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2026 East Africa Development Events Calendar

A curated snapshot of major development-related events and forums to look out for in 2026

2026 ISANKALP AFRICA SUMMIT
February 25th– 26th, 2026. Nairobi Kenya

Scheduled for February 25–26, 2026, in Nairobi, Kenya, the Sankalp Africa Summit 2026 positions Africa at the heart of the Global South’s collaboration story. Since 2014, the summit has grown into Africa’s largest convening on entrepreneurship and sustainable development, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, entrepreneur support organizations, and thought leaders from over 50 countries.

This year, under the theme South–South Rising, Sankalp goes beyond Africa, connecting Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and beyond, to explore how shared experiences, solutions, and capital can unlock new pathways for Africa’s entrepreneurs while deepening South–South cooperation.

East African Business & Investment Summit & Expo
February 24th – 25th, 2026. Nairobi Kenya

The East African Business Council (EABC) in partnership with East African Community (EAC) is organizing the East African Business & Investment Summit & Expo 2026 under the theme “Promoting Private Sector Driven Regional Integration for Increased Intra and Extra EAC Trade and Investment”

The East African Business and Investment Summit convenes high-level policy decision-makers and business leaders from the region, continent, and beyond to foster trade and investment ties and chart out the East Africa Economic Agenda.

World Financial Inovations Serics, Awards

March 03. 2026, Nairobi, Kenya

WFIS is a highly focused initiative that carefully cherry-picks key decision-making profiles from Kenya's leading financial institutions that’re actively seeking cutting-edge solutions. It showcases thought leadership and cutting-edge knowledge for the growth of the entire business community. A perfect platform that projects the pulse of the industry

East Africa Science, Technology and Innovation Conference March 4th – 6th, 2026. Kigali Rwanda

East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO) in collaboration with the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), will convene the 4th EAC Regional Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Conference from 4th to 6th March 2026 in Kigali, Rwanda under the theme Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for a Resilient, Inclusive, and Innovative East Africa at Kigali Convention Centre. The Regional Conference shall bring together high-level policymakers, researchers, innovators, private sector leaders, development partners, civil society, and youth from across the region and beyond.

Nairobi Startup Summit & Awards 2026

April 29th –30th in Nairobi, Kenya.

The 4th Annual Nairobi Startup Summit & Awards a premier platform for innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment collaboration. In it's fourth year, the summit brings together startups, SMEs, investors, ecosystem builders, corporates, policymakers, media, and technologists from across the continent and beyond to showcase solutions, unlock capital, and build scalable partnerships.

13th annual East Africa Property Investment Summit,13–14 May 2026, Nairobi Kenya

The 13th Annual EAPI Summit returns to Nairobi at the Radisson Blu, Upper Hill, bringing together over 500 investors, developers, and industry leaders from the real estate and hospitality sectors for two days of deal-making, networking, and market insight across East Africa.

Global Trade Review East Africa, 13-14, May, 2026, Nairobi Kenya

The event convenes stakeholders from across the trade, supply chain, commodity, and infrastructure financing landscape for expert discussion, market insight, and networking. With more than 40 senior speakers and hundreds of decision-makers in attendance, it offers a timely forum to examine the issues shaping trade in East Africa.

AidEx Nairobi conference and exhibition. 3-4 June 2026, Nairobi, Kenya

AidEx Nairobi brings together thought leaders, practitioners, and key stakeholders from the public, private and civil society sectors to redefine humanitarian and development interventions in East Africa.

East Africa UNLOCK - Trade & Treasury Summit, 24th June 2026, Radisson Blue, Upper Hill, Nairobi, Kenyaa

Scaling Trade, Tech and Talent in East Africa. The event aims at empowering businesses in the region with actionable strategies that unlock the next level of growth, bringing the latest technology insights, next-generation financial solutions, and practical tools to help transform your venture in a rapidly evolving global market

SWSD 2026: Uniting Social Workers to Tackle Global Challenges

Harembee, For a sustainable shared future, 26-29, June 2026, Nairobi, Kenya

The Joint Conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development is a biennial global convening that brings together members of social work associations to exchange experiences, examine emerging trends, and share best practices across the profession.

Africa Evidence Summit, 23-24, July, 2026, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) and the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA), in partnership with the Policy Studies Institute (PSI), will co-host the 14th annual Africa Evidence Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This year’s Summit theme is “Powering Policy with Innovative, Inclusive, Transparent Data.”

ITW Africa, 8-10 September, 2026, Radisson Blu, Upper Hill, Nairobi, Kenya

ITW Africa plays a key role in driving infrastructure consolidation, enabling investment and cultivating both regional and global partnerships. The ITW Africa it's a continent’s connectivity event, bringing together senior leaders and decision-makers from across the digital infrastructure value chain. From carriers and data centres to content, cloud, finance, satellite, and vendor communities, the event provides a central platform for dialogue, partnerships, and strategic insight shaping Africa’s connectivity landscape.

Africa PPP & Infrastructure Summit, 6-7, October, 2026, Nairobi Kenya

East Africa is accelerating public–private partnerships across transport, energy, water, and urban development, and this boutique platform offers practical playbooks for structuring bankable deals and ensuring predictable delivery.

Africa Fintech and Banking Summit, 8-9, October, 2026, Nairobi, Kenya

The two-day summit will convene global and regional leaders, innovators, investors, and policymakers to explore emerging trends, share knowledge, and help shape the next decade of Africa’s financial future.

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