Investors, Athletes and Dakar’s Mayor to Meet at AFRICA RISE’s New Playbook Summit

DAKAR, SENEGAL — As Dakar prepares to welcome the world for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, AFRICA RISE today announced The New Playbook Summit — a two-day gathering on October 24–25, 2026, at Pullman Dakar Teranga, where sport, culture and capital come together to shape Africa’s next economy. The Summit convenes leaders, investors, athletes and changemakers to explore how sport is driving investment, innovation and opportunity across the continent.

The summit is the flagship event of AFRICA RISE, a year-round network that describes itself as working at the intersection of sport, culture, innovation and investment. Its first edition lands five days before Dakar hosts the Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympic event ever staged on African soil.

AFRICA RISE is building the platform where African sport, culture, innovation and investment come together to shape the continent’s future. The New Playbook Summit is its flagship convening: an intimate, credibility-first program that moves from the boardroom to the field over a single weekend — pairing high-level dialogue with a day that opens the conversation up to the city and its young people.

Confirmed forum speakers include Abass Fall, Mayor of Dakar; Abi Ijasanmi, founder of African Sports Investor; Foday Dumbuya, founder and creative director of Labrum London; and photographer Ina Makosi of Makosi Sports, with further names to be announced.

The organisers frame the event around a specific argument: that the constraint on African sport has never been talent, but rather investment and distribution reaching it. AFRICA RISE describes itself as the platform where those conversations turn into partnerships, built for Pan-Africa, backed by the diaspora.

Two Days, One Playbook

Saturday, October 24 — The Summit. At Pullman Dakar Teranga, boardroom conversations, panel discussions and signature “Courtside Conversations” explore sport, culture and capital, culminating in The AFRICA RISE Honours, which celebrate a Trailblazer and a Changemaker in African sport.

Sunday, October 25 — Flag Football Community Day. The Summit opens to the city with a Flag Football Tailgate & Marketplace, youth clinics led by professional athletes, and live performances.

Why Dakar, Why Now

The Summit lands in Dakar as the city prepares to host the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympic event held on African soil. AFRICA RISE is timing its edition to this once-in-a-generation window, positioning Dakar not only as a host city but also as a hub for the businesses, talent and investment being built around African sport.

“Africa is not behind in the development of talent. We are just building differently. The New Playbook Summit is where we connect on those differences and align our pathways to elevate Africa’s sports ecosystem.”

– Hafsatu Kamara OLY, Co-Founder and CMO, AFRICA RISE

About AFRICA RISE

AFRICA RISE is the platform where African sport, culture, innovation and investment come together to shape the continent’s future. Its flagship convening, The New Playbook Summit — “Where Africa’s Next Economy Takes the Field” — brings together leaders, investors, athletes and changemakers to explore how sport is driving investment, innovation and opportunity across the continent.

Media

AFRICA RISE Media Team

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