Amid Africa’s growing wave of infrastructure investment and innovation, the Project Management Institute (PMI) is convening the continent’s most influential voices at the Global Summit Series Africa, driving urgent, collective action to redefine how projects deliver impact and value. Hosted at the Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda between 19 to 21 August, the Summit is designed for senior project professionals, C-suite executives, government officials, development partners, and emerging project talent committed to driving transformation across Africa.

As Africa contends with intersecting challenges, from climate change and infrastructure gaps to job creation, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence, there is a critical need to recalibrate how projects are initiated, managed, and delivered across the continent. Project success can no longer be measured solely by timelines or budgets met. In today’s context, success must also be evaluated by how well a project enhances resilience, drives inclusive growth, unlocks sustainable innovation, and creates lasting social value.

“Africa’s project economy remains vibrant yet vulnerable,” says George Asamani, MD, PMI Sub-Saharan Africa. “The African Development Bank estimates the continent needs up to $170 billion annually to close its infrastructure gap, with a financing shortfall of as much as $108 billion. With so much at stake, project management can’t be an afterthought; it’s key to delivery. As countries advance infrastructure, digital, and social programmes, the demand for skilled professionals is more urgent than ever.”

“The Global Summit Series Africa responds to this urgency. This is not just a moment to gather, it’s a moment to grow and guide. It is where knowledge meets practice and where bold voices converge to ask and answer: How can Africa execute differently?”

This year’s lineup showcases the strength of pan-African leadership, from the corridors of government to the frontlines of innovation. These voices are not only driving transformation within their own countries but also offering continental perspectives with global relevance.

A highlight of the Summit will be a special message from Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, who has long championed the role of project execution in unlocking Africa’s prosperity.

This call for purposeful execution resonates across sectors. Senior executives from utilities, banking, education, and telecommunications, as well as influential voices from sports and music, will take the stage to share hard-won insights on building future-fit institutions, creative industries, and systems that deliver lasting impact.

Taking the stage across the three days of the Summit are Armand Nzeyimana, Director of the Development Impact and Results Department, African Development Bank; Sindi Kwenaite, COO of the South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions; Kusobile Kamwambi, Head of the Presidential Delivery Unit, Government of Zambia; and Elie Habimana, MD of Norrsken East Africa, alongside influential cultural voices such as Nigerian-American singer, actor, and entrepreneur Olubankole Wellington (Banky W), and chess champion and Guinness World Record holder Tunde Onakoya.

Joining them are leading project professionals from across the continent, including Nozibele Ntshokontsha, Head of PMO at Rand Water; Nomathemba Dzinyotyiwei, Head of Programme Management in the Chief Analytics Office at ABSA; Deeksha Singh, Head of Vitality PMO at Discovery; Ancicalia Matizha, Group Head PMO at Old Mutual Zimbabwe; and Stanley Iringe-Koko, Senior Manager of IT Projects and Portfolio at MTN Nigeria.

“In Africa, the stakes are high; projects must deliver tangible outcomes, often under complex conditions. That’s why the Summit matters. It brings together professionals who understand our realities and are focused on delivery that works in our context. Having spoken at this Summit before, I’m returning because these conversations are not only relevant, they drive the kind of collaboration and clarity we need to move Africa forward and make Agenda 2063 more than a vision, but a lived reality,” adds Billy Mwape, CIO of FNB Zambia, one of the main speakers.

PMI Chapter Presidents from Ghana, Kenya, Angola, Togo, and Namibia will join PMI Rwanda Chapter President Innocent Kayigamba in contributing to the dialogue. Their participation is a powerful reminder that transformation in Africa is not only top-down but also bottom-up: peer-driven and locally grounded.