people on whose lands mining occurs often live with 100% of the impact but rarely feel the full impact of its benefits. Changing this equation is key to Africa’s future and requires a uniquely African approach; one that plays to the continent’s strengths while being clear-eyed about its challenges.

During this session, we will hear from Nolitha Fakude, who is a pioneering leader in our industry. She will provide her views on how to turn Africa’s potential into reality, personal reflections on her career in mining, and insights into the opportunities presented through a career in mining.

Hear from Adelheid Moxon, Group Head of People Innovation & Transformation, Holcim
and Fatma Hedeya, Global Head of Talent, Holcim

In ‘Future Ready: AI, Education & Opportunity’, KPMG International and UNESCO host a conversation exploring their new research on investment in AI and digital skills in education, including what is known about its potential impact on learning, employment, and wider society.
Bringing together perspectives from education, business, technology and youth, this session will examine the opportunities and risks shaping the future of learning and work, and what needs to happen now to turn research findings into action.

An inspirational Keynote address from One Young World Ambassador Senator Crystal Asige.

Join Esther Finidori and Zime Nxumalo for a fast-paced exchange on youth agency, two-way mentorship and women leading the green and tech frontier. Come for bold ideas; leave ready to turn ambition into action.

At five years old, Popina Khumanda was captured by rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo alongside her older sister. After five years in captivity, the two escaped and walked to South Africa, where Popina began her education at twelve, learning to read and write while mastering three new languages. Today she is building a career in cybersecurity and is the author of The Smallest Ones, shortlisted for the 2026 Sunday Times Literary Awards. She also founded Anchor Tech Academy, which helps disadvantaged learners gain English and computer skills and earn industry-recognised certifications from Google, Cisco and CompTIA. In this keynote, Popina shares how the hope her sister gave her on that long road became a mission. She challenges delegates to stop judging lives by their circumstances and start opening doors for others, because talent exists everywhere, but opportunity does not.

Through this presentation, we aim to highlight how the mining sector can contribute to peace, well-being, and sustainable development in the territories where it operates. Using examples and data, we will illustrate how mining connects with broader value chains across the economy and can contribute to sustainable territorial development, the creation of opportunities and decent jobs, and the strengthening of peace and security.

Hear from Setlogane Manchidi, Managing Executive: Corporate Citizenship, ABSA

In this session, Grit will take the audience back to the feeling she had leaving her first One Young World summit: inspired, energised, and hungry to do more, but unsure how to channel it. Drawing on her journey from corporate intern to pan-European political organiser, published researcher and near Co-President of a 40,000-member political movement, she will make the case that impact rarely comes from one single lane. You are more powerful than you think, your power lives in more places than you realise, and the only thing standing between you and using it is the courage to start. Part honest confession, part practical framework, part call to arms, this is the speech she wishes someone had given her leaving her first One Young World summit.

A panel discussion featuring Gary Shaughnessy CBE, Chair of the Z Zurich Foundation

A Keynote address from Ahmed Al Haddad, Director of Digital Transformation of the Federal Youth Authority, United Arab Emirates

Hear from our inspirational Delegate Speakers

Combating food insecurity and protecting the environment are deeply connected goals that rely on healthy ecosystems and conservation. Educating communities teaches individuals to make informed decisions and take action, both individually and collectively, to impact society and protect the planet. National Geographic Education works at the nexus of science and storytelling to push the boundaries of research and practice to improve scientific outcomes and drive new knowledge for sustainable, resilient, longer-term conservation efforts.

The keynote argues that discovery alone is not progress: medicines matter only when they reach the people who need them. Zweli Bashman and Thandeka Nhleko are Country Head and Head Legal & Compliance for Sandoz South Africa. In this conversation, moderated by Neville Matjie, CEO of Brand South Africa, we dive into a candid, TED-style conversation where they explore what stands between proven medicines and South African patients, why access depends on more than affordability alone, and how leaders across business, government and society can help build the relationships and arrangements that make healthcare rights a reality for more people.

Antimicrobial resistance is often reduced to a simple warning: stop overusing antibiotics. The reality is far more complicated. Dr. Malcolm Miller, senior specialist in anaesthesia and critical care at Groote Schuur Hospital (Cape Town), explores how prescribing, patient behaviour, medicine quality, diagnostics and reliable access all shape the problem. The discussion, moderated by Danielle Mullings (Broadcaster & Technology Advocate) will examine why protecting antibiotics requires more than restraint, and how we can preserve these essential medicines without denying them to the people who need them. In conversation with Zweli Bashman, Country Head for Sandoz South Africa.

Throughout history, ethical philanthropy has struggled with blurred lines between what is right and wrong for both donor and recipient. Young people are the future, yet they still carry the historical burden of oppression. How can we use our strongest tool to fund change led by those most in need? Bringing together global philanthropists and changemakers, this session explores what happens once the donation has landed: how funders can offer long-term, trust-based support through unrestricted funding, relationships and shared power; how success can be measured by democratic and community outcomes, not only financial ones; and when senior leaders should step in, and when they should step back and let young people lead.

When girls are in school, they are safer, healthier and better able to shape their own futures. Yet millions remain out of the classroom, and gender-based violence continues to be both a cause and a consequence of that exclusion. In this panel, Nabila Aguele, CEO of Malala Fund, and Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira, Rugby World Cup–winning former Springbok, explore how education can be one of our most powerful tools for preventing GBV. They’ll discuss how schools can become places of protection and empowerment, the role men and boys must play in challenging harmful norms, and how young leaders can help build a world where every girl can learn, lead and live free from violence.

What keeps a leader moving when they hit the wall?

Ingvild Van Lysebetten of dsm-firmenich joins Olympic medallist and 2024 New York City Marathon champion Abdi Nageeye for a conversation about resilience, human connection, purpose and responsibility, exploring how the people and experiences that fuel us can help turn ambition into meaningful action.

Helen Seibel, VP & Head of Community and Employee Giving at BMO Financial Group,
Larry Davis, Emily Harris

This session uncovers fascinating lessons learned from four young pioneers in the ecological world. From indigenous wetlands, polar expeditions, ocean cleanliness and water wastage in restaurants in a major city, a new generation is rewriting what climate action can look like, and crucially, who leads it. This intimate dialogue will explore not just how they achieved this, but how we can build the framework, community and ambition to continue this work for generations to come.

We are more connected than ever, yet loneliness has become one of the defining challenges facing young people today. In this session, Elio and Ricky Leoni Sceti share the story behind Twos, their initiative to tackle loneliness and help people build real, meaningful connections. They’re joined on stage by young farmer Nana Kusi Appiah, who speaks to the often-overlooked isolation faced by farmers, whose long hours, remote locations and uncertain livelihoods can leave them cut off from support, and to what it takes to build stronger connections within farming communities. Together, they’ll explore why loneliness matters for leadership, how small acts of connection can create lasting change, and what each of us can do to make sure no one feels alone.

In a world increasingly defined by uncertainty, what does it mean to remain hopeful, and how can we turn that hope into action?
Join Dia Mirza, acclaimed Indian actor, producer, environmental advocate, and UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador, and Grace Cordsen, polar explorer, climate journalist, and Stanford PhD researcher, for an inspiring conversation about the power of storytelling, the responsibility of advocacy, and the importance of making complex global challenges accessible to all.
Drawing on their experiences across film, international advocacy, scientific research, and exploration, Dia and Grace will reflect on what it takes to move people from awareness to action, the opportunities and challenges of representing global causes, and, ultimately, what gives them hope for the future.

A decade after One Young World convened in Bogotá at a pivotal moment in Colombia's history, this session brings together former President Juan Manuel Santos and One Young World CEO Kate Robertson to reflect on the peace process that ended over 50 years of armed conflict. Together they'll examine what has been achieved since the 2016 peace agreement, the challenges that remain in implementation, and the lessons Colombia's experience offers for peacebuilding and reconciliation efforts around the world today.

Hear from Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Tawakkol Karman

Keynote address from musician, activist and founder of Live Aid, Sir Bob Geldof

Hear from our inspirational delegate speakers

At a time when isolation, division and disconnection are growing challenges, what does it take to bring people together and turn connection into meaningful change? The Spirit of Togetherness Award celebrates young leaders who are doing exactly that. Hear directly from this year’s awardees as they share the ideas, experiences and initiatives creating stronger, more inclusive communities. Through their stories and a lively panel conversation, delegates will explore what togetherness looks like in practice, the role each of us can play in creating it, and leave with fresh inspiration and practical ideas to strengthen connection and belonging in their own communities.

Young people have a vital role to play in transforming their communities and finding new solutions to some of the greatest challenges of our time, including employment opportunities, artificial intelligence, the climate crisis, agriculture, biodiversity conservation, and the economic development of local territories. Through the stories of these three amazing young people, we hope to explore how the next generation can help shape a more responsible mining industry, strengthen social cohesion, and create new opportunities in communities that are often geographically isolated from major urban centers.

Delegates will enjoy an evening of food and networking at Oranjezicht City Farm Market

Where food, community and a better future meet.

The Oranjezicht City Farm Market is a celebration of Cape Town’s food, people and entrepreneurial spirit - and a reminder that leadership can begin with something as fundamental as the food on our plates.

Born from a community food garden in 2012, the market grew from a simple idea: that bringing people together around food could help create a stronger, more connected community. Today, at Granger Bay in the V&A Waterfront, it brings together more than 100 independent farmers, food producers and entrepreneurs, creating a vibrant meeting place between the people who grow food and the people who eat it.

From seasonal produce grown in the Cape to exceptional artisan foods and dishes inspired by cultures from around the world, the market tells the story of a region rich in agricultural heritage, creativity and diversity. Behind every stall is a small business, a livelihood and someone who has had the courage to turn an idea into reality.

But the market’s purpose extends beyond what is on the table. By championing local producers, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and supporting a stronger regional food system, it demonstrates how business can serve both people and planet.

In a world facing complex challenges around food security, sustainability and inequality, the Oranjezicht City Farm Market shows what is possible when people take initiative, work together and invest in their communities.

Great change doesn’t always start with grand gestures. Sometimes, it starts with a garden, a community and an idea. For One Young World delegates, the market offers a taste of Cape Town - and a living example of how local action can grow into lasting impact.

What can big businesses learn from young entrepreneurs and what can entrepreneurs learn from business professionals? Join Rowan Spazzoli from YSI Global, Masibonge Mkhize from Reckitt and Thato Schermer from Zoie Health for a practical fireside chat on mentorship from both sides of the relationship. Drawing on Reckitt Catalyst and Zoie Health, the speakers will explore what makes support useful, how to ask better questions and how entrepreneurial thinking can strengthen your own work. Through a short audience exercise, you will identify a skill you could offer and a practical first step towards mentoring a social business or charity.

Africa is our youngest continent, and this generation is more educated than any before them, yet graduates are finding that a degree no longer guarantees a job. Are employers hesitating to back young talent? Where does the real issue lie; the education system, the hiring system, or something broader? Answers rarely arrive with passivity. This session examines how you can push for more and make things happen, shaping culture and habits that let your peers - or the people you're hiring - thrive. We will also explore the roles of young people outside education, employment and training to ensure you leave with tools you can tangibly take back to your own community. You, the people in this room, will be hiring the next generation before long. The responsibility for success rests with you.

Hear from One Young World Ambassador and Founder of She Writes Woman, Hauwa Ojeifo

A keynote address from Kim Samuel - Founder and Chief Architect, Belonging Forum

Hear from Oguzhan Silivrili, Senior Vice President, Reckitt Benckiser

More than a quarter-century after the vision of an "African Renaissance" and an "African Century" was first articulated, this panel takes stock of the continent's trajectory. Moderated by Ashraf Garda, the discussion brings together Thuli Madonsela, former Public Protector of South Africa and a leading voice on governance and accountability; Thebe Ikalafeng, a branding expert and advocate for reshaping global perceptions of Africa; and Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh, academic, commentator and musician. Together they'll assess what progress has genuinely been made on democracy, development and self-determination and what remains unfulfilled in the promise of an African century.

The health of people and the health of our planet are inseparable, yet the opportunities and responsibilities of that relationship are shared unevenly across the world. This panel brings together leaders from the pharmaceutical and nutritional health sectors to explore one of the defining opportunities of our time: how industries with the power to heal can lead the way, and how the global north can deepen its partnership with the global south to invest in lasting, shared prosperity. From expanding access to medicines to building food systems that nourish people while restoring the soils, water, and biodiversity that everyone depends on, our panellists will explore where commercial innovation and collective responsibility reinforce each other. What does it actually mean to build a healthier world for all? And what role do young leaders, the generation who will shape both the solutions and the systems, have in partnering with these industries to reimagine what's possible? This is a conversation about opportunity, partnership, and the ambition to act boldly at the intersection of human and planetary health.

Historian Francis Fukuyama, in 1989, famously proclaimed liberal democracy as history’s ideological endpoint. Yet, since then, China’s authoritarian rise, Russia’s aggression, resurgent nationalism and democratic erosion reveal a world where ideological rivalry persists and history remains decidedly unfinished. Today’s youth are inheriting a decidedly confrontational world accompanied by numerous unprecedented challenges. Goolam will address this “new world” that confronts today’s youth,

Hear from One Young World Ambassador and Founder of the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre, Ilwad Elman

The founders of SAYes mentoring, Michelle Potter and Gillian Anderson, discuss the impact of their organisation, mentoring under-served young people around the world.

Hear from our inspirational Delegate Speakers

One of South Africa' most respects academics and business leaders, Professor Bonang Mohale is the Chancellor of the University of the Free State, Professor of Practice at the Johannesburg Business School (JBS), Chairman of both The Bidvest Group Limited and SBV Services, and is a member of the Community of Chairmen in the World Economic Forum.

What if you had an idea, but didn’t know where to start? Could Gen AI help you bring it to life? That’s exactly what we’re going to find out. Together, we’ll take on a live challenge: creating an NGO from scratch, using AI along the way. From understanding the problem and finding the perfect name, to designing a logo, creating content, getting noticed and making things happen, we’ll explore how different AI tools can help turn an idea into action. No technical skills needed, and definitely no need to be an AI expert. We’ll share practical tips, real examples and a few tricks we’ve picked up along the way. And we’ll be honest about what AI does well, what it doesn’t, and where the human touch still matters most. Hands-on, practical and hopefully fun. You’ll leave with ideas and tools you can actually use. We can’t wait to see you!

What happens after a scholarship opens the door to One Young World? How can the lessons learned today lead to tangible results? In this session, the Audi Environmental Foundation shares how three former Scholars (Rodrigo Eidy Uemura of Litro de Luz, Franziska Trautmann of Glass Half Full, and Prodip Chatterjee of Nunam) turned a Summit connection into long-term environmental impact. Through personal video messages from each founder and a conversation between two leaders of the programme, this session will explore what it takes to turn opportunity into lasting change.

Every generation inherits a broken system but disagrees on how to fix it. Which generation is responsible for finding the answers; the creators or the users? Should we push for speed, patience, accuracy or accessibility? Of course, no single answer is right. But how we think is as important as how we answer. Roya Mahboob, whose groundbreaking work for Afghan women and girls helped give them technological access and independence, is joined on stage by Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, British-Iranian Author and former hostage, to examine what this future might look like. This session will explore what their stories teach us, and the lessons we can take moving forwards. How do generations combine to find answers? Can technology outpace oppression? When experience and urgency clash, how do we find common ground?

This session opens with a live exercise that puts you in the shoes of a community leader with limited resources and unlimited demands. What you decide to do next, might tell you more about leadership than you’d think. We will explore what responsible leadership looks like when immediate needs, long-term sustainability and economic opportunity all compete for the same dollar — with Africa's energy transition as our central example. How do we choose what’s right, when there is no perfect answer? And how can we maintain trust as we try to learn to improve?

Africa's youth are done being a talking point.
They are the majority of the continent and the minority in every room that matters. They have been told for years that they are the future, then handed a present with no jobs, no capital and no seat at the table. So they are doing the maths. Stay and build, or pack up and leave? Gen Z are frustrated with politicians, will not wait for the formal economy, and would rather launch a business, chase a visa or take to the streets than sit through another promise. This session puts the latest African Youth Survey on the table: tens of thousands of young voices and one of the most comprehensive reads of youth opinion on the continent. Are Africa's leaders ready to share power with the generation that will inherit it, or only to applaud it? What does a continent lose when it keeps telling its youth to be patient?

Around the world, people continue to be imprisoned for challenging power, defending fundamental freedoms, or speaking out for justice. What can we learn from those who have paid that price? This session brings together Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was imprisoned in Russia for speaking out against the war on Ukraine; Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman, the Yemeni journalist and human rights activist who was arrested for leading peaceful protests against the Saleh regime during the Arab Spring; Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, an Iranian-British dual citizen who was detained in Iran for six years as part of a long-running dispute between Britain and Iran; and Gaby Magomola, who was imprisoned on Robben Island as a teenage political activist under apartheid and went on to a career in banking that took him from Citibank in New York to Chief Executive of African Bank, as he tells in his memoir Robben Island to Wall Street.

Moderated by Ashraf Garda, the panel will explore the human cost of political repression, the resilience required to resist it, and what role young people can play in defending democracy and human rights in an increasingly polarised and uncertain world.

From the iconic image of Nelson Mandela handing François Pienaar the Rugby World Cup in 1995 to today's generation of champions, sport has remained one of South Africa's most powerful tools for unity and healing. This panel brings together Pienaar, who captained the Springboks to that historic 1995 victory; Akani Simbine, one of the fastest men in the world and a leading figure in South African athletics; Tatjana Smith, Olympic and world champion swimmer; and Temba Bavuma, captain of the South African cricket team, to reflect on how sport continues to shape national identity, bridge divides, and carry the weight and promise of the "Rainbow Nation" today.

Africa has the minerals powering the energy transition, the world's youngest workforce, and centuries of local knowledge. The shift from extraction to industrialisation is already underway. Without deliberate choices, Africa risks repeating the same pattern: supplying raw materials while the value, jobs and resilience get built elsewhere. African governments are already making those choices, and this generation gets to accelerate them. Here, we explain how climate and development are the same conversation. This session will lay out what the moment demands: regional integration, green industrial policy, capital kept on the continent, and institutions built to deliver.

Delegates will be collected from the CTICC and taken to the Castle of Good Hope. Delegates and partners will enjoy a pre ceremony dinner at the spectacular Castle of Good Hope ahead of the Closing Ceremony.
Delegates will enjoy a complimentary drink from SAB.

An unforgettable outdoor Closing Ceremony and celebration at the historic Castle of Good Hope, a moment for changemakers to reflect on and celebrate their transformative Summit journey.
The ceremony will feature the iconic ribbon pledge and tying and the formal baton handover to the host city of 2027: Tokyo, as well keynote speakers and cultural performances from both South Africa and Japan.
The Closing Ceremony is sponsored by Standard Bank.

Delegates will have the opportunity to celebrate the end of an unforgettable week together, with a DJ and dance floor bringing the Summit to a close.