The 2024 Africa Kidpreneur Summit, organized by Kidpreneur Africa, successfully gathered participants from twelve African countries at the Royal Aria Event Centre in Gaborone, Botswana, from August 14th to 16th.

The event, themed “Maximizing the Potential of Next Generation Entrepreneurs and Leaders,” aimed at inspiring and developing young African entrepreneurs.

Juliet Obi, Founder of Kidpreneur Africa and convener of the summit, opened the event with remarks about its objectives.

She stated, “The event aimed at promoting financial literacy, entrepreneurship in the technology-driven age, looking at the impact on children’s development and human capacity.”

Reflecting on the summit history, Obi mentioned, “It’s hard to believe it has been a year since the hugely successful AFRICA KIDPRENEUR SUMMIT of 2023, a Pan African Summit. In 2023, we partnered with organizations across Africa and held events physically after the inaugural virtual summit in 2022.”

Obi further emphasized the summit’s theme: “This year’s summit with the theme of this year’s event: ‘Maximizing the potentials of Next Generation Entrepreneurs and Leaders’.”

She added, “Globally, 600 million jobs need to be created to solve global unemployment needs over the next 15 years. National strategies and development paradigms often advocate for youth entrepreneurship to meet this growing need.”

Day one of the summit began with welcome remarks from Tshepo Thaba, Founder of Finance Kids, and an opening speech by Juliet Obi.

The first panel session focused on creating an enabling ecosystem for future African entrepreneurs and leaders, featuring notable speakers such as Ronnie Phuthego, Director of Economic Inclusion at the Ministry of Entrepreneurship.

Day two of the summit highlighted by individual pitch contest session, created opportunities for young entrepreneurs to present their ideas.

Panelists included industry leaders such as Will Jonas, CEO of STRIDE, and Tamar Muchieuta, CEO of Tamar Fragrance.

The last day of the event concluded with the “Go Green Africa” Sustainability Walk, part of the summit initiative to educate and empower young Africans with environmental knowledge and skills.

This initiative aimed to create awareness and inspire the next generation of environmentally conscious citizens.

The gala award ceremony featured opening remarks by Mr. Brighton Litula, Zambia High Commissioner, with awards presented by Mrs. Anthonia Moka from the Nigeria High Commission. The event recognized Kidpreneur ambassadors from various countries for achievements in creative arts, tech, and green business.

Juliet Obi expressed gratitude to sponsors such as the Ministry of Entrepreneurship Botswana, Access Bank Botswana, and others for their support.

She also acknowledged partners, including FinanceKids and the Centre for Economic and Entrepreneurship Development, for their contributions.

Obi stressed the importance of empowering future leaders, “Today’s youth are uniquely equipped with a ‘DNA’ for success; therefore, educators, financial institutions, NGOs, policymakers, government, and investors need to support the movement towards youth entrepreneurship.”

The Africa Kidpreneur Summit, Africa’s largest gathering of young innovators and stakeholders in the kids’ industry, aimed to inspire and equip African youth to be proactive leaders and entrepreneurs, aligning with Kidpreneur Africa’s mission to raise the next generation of African entrepreneurs. Participants included kidpreneurs, aspiring young entrepreneurs, parents, educators, policymakers, and organizations focused on solutions and products for children.