TEHA CEO Dialogue on Southern Africa

For reasons of history, geographical proximity and shared interests, Africa and Europe have deep and extensive ties. Recent economic, political, technological, demographic and climate changes are creating new perspectives and challenges on both continents. There is a need to strengthen dialogue and cooperation between Europe and Africa to pursue common interests and to jointly address the challenges of today's increasingly fragmented and unstable global order. In this sense, economic and trade partnerships and the building of high-level relations between key stakeholders of the two realities are crucial to bring about real change.

The TEHA CEO Dialogue on Southern Africa is TEHA Africa’s flagship event on the continent, taking place in Johannesburg, on November 12-13, 2026.

About the 13th edition

The 2026 edition comes at a pivotal moment for Southern Africa and the entire continent, as Africa continues to gain strategic importance on the global economic stage. The Summit offers approximately 200 CEOs from South Africa, the SADC region, and around the world a place to discuss these changes alongside ministers, economists, investors, and internationally renowned experts. In addition to providing an overview through data and testimonials, it is an opportunity to discover new investment opportunities, interact directly with key decision-makers, and build meaningful relationships within an exclusive pan-African business community.

Building on over a decade of impactful convening, the Summit continues to serve as a dynamic platform for shaping Africa’s economic agenda and unlocking new pathways for collaboration and progress.

Among the key topics

• The African geopolitical, business and investment outlook
• Advancing railways and strategic infrastructure for Southern Africa’s growth
• Artificial intelligence and new technologies for a regional economic growth
• Mining and energy sector: overcoming constraints and unlocking growth
• CEO’s views on African business
• Regional integration and trade in South Africa and SADC  



The Summit in brief

The initiative was established in 2014 by TEHA Group, on the basis of the Italy-South Africa bilateral summit. Its purpose is bringing together top-level business and institutional leaders from both continents to share ideas, build new and strong partnerships, and learn about the enormous economic and political opportunities that exist within Euro-African relations today, with a special focus on SADC. The Summit aims to provide concrete approaches that have a direct impact for business, regarding the EU’s growing attention and commitment towards Sub-Saharan Africa.

In this context, Italy has a leading role in the development of cooperation not only with South Africa, but also with neighboring countries such as Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Thanks to a Think Tank of international experts and authoritative advisors, the Summit addresses issues of primary importance for Europe and Southern Africa, taking into account the geopolitical, economic, and social trends that will influence the future of the two continents. Sectors under analysis include manufacturing, automotive, transport and physical and digital infrastructure, energy, mining, digital payments, pharmaceuticals, and agro-industry.

In 2024, after 10 years, the Summit changed the name from "Southern Africa Europe CEO Dialogue" to TEHA CEO Dialogue on Southern Africa.

TEHA CEO Community | Africa Chapter

Learn more about TEHA's activities in SADC

Created on the sidelines of the Southern Africa Europe CEO Dialogue in 2019, TEHA's CEO Community | Africa Chapter is a regional club of CEOs modeled on the Italian TEHA Club.

The Community, which is reserved for a limited number of CEOs from Europe and SADC, has quarterly meetings where important international guests share their vision of the future of the world economy, and in particular on the African economy, with the participants. Year after year, it has fostered exclusive networking activities, facilitating contacts between companies and building privileged relationships with institutions in SADC countries.

Guests on the programme have included HE Emmerson Mnangagwa (President of Zimbabwe), HE Filipe Nyusi (President of Mozambique), Akinwumi Adesina (President of the African Development Bank), Lesetja Kganyago (Governor of the South African Reserve Bank), Shameel Joosub (CEO of Vodacom), Fani Titi (CEO of Investec), Mark Cutifani (former CEO of Anglo American), Akbar Al Baker (CEO of Qatar Airways), Strive Masiywa (CEO of Econet), Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa (CEO of Naspers South Africa), Cristina Duarte (Special Adviser on Africa to the UN Secretary General) and many other high-profile personalities.



Press corner

“The South Africa-Italy Summit has become the main event for the Italian and South African entrepreneurial leadership to strengthen bilateral economic relations. Building upon this bilateral framework, the Summit has evolved into a pan-European and pan-African platform to create strategic business partnerships at the highest level” (source: CNBC Africa)

For further information, please get in touch with us:

• Pietro Mininni, Chief Executive Officer, TEHA Africa – pietro.mininni@ambrosetti.eu 
• Pascale Yav, Business Developer in South Africa – pascale.yav@ambrosetti.eu – Tel. +27 76 487 8195