AFRICA JOB CREATION SUMMIT2026
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | November – December
Pathways to Decent Jobs for Africa’s Youth—Accelerating Entrepreneurship, Wage Employment, Labour Mobility, Digital Inclusion and Financial Inclusion through Public–Private Partnership.
Shaping Africa's Economic Future
The Africa Job Creation Summit brings governments, continental institutions, employers, investors, development partners, young people, women entrepreneurs and MSMEs together to design, finance, implement and measure practical pathways to decent work and inclusive growth.
The Summit is more than an annual event. It is the accountability and partnership moment of a year-round implementation programme. Participating countries and partners develop job-creation initiatives, mobilise investment, support enterprises, strengthen employment systems and report measurable progress at the annual Summit.
Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s fastest-growing working-age population. Approximately 10–12 million young people enter the labour market each year, while only about 3 million formal wage jobs are currently created. By 2050, the region’s working-age population is expected to increase by about 740 million. At the same time, more than four in five jobs remain informal. The challenge is not only to create more work, but to improve productivity, earnings, security and access to opportunity.
Young people enter the labour market annually
Formal wage jobs created annually
Increase in working-age population by 2050
More than four in five jobs are informal
Why Attend
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TicketING
event agenda
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Day 1 — Policy, Systems and Africa’s Jobs Compact
- Opening Ceremony and Leaders’ Call to Action
- Africa’s Jobs Outlook: Demography, Productivity and Decent Work
- From Social Protection to Economic Participation
- Digital Public Infrastructure for Jobs and Inclusion
- Ministerial Roundtable: Country Job-Creation Priorities
- Launch of Country Action Compact Clinics
- Opening of the SME and Innovation Exhibition
- Opening Ceremony and Leaders’ Call to Action Africa’s Jobs Outlook: Demography, Productivity and Decent Work From Social Protection to Economic Participation Digital Public Infrastructure for Jobs and Inclusion Ministerial Roundtable: Country Job-Creation Priorities Launch of Country Action Compact Clinics Opening of the SME and Innovation Exhibition
Day 2 — Finance, Skills and Enterprise Delivery
- Skills for Wage Employment and Employer Demand
- Migration and Skills Partnerships for Safe Labour Mobility
- Financing MSMEs, Women and Youth at Scale
- AfCFTA Market Access, Digital Trade and Regional Value Chains
- Investment Roundtables and Project Matchmaking
- Country and Enterprise Showcases
- Youth and Women Innovation Labs
- Formal launch of public-private commitments under the Africa Strategic Investment Alliance, targeting agricultural value chain financing.
Day 3 — Commitments, Measurement and Scale
- Jobs Measurement and Continental Reporting Framework
- Country Action Compact Presentations
- Partner and Investment Announcements
- Pilot Scale-Up Agreements
- Adoption of the Addis Ababa Declaration 2026
- Closing Commitments and Next Implementation Cycle
- Policy recommendations aligned with the CAADP Kampala Declaration and AfCFTA protocols on women and youth in trade.
- Networking Area
Monitoring System
- Digital dashboard for tracking job creation across AU Member States, with special focus on agricultural employment metrics.
Strategic Partnerships
- Strengthened alliances among SMEs, innovation hubs, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), financial institutions, and farmer organizations.
2026 priority tracks
Social Protection and Economic Inclusion
Skills, Wage Employment and Labour Mobility
Investment for Job-Creating Value Chains
Digital Systems for Jobs
Entrepreneurship, MSMEs and Market Access
Measurement, Accountability and Scale
PROMOTED BY
IN COLLABORATION WITH
The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Who should participate
- Heads of State and Government
- Ministers and public institutions
- The African Union Commission
- AfCFTA institutions
- Regional Economic Communities
- Development finance institutions
- Multilateral and bilateral partners
- Banks and investors
- Employers and business associations
- MSMEs and start-ups
- Youth and women entrepreneurs
- Organisations of persons with disabilities
- Academia
- Civil society
- Media
- Diaspora networks
Anticipated Gains
- Adoption of the Addis Ababa Declaration 2026.
- Country Action Compacts for participating governments and delivery partners.
- A prioritised investment and partnership pipeline.
- Scale-up agreements for national digital, financial inclusion, enterprise and employment pilots.
- An agreed jobs measurement and reporting framework.
- Commitments to strengthen labour-market information, social protection and employment-service interoperability.
- New partnerships supporting youth, women, MSMEs and persons with disabilities.
What the 2026 Summit is designed to deliver
- The Addis Ababa Declaration 2026, building on the 2025 Adwa Declaration.
- Country Action Compacts with priorities, delivery partners, financing needs, owners and timelines.
- A bankable pipeline of MSME, value-chain, digital inclusion and employment programmes.
- Commitments to strengthen interoperable labour-market and social-protection delivery systems.
- Partnerships to scale national pilots and the AeTrade Integrated Ecosystem.
- A practical jobs results framework and annual progress dashboard.
Implementation platforms
The Summit connects policy commitments to practical implementation through country programmes and partner platforms. These include the Africa Strategic Investment Alliance for investment mobilisation and aggregation; Sokokuu for market access and digital trade; AeLearning for enterprise and workforce skills; AeTrust for digital financial services; AeLogistics for trade enablement; and national employment and labour-market systems.
Africa’s jobs challenge cannot be solved by one institution or one annual meeting. It requires coordinated policy, investment, technology, enterprise growth and accountability. Join the Africa Job Creation Summit 2026 and help move from declarations to measurable jobs.
Registration & Contact Information
Registration
Don’t miss the opportunity to contribute to discussions shaping Africa’s agricultural future and job creation efforts.
Register today to be part of this transformative dialogue.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Africa Job Creation Summit 2026 is planned for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in November–December 2026. Exact dates and venue will be announced after formal confirmation.
The Summit is intended for governments, continental and regional institutions, development partners, investors, employers, MSMEs, entrepreneurs, youth and women networks, organisations of persons with disabilities, academia, civil society and media.
Submit a partnership expression of interest describing your institution, priority countries or sectors, proposed contribution and the outcomes you would like to support.
Yes. A dedicated exhibition will showcase export-ready products, employment solutions, digital platforms and innovations. Applications will be reviewed against published eligibility criteria.
The Summit is a partnership and investment-mobilisation platform. Financing decisions will be made by participating funds, banks, investors and programme partners under their own eligibility, due-diligence and approval processes.
The Summit will promote a transparent results framework defining direct and indirect jobs, enterprise outcomes, inclusion indicators, investment mobilisation and verification methods.
Subscribe to Summit updates and follow the official news and media page for dates, registration, programme announcements and partner opportunities.
Contact & Social Media
Organizers
- Promoted By – AeTrade Group
- In Collaboration With – African Union & World Bank
- Hosted By – The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
- info@aetradegroup.com
- (+250) 790 139 188
- 08.00 A.M. - 16.00 P.M.