Forbes Africa Debuts Continental Leadership Forum Ahead of 15-Year Milestone

Forbes Africa Launches Platform for Continental Dialogue as Magazine Marks 15-Year Milestone

On August 31, 2026, the Radisson Blu Hotel in Durban Umhlanga, South Africa, will host the inaugural edition of The Durban Dialogues by Forbes Africa, a new live event series bringing together business leaders, entrepreneurs, executives, policymakers, innovators and rising stars from across the continent. The breakfast gathering is the first installment of what the award-winning pan-African business magazine intends as an ongoing platform for substantive conversation, timed as the publication prepares to mark its 15th anniversary in October.

The inaugural edition carries the theme Women Rising. Keynote addresses, fireside chats and panel discussions will center on the women driving economic growth, innovation and transformation across Africa. The format is deliberately intimate, fixed to a single city, and designed to encourage high-value networking alongside focused thought leadership.

“For nearly 15 years, Forbes Africa has championed the stories, ideas, and people shaping the continent’s future,” said Roberta Naicker, CEO of Forbes Africa and CNBC Africa. “The launch of The Dialogues by Forbes Africa marks the next chapter in that journey. These conversations are designed to bring together Africa’s most influential voices in an intimate setting where meaningful connections are made, bold ideas are exchanged, and opportunities for collaboration can flourish.”

The Durban series builds directly on the foundation of the Forbes Women Africa Leading Women Summit, now entering its 11th year. Where the summit operates at continental scale, The Durban Dialogues adopt a tighter, city-focused model. The distinction matters: the new format is intended to generate conversations that then feed into the broader continental agenda.

That agenda has a clear next milestone. The Leading Women Summit 2027 is scheduled for March 9-10, 2027, at the SunBet Arena in Time Square, Pretoria, and the Durban discussions are positioned as an early input into that gathering.

Managing Editor Renuka Methil framed the launch in terms of institutional continuity. “The first edition will shine a spotlight on the women driving economic growth, innovation and transformation across Africa,” she said. “The launch of the series marks a significant milestone in Forbes Africa’s continued commitment to fostering conversations that shape the continent’s future while creating meaningful platforms that connect leaders across industries.”

Forbes Africa has operated since 2011, building a reputation as an authoritative voice on African business, wealth creation, leadership and entrepreneurship. The Durban Dialogues represent its first dedicated city-level event series, a structural shift in how the publication convenes its audience beyond the printed page and digital platforms.

Whether the city-focused model proves replicable in other African urban centers, and how the conversations it generates ultimately shape the agenda at Pretoria in 2027, remain the questions worth watching.

For more information on The Durban Dialogues by Forbes Africa: Women Rising, visit https://www.forbesafrica.com/press/2026/08/06/forbes-africa-launches-the-durban-dialogues-ahead-of-15th-anniversary/ or go to www.forbesafrica.com.