Set against the stunning backdrop of Gwango Heritage Resort, adjacent to Hwange National Park, a significant dialogue will take place concerning the development of African companies that can effectively operate across borders while maintaining profitability.
The US-based non-profit Enterprise, Leaders and Innovators Society for Africa (Elisa) has confirmed it will convene the 2026 Elisa Business Summit under the theme “Business Beyond Borders.” The working forum returns to Hwange on March 19, positioning itself as a practical marketplace for capital, partnerships and operational clarity at a time when Africa’s trade architecture is shifting from aspiration to implementation.
“Elisa serves as a practical convening platform where commercial relationships are formed and cross-border operating pathways are clarified,” the organisers said in a statement. “The summit brings together Pan-African entrepreneurs, operators and ecosystem leaders focused on building and scaling businesses across African markets.”
From Trade Framework to Trade Flow
The timing is deliberate. As the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) moves from protocol design to phased implementation, African businesses are confronting the hard realities of integration which include fragmented regulation, logistics bottlenecks, currency volatility and uneven enforcement regimes across 54 economies.
While AfCFTA provides the shared framework, Elisa is positioning the Hwange summit as an execution engine.
“It connects founders with investors and institutional partners to unlock execution, market access, and enterprise capability,” the statement reads. The 2026 edition, organisers add, “moves beyond policy rhetoric to address the realities of scaling across African markets from complex regulatory environments and volatile global supply chains to locally responsive pricing and operating models.”
That shift from rhetoric to operations reflects a broader continental trend. Intra-African trade still lags behind other regions as a share of total commerce, yet cross-border fintech, agritech and renewable energy ventures are expanding rapidly. African startups are increasingly regional by design, often piloting in one market before expanding into two or three neighbouring jurisdictions within 24 months. The constraint is no longer vision, it is coordination and capital efficiency.
A Working Forum, Not a Showcase
The summit’s architecture underscores its commercial focus. High-level plenaries sit alongside practical deep-dives, sector roundtables and the Beyond Borders Live Pitch, where founders will present directly to investors. Proceedings conclude with the Enterprise Leaders Dinner, celebrating emerging achievers shaping Africa’s economic future.
Supported by Titan and Catalyst partners, the forum welcomes businesses at every stage, alongside trade bodies, institutions and ecosystem enablers. Discussions will focus squarely on cross-border operations, trade frameworks, leadership and the mechanics of scaling in Africa’s evolving economic environment.
“Those positioning themselves within Africa’s expanding markets should be in this room,” ELISA Business Network the organisers said, emphasising that space is limited.
Strategic Geography
Hwange is a calculated choice. Located roughly two hours from Victoria Falls, the town sits within reach of one of Southern Africa’s busiest tourism corridors while remaining removed from the capital-city echo chambers that often dominate policy debate. By convening in Matabeleland North, Elisa signals an intent to decentralise the entrepreneurship narrative beyond traditional metropolitan hubs.
Zimbabwe itself offers a case study in economic recalibration. Recent regulatory adjustments including reduced business licence fees and the removal of certain local authority charges, reflect a broader regional recognition that small and medium enterprises are central to job creation and export diversification. Across Southern Africa, governments are experimenting with SME financing instruments, blended capital structures and digital compliance platforms to accelerate formalisation and cross-border trade readiness.
A Cross-Section of Africa’s Enterprise Leadership
The speaker roster blends policy, capital and creative leadership. Among those confirmed are poet and cultural advocate Albert Nyathi; Elisabeth Valerio, CEO of ICPD Programs, Joseph Simukoko, Co-Founder & CEO of Green Giraffe, Liz Jones Co-Founder & CEO Amal Consulting, International Broadcaster & Independent Moderator Peter Ndoro, Ratang Dijeng the Global Head of Support Units of the African Federation, Samira Rami, Co-Founder & CEO of Mirabay Orthodontics, Scott May, Executive Director of ICPD Programs, Thobekile Shoko, Thomas Hallin, Chief Visionary Entrepreneurship For Everyone (EFE) and Tinotenda Kambasha Chief Executive Officer of National Venture Fund.
The mix reflects Elisa’s thesis that Africa’s next phase of growth will require storytellers, regulators, venture financiers and operators to align around scalable models that withstand currency shocks, supply chain disruption and geopolitical realignment.
Beyond Borders and Beyond Dependency
For African-led entrepreneurship, the implications are significant. Cross-border scale is no longer optional. With domestic markets in many countries too small to sustain high-growth ventures independently, regional integration offers founders a pathway to revenue diversification and risk mitigation.
At the same time, global capital is becoming more selective. Venture flows into Africa have moderated from their 2021–22 highs, sharpening the focus on profitability, governance and operational resilience. Forums that accelerate deal-making and clarify regulatory pathways can compress expansion timelines and reduce transaction costs critical in capital-constrained environments.
Elisa’s summit is, in effect, a test case for whether African enterprise ecosystems can self-organise around execution rather than advocacy.
In a continent where demographic momentum is matched by entrepreneurial ambition, the question is no longer whether Africa can trade with itself. It is whether its founders can build companies structured for 54 markets from day one.
On March 19 in Hwange, that question will be put to investors, policymakers and entrepreneurs alike not as theory, but as a balance sheet imperative.
Visit https://elisanetwork.com/conference/2026-summit/ to register.
