The Sankalp Africa Summit 2023, one of Africa’s largest convenings on impact entrepreneurship and sustainable development, took place on March 1st and 2nd in Nairobi, Kenya. The event, celebrating its 10th edition, brought together over 1,500 stakeholders from across the development sector ecosystem, including entrepreneurs, investors, foundations, multilateral agencies, donors, corporates, government and civil society.
The summit focused on the role of impact-driven investment in addressing the continent’s most pressing challenges such as climate change, poverty and inequality. It also showcased some of the most innovative and scalable solutions that are creating positive social and environmental impact in Africa.
One of the highlights of the summit was the Sankalp Awards ceremony which recognized six outstanding enterprises from different sectors for their contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The winner of the agriculture sector was Hearty Engineering PLC from Ethiopia, an agritech startup that provides an intelligent and IoT-supported device that helps monitor and treat livestock’s health. The device uses tags and apps to track vital signs and offer medical care for farmers. The startup aims to reach more countries with its innovative solution that can improve animal welfare and productivity.
Another key takeaway from the summit was the importance of learning and networking among like-minded attendees who came from all over the globe. The summit provided a platform for sharing best practices, insights and opportunities for collaboration among various actors in the impact space. Many participants expressed their appreciation for being part of such a diverse and vibrant community that is committed to making a difference in Africa.
The summit also emphasized the need for enterprises to focus on creating impact rather than just jobs. This means aligning their business models with social, economic and environmental goals that can benefit their customers, employees and communities. The summit also encouraged entrepreneurs to leverage their own areas of expertise to find opportunities for renewable energy solutions that can benefit different industries.
The Sankalp Africa Summit 2023 was supported by several key partners who share its vision of fostering a more inclusive and sustainable future for Africa. One of them is Visa Foundation which announced a partnership with Sankalp Forum to uplift women entrepreneurs across Sub-Saharan Africa through capacity-building programs. Through its Equitable Access Initiative launched in October 2020 as a $200 million commitment over five years aimed at supporting small businesses globally focusing on fostering women’s economic advancement as well as inclusive growth for micro businesses, Visa Foundation has committed $162 Million to 60 grantees and investees in over 60 countries as of January 2023 [and has supported 3.4 million small businesses worldwide]Visa Foundation, including in Africa Visa Foundation.
Other partners included Intellecap Advisory Services Pvt Ltd., Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC), Kenya Association Of Manufacturers (KAM), Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), Kenya National Chamber Of Commerce And Industry (KNCCI), East African Chamber Of Commerce Industry And Agriculture (EACCIA), African Business Magazine among others.
The Sankalp Africa Summit 2023 was a successful event that celebrated a decade of impact entrepreneurship and sustainable development in Africa. It also set the stage for more collaboration and innovation in the future to address some of the continent’s most urgent needs.
