After a great conference in Cancún, Mexico, we pass the flag to South Africa—host of ANDE’s 2026 Global Annual Conference in Cape Town.
The ANDE Global Annual Conference 2026 will take place in Cape Town, South Africa, next September. We look ahead to the challenge of delivering on our promise of being the network where business gets done in one of Africa’s most dynamic entrepreneurial cities.
Cape Town stands as South Africa’s leading innovation hub, a top contributor to national GDP, and the most entrepreneurial city in the country. Yet, like many places across the Global South, small and growing businesses face persistent barriers — from financing gaps to high operating costs and regulatory hurdles.
The ANDE Global Annual Conference is our flagship event, uniting leaders from across the entrepreneurial ecosystem to collaborate, share insights, and shape solutions that strengthen small and growing businesses (SGBs) in emerging markets.
Over three dynamic days, participants join plenary discussions, interactive sessions, hands-on workshops, and networking activities, alongside local excursions that highlight regional innovation. It’s a space for ANDE members and partners to reflect on progress, build new partnerships, and co-create strategies to tackle shared challenges in entrepreneurship development.
The conference welcomes practitioners, funders, policymakers, researchers, and ecosystem builders who are committed to advancing inclusive and sustainable economic growth through entrepreneurship. Whether you work directly with entrepreneurs or support them through policy, finance, capacity building, or research, the event offers meaningful opportunities for learning, collaboration, and action.
Each year, the conference rotates across ANDE’s regional hubs—Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Washington, DC—to ensure global representation and relevance. This rotation not only highlights diverse perspectives and local ecosystems but also strengthens our global community by grounding discussions in real-world regional contexts and opportunities.
Built by and for our global community, agendas created for our global conferences reflect the creativity, passion, and bold thinking of ANDE members around the world. Months before the event, we invite our members to submit sessions around a common theme and explore innovative solutions for building entrepreneurial ecosystems in emerging markets.
Participants discussed Mexico’s $1.7B impact investing growth, women as central to energy transitions, and more.
Nobel laureate Esther Duflo and ANDE’s Devin Chesney discussed evidence-driven aid, entrepreneurship, and how to scale what truly works. Read or watch here the interview presented during the ANDE Global Annual Conference in Cancún on September 30.
What Our Members Want to Discuss in 2025—a sneak peek into the curation process for the Global Annual Conference agenda
BUZZEBEES CEO Michael Chen discusses the company's journey from startup to Thailand's leading CRM platform and his vision to connect the digital world.
Spark Talk: DREEM empowers young refugees in Kenya with digital skills and support, transforming online entrepreneurship into a path for sustainable change.
On this Spark Talk, TrustLaw's Emmanuele Marie Parra presents a vital resource for nonprofits: free legal expertise that enhances their operations and amplifies their social missions.
Alicia Okeyo from Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropies navigates the complexities of systemic change, offering actionable insights through the Iceberg Model to reshape and measure impactful entrepreneurship ecosystems. Watch the Spark Talk.
In this Spark Talk, Davis Albohm of Stanford SEED shares original insights on creating lasting support ecosystems.
Mosambi, a platform by the Climate Collective Foundation, addresses data-sharing challenges in the ESO ecosystem, enabling startups to innovate and collaborate efficiently.
Watch this Spark Talk to discover how SaaS solutions are revolutionizing retail SGBs, driving efficiency, impact, and growth in the optical sector to improve lives across emerging markets.
FUNDES CEO Elfid Torres demonstrated in Bangkok how inclusive supply chains can drive economic growth and create shared value for all.
Unlocking Climate Solutions: How SGBs are Leading the Way in Sustainable Construction.
The ANDE Global Conference in Bangkok closed with a vibrant gala, celebrating outstanding contributors, Thai culture, camaraderie, and exciting announcements.
On Wednesday the 12th, sessions delved into how fueling progress through collaboration and innovation is critical for issues such as nutrition, gender empowerment, and systemic change.
Momentous Announcement from the 2024 Global Conference: Next year's global convening will be held in Mexico, marking the third consecutive year in the Global South.