United Nations General Assembly: My Key Takeaways

I recently travelled to New York to attend the prestigious Summit of the Future. The summit brought together global leaders to address critical issues such as climate change, poverty, inequality, and health crises, with the primary focus of accelerating progress towards the17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

As the chair of Africa Forward’s Social Innovators Entrepreneurs committee, I represented Africa’s social entrepreneurship sector at several significant events, including the United Nations General Assembly and the World Economic Forum on SDG. Africa Forward, a network of over 800 members from 29 African countries, advocates for the recognition of social entrepreneurs, who operate in the space between traditional businesses and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

A key focus of my work is addressing the regulatory challenge facing social entrepreneurs. Despite the sector's growth, there is still no legal framework to define our work. Africa Forward is lobbying for the adoption of a ‘solidarity economy’ policy, which would provide the regulatory recognition and support that social entrepreneurs across the continent need.

One of the major highlights of my visit was my interaction with potential funders. I urged them to support *Africa Forward’s policy advocacy efforts, stressing that policy change demands resources, and we need investment to continue mobilising social innovators and pushing for the legal recognition of social entrepreneurship.

As I continue my endeavours on the global stage, I am building momentum for Africa’s social impact initiatives. I engaged with Brazilian delegate, who are preparing to hand over a social impact legacy project to South Africa for the next G20 summit, which our country will be hosting in 2024. This alignment with President Ramaphosa’s focus on solidarity, equality, and social development presents a promising opportunity for Africa Forward’s mission.

A major takeaway from my visit was the global interest in African solutions. This time, I wasn’t just listening - I was part of the conversation. The world is eager to learn about the solutions we’re implementing. Africa is set for immense growth, with projections indicating that our continent will be home to 2.5 billion people in the next 25 years.

Africa’s youthful population is driving expansion across various sectors such as fashion, music, and art, with African brands like Maxhosa and music genres like Amapiano making a global impact. Africa’s time is now! The continent has immense potential to lead on the global stage.

My trip to New York has only strengthened my commitment, alongside the Africa Forward team, to mobilise resources, advocate for policy change, and support the growth of social entrepreneurship. The vision for Africa Forward is clear: to ensure that social entrepreneurship becomes a catalyst for positive change across the continent.