Livingstone, Zambia – More than 400 supply chain leaders, policymakers, executives, and professionals will converge in Livingstone, Zambia, from 23 to 25 September 2026 at the 2026 African Supply Chain Confederation (ASCON) Conference, for which registrations are now open.
Under the theme “Africa Rising: Converting Strength into Global Supply Chain Impact,” delegates will engage with more than 40 industry speakers and specialists addressing three key sub-themes: Industrialisation and Transformation, Technology and Innovation, and Breaking Trade Barriers, with particular attention given to opportunities emerging through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.
“Africa has all the ingredients needed to become a globally competitive supply chain powerhouse, especially when there is stronger collaboration between industry, policymakers and professional bodies to unlock that potential,” says ASCON Secretary General John Karani
Karani adds that the 2026 ASCON Conference “is about turning conversation into action, creating partnerships that accelerate trade, strengthen regional value chains and position Africa as a key player in global commerce”
Confirmed speakers include Professor Douglas Boateng, Africa’s first Professor Extraordinaire in Supply and Value Chain Management, alongside ASCON President Ronald Mlalazi, Karani, and ASCON Advisory Board Chairperson Dr Simon Annan.
They will be joined by:
- Professor Douglas Boateng, Africa’s first Professor Extraordinaire in Supply and Value Chain Management, alongside ASCON President
- Ronald Mlalazi, ASCON President
- John Karani, ASCON Secretary General
- Dr Simon Annan, ASCON Advisory Board Chairperson
- Dr Clever Ruswa, Chief Executive Officer of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe;
- Mark Pritchard, Managing Director, MAP Consultants Cote d’Ivoire and ASCON Francophone Africa Champion and Pan-African Trade Lead
- Dr Levi Kabagame, IPPU, Uganda Chairperson and ASCON Vice President for Eastern Africa;
- Dr Michael Muzanswikwa, President of the Procurement Professionals Council of Zimbabwe and ASCON Vice President for Southern Africa
- Dr Daniel Kabambe, President of the Zambia Institute of Purchasing and Supply and ZIPS President
- Dr Madu Obiora, ASCON Education and Training Committee Member and Nigeria representative;
- Fred Baza, Chairman of the Institute of Procurement Professionals Rwanda;
- Richard Migambi, Chief Executive Officer of Evolve Limited and digital reforms implementation expert;
- Thandy Pino, Chairperson of Lesotho Public Procurement; and
- Vusumutiwendvodza Matsebula, Chief Executive Officer of the Eswatini Public Procurement Regulatory Authority.
Additional speakers from across the supply chain, marketing, trade, public procurement and technology sectors will be announced in the coming months.
Hosted in partnership with the Zambia Institute of Purchasing and Supply, the conference marks ASCON’s first continental assembly and brings together a confederation that now spans 11-member body countries, including Eswatini, Ghana, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Rwanda, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Kenya.
The 2026 ASCON Conference also coincides with the tri-convergence of the African Commerce Convergence Summit (ACCS), a collaborative platform that brings together three critical sectors of Africa’s economy: Supply Chain, Marketing, and ICT.
Through the partnership between ASCON, the African Marketing Confederation (AMC), and the Technology Information Confederation Africa (TICON Africa), ACCS aims to strengthen cooperation around trade, digital transformation, skills development, and continental growth.
Delegates can register through https://bookings.accsummit.org/register, where they can book conference packages, accommodation at ASCON’s partner hotel, Radisson Blu at the Mosi-oa-Tunya Resort, and discounted travel options.
