We welcomed over 1,000 guests to Schloss Leopoldskron for a day of inspiring talks, interactive activities, and live entertainment themed around our "Centering Africa" spotlight
On June 22, 2025, Salzburg Global welcomed over 1,000 guests to Schloss Leopoldskron for our Open House, which offered a full day of inspiring talks, interactive activities, and live entertainment.
This year’s Salzburg Global Open House was themed around our annual spotlight, “Centering Africa.” Accordingly, the day showcased a vibrant celebration of African innovation, culture, and leadership.
“At Salzburg Global, our mission is to overcome barriers and open up a world of better possibilities,” said President and CEO Martin Weiss. “By centering African perspectives at this year’s Open House, we honored that commitment, while showcasing the impactful leadership and innovative solutions emerging from the continent.”
The Open House brought together leading thinkers, artists, and changemakers from across Africa, highlighting the region’s growing influence and potential for transformation. Participants from more than nine African countries contributed to a full day of programming that included panel discussions, performances, and interactive sessions.
Featured speakers included Rukaiya el-Rufai, Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria; Agnes Binagwaho, former Rwandan Minister of Health; Mbongiseni Buthelezi, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation; and Grammy-nominated Ghanaian artist Rocky Dawuni. Topics ranged from peace and governance to health systems, African leadership, and cultural expression, with events spread across four stages throughout the grounds of Schloss Leopoldskron.
Visitors explored art exhibitions by African artists, sampled African-inspired food from local vendors, enjoyed a signature cocktail in the newly renovated Meierhof Bar, and joined guided tours of Schloss Leopoldskron. The day concluded with a sundowner DJ set hosted by the Red Bull House of Arts. Other key partners for the event included Land Salzburg and Raiffeisen Salzburg.
Kaddu Sebunya, CEO of the African Wildlife Foundation, commented that “centering Africa in Salzburg isn’t about inclusion - it’s about recognition. Recognition that Africa’s ideas, leadership, and innovation are indispensable to solving the world’s most urgent challenges. This Open House made one thing clear: the global future cannot be imagined, let alone built, without Africa at the core.”
Salzburg Global will continue building on these conversations through our “Centering Africa” programming throughout the rest of 2025 and beyond. Through this Open House and other events, we aim to play a small but meaningful role in highlighting and promoting African ideas, innovations, and perspectives from across the continent.
The Salzburg Global Open House 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.
