The Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance at the University of Cape Town (UCT) convened from 30 September to 1 October 2026 on "Envisioning Africa's Futures: Governance, leadership and South-South partnerships". It brought together continental academics, policymakers, researchers, practitioners and students to engage in critical conversations about the continent's future.
The objectives were to develop a more critical and comprehensive understanding of governance and leadership in Africa, deepen reflection on the nature of the African state and the demands placed on it in the current context. It also explored how this knowledge can inform concrete action in support of the continent's development agenda. It aimed to strengthen South-South relations in pursuit of shared goals, examine how questions of identity and belonging shape, and are shaped by, governance and leadership, and explore their implications for South-South solidarity. Ultimately, the conference challenged participants to rethink established assumptions and contribute to a collaborative agenda for research, education and practice.
The conference created an important space and time for reflection, dialogue and collaboration on the challenges and opportunities facing the continent.
A conversation on Africa's future
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The dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Professor Suki Goodman, emphasised the importance of universities as spaces for critical inquiry and future-oriented thinking in her opening remarks.
"Universities are not simply places where knowledge is produced and stored. At their best, they are places where we interrogate the world we have inherited, imagine the world we want and create the intellectual and human capacity to move between the two," said Professor Goodman.
The keynote address was delivered by Professor Carlos Lopes, whose presentation, "Africa's next chapter: Leadership, agency and the politics of transformation", was framed by three central questions. He invited participants to consider where Africa stands in a changing geopolitical order, where value will be created and captured in the future global economy and how leaders earn the authority needed to make difficult choices.
Reflecting on the opportunities and constraints facing Africa, Professor Lopes highlighted the importance of agency, arguing that leadership must extend beyond responding to external forces to actively shaping rules, building capabilities and creating value.
His address set the tone for discussions that examined both the internal and external dimensions of development, governance and economic transformation.
Reimagining the African state
The first panel, "African State: Current nature and what are we trying to build?", explored the kind of state required to meet contemporary challenges and respond to citizens' aspirations. It asked the question: What would a "fit-for-purpose" African state look like, and for whom should it work?
Panellists reflected on governance models, state capability, democratic accountability and developmental pathways, considering how institutions can become both more effective and responsive.
There was consensus that a "fit-for-purpose" state should combine democratic legitimacy, developmental capability, social accountability and measurable impact. The central challenge is to transform inherited extractive and weakly accountable institutions into systems that can secure citizens, build productive capacity, include marginalised groups, learn and implement effectively, and operate through stronger national and regional social contracts. The second panel, "Leadership and governance: What should we put in place?", focused on the systems, institutions and reforms needed to strengthen governance across the continent. Speakers examined how leadership should be understood not simply as individual action, but as a relational practice embedded within institutions and accountable governance systems.
The discussion underscored the need for stronger accountable stewardship; rebuilding organised political and associational life in an age of fragmentation and digitalisation; interrogating the widening gap between volatile societies and their institutions, at both national and global level.
Addressing the often-cited gap between academic research and practical implementation, the third panel "Disrupting the knowledge-action disconnect: Shaping activist research and education", explored how research, education and civic engagement can contribute more effectively to social and policy change. Panellists reflected on the role of activist scholarship and knowledge production in addressing societal challenges, while examining how stronger connections between universities, policymakers, civil society and communities can improve development outcomes. The central message was that the knowledge-action disconnect is not simply a failure to communicate research or train more leaders. It is produced by power, incentives, institutional design, accountability relationships and the conditions in which leaders are expected to act.
Belonging, security and prosperity
The plenary discussion on "Belonging, insecurity and the future of Africa's prosperity" invited delegates to reflect on the social foundations necessary for sustainable development. Discussions explored the intersections between identity, social cohesion, governance and security, highlighting the importance of building inclusive societies where citizens feel connected to public institutions and national development projects.
Strengthening South-South collaboration
A significant milestone of the conference was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance and Nanjing University.
The agreement formalises collaboration in research, teaching and academic exchange, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing knowledge production and strengthening South-South engagement. The partnership seeks to support collaborative approaches to addressing pressing development challenges while fostering deeper academic cooperation between Africa and China.
Advancing discussions on development and industrialisation
Building on the first day's focus on governance, leadership and state capability, the second day turned attention to Regional Integration and South-South partnerships for development, examining their implications for state-building, green industrialisation and critical minerals.
The first panel considered green industrialisation and regional integration, arguing that regional integration should be viewed not only as a trade-liberalisation project but also as a developmental strategy. Speakers raised the need for regional integration to extend significantly beyond conventional trade agreements. It is imperative for Africa to understand how questions of regional integration, industrialisation and development are being affected by changes in the wider global economy inclusive of the disruption to the global climate agenda. Africa needs to pursue an industrial strategy capable of responding to a range of developmental and structural challenges affecting the continent, the speakers said.
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The second panel focused on critical minerals, exploring policy debates, on-the-ground realities and their implications for state-building and international partnerships. Panellists argued that Africa's critical-mineral endowment is a potential source of leverage, not a guarantee of development - it will not solve our problems. The decisive issue is whether African states and regional institutions can build the capabilities, coordination, finance, infrastructure, skills, accountability and local enterprise needed to convert minerals into sustained industrial development and if states can avoid the continued reproduction of extractive development models.
The importance of carrying conversations beyond conference venue
Closing the conference, Professor Cheryl Hendricks, the director of the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, reflected on the importance of carrying the conversations beyond the conference venue and into collaborative action.
Professor Hendricks called for a renewed agenda that strengthens research, education and practice while broadening participation in agenda-setting processes. This includes rebuilding social cohesion, strengthening civic and policy implementation spaces, and ensuring that Africa enters global and South-South partnerships with a clearer sense of its own priorities and aspirations. She posed specific questions for the plenary to consider: What would a progressive development research programme consist of? How should we organise schools of governance, research institutes, government and intergovernmental departments to achieve greater impact? And what are some of the course offerings that become important given our conversations?
