This year’s Salzburg Global Weekend brought leaders from across the African continent together with Salzburg Global Board Directors, staff members, and friends
The historic halls of Schloss Leopoldskron looked a bit different during this year’s annual Salzburg Global Weekend - spaces were filled with paintings, photographs, and sculptures from several African artists, while the air was filled with powerful voices and bold visions of leaders, intellectuals, and young people from across the African continent and diaspora.
Over a dynamic weekend of dialogue, vision, and reflection focused on our annual spotlight of “Centering Africa,” attendees sought to reimagine Africa’s place in the global order and reposition the continent as a driving force in shaping the 21st century.
The robust discussions, exhibitions, and performances throughout the weekend showcased how African voices can be placed at the center of breakthrough conversations.
“This weekend has been a major celebration of the recognition that Africa, as the cradle of humanity, is the only continent that has all the resources needed to help humanity navigate the 21st century,” said veteran South African anti-apartheid activist, leader, and thinker, Dr. Mamphela Ramphele, “You can’t do it without Africa.”
Over three days, the diverse gathering of changemakers, artists, scholars, and youth delegates engaged in spirited dialogue with Salzburg Global Board Directors, staff members, and friends: They emphasized the continent’s rich cultural heritage, vast resources, and immense human capital, and also challenged entrenched narratives. With a clear-eyed view of structural hurdles, they considered how to construct new frameworks of global cooperation, rooted in mutual respect, justice, and African agency.
The message was clear: Africa must move beyond dependency toward self-determined, sustainable development. This includes investing in digital and green economies, centering Indigenous knowledge in climate action, and forging strategic alliances that reflect Africa’s role as a global leader, not a peripheral player. The gathering became both a moment of reckoning and a space for hope, setting a course for a future defined by African agency, creativity, and leadership.
Continuing the conversations that began during Salzburg Global’s Africa Forum in April, the event highlighted Africa’s immense cultural, ecological, and intellectual wealth. Attendees urged a need to tap into that wealth and maximize the continent’s potential through equitable partnerships and inclusive leadership.
A meaningful partnership between Salzburg Global and the African Wildlife Foundation made the weekend possible. “When a 63-year-old African institution partners with a 77-year-old global forum, we are doing more than exchanging ideas; we are disrupting outdated models of engagement,” said Kaddu Sebunya, CEO of the African Wildlife Foundation, “These conversations matter because they signal a necessary reset, where Africa is not peripheral, but central.”
Discussions did not shy away from hard truths, with salon conversations that were marked by honesty, urgency, and vision. Participants confronted enduring legacies of colonialism, inequitable global systems, and outdated models of governance, emphasizing the need for a new kind of leadership: one that is values-driven, inclusive, and rooted in justice.
Song and dance characterize the richness of the Africa spirit, and several musical performances by the drumming group “SoriNaTu”, Zimbabwean performers “Insingizi”, and an impromptu act by Grammy-nominated Ghanaian musician and activist Rocky Dawuni punctuated the weekend beautifully.
“This weekend was a great opportunity to bring diverse minds to articulate the African narrative”, said Rocky, “At a time when the world’s gaze is turning on Africa, there was enough representation across sectors to really represent authentic African voices.”
On the final day of the weekend, Salzburg Global welcomed over 1,000 guests to Schloss Leopoldskron for an Open House, which offered a full day of inspiring talks, interactive activities, and live entertainment, providing visitors with an insight into the work that Salzburg Global does to open up a world of better possibilities.
"At Salzburg Global, we’re committed to creating space for new possibilities to emerge,” said Salzburg Global President and CEO Martin Weiss. “By placing African perspectives at the heart of this year’s Salzburg Global Weekend, we brought that mission to life - showcasing the continent’s creative talent, vibrant spirit, visionary leadership, and bold, homegrown solutions shaping its future. As our annual spotlight continues, we will keep centering Africa and recognizing the contributions of Africans to our shared global future.”
This year's Salzburg Global Weekend is part of our Annual Spotlight: “Centering Africa." Across our sessions and events in 2025, Salzburg Global is highlighting the central role that the African continent will play in global development now and in the next decades. As demographic trends across much of the world project a future of older and less productive economies, the African continent stands out for its growing youth population, dynamism and innovation. In reimagining an international system that better responds to the needs of the 21st century, it is our hope that Salzburg Global can play a small but meaningful role in centering African ideas, innovations, and perspectives in global forums like ours.
