Wharton Africa Business Forum 25

Philadelphia, PA

November 3 - 5, 2017

Register Now!

25 Years of WABF

Welcome!

Since the inaugural Wharton Africa Business Forum  (WABF), we have welcomed thought leaders, dignitaries, CEOs, captains of industry and young professionals from around the world to contemplate career leadership and champion Africa as a business destination. In this historic 25th Anniversary year, we are honored to be able to continue in this tradition.

This year we have selected the theme “Continental Conversations: Choices for a New Africa” to facilitate dialogue about the complexity of investment and managerial decision-making by leaders in the midst of uncertainty, yet at the cusp of an unprecedented age of information, urbanization, technological connectivity, and its promises.  WABF25 hopes to distill the influences that have driven change in the past and that will drive change in the future.

Our goals for the 25th Forum are simple but bold: to provide unparalleled insights into the opportunities and challenges of operating in Africa; to connect young professionals with leaders in Africa’s public, private and social sectors; and to inspire educated talent in the Diaspora to get involved in the development of the continent.

We look forward to hosting you this November in Philadelphia.

Sincerely,

Your WABF25 Leadership Team

550+
attendees

from around the world

5
Keynotes

by global trailblazers

15
Breakout Panels and Master Classes

across industries and disciplines

50
hours

of an unforgettable weekend

Distinguished Keynote Speakers

See all speakers

Entertainment

Location

Venue

3 brilliant backdrops for meaningful dialogue and strong connections. WABF25 will be hosted at the adjacent Loews and Marriott hotels in downtown Philadelphia, and capped with a farewell brunch on the Spirit of Philadelphia.

Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Ruby Sponsors
Corporate Partners
Event Partners
Travel Partners
Career Fair Participants
Become a sponsor

Latest News

Twitter Q&A with Prof. Calestous Juma

As we approach the 25th annual Wharton Africa Business Forum, the WABF team is honored to be joined by Professor Calestous Juma of Harvard University for a live, interactive Twitter Q&A event at 1:30pm Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 1st!

The theme of WABF this year is “Continental Conversations: Choices for a New Africa.” In his celebrated career, Professor Juma has written extensively about key choices for Africa and his native Kenya in the fields of science, technology, and development. He has explored these topics in numerous journal articles and in books such as The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa (Oxford University Press, 2015) and Innovation and its Enemies: Why People Resist New Technologies (Oxford University Press, 2016). He is also working on an upcoming book on regional economic integration in Africa.

In this session, participants will be able to ask Professor Juma questions on choices for Africa relating to his fields of study by using the hashtag #JumaWABF at his Twitter account of @calestous. Participants may also email Steve Rizoli, Professor Juma’s student and a WABF organizer, to send questions in advance of the session will bed addressed at the beginning of the interactive event steven_rizoli@student.hks.harvard.edu.

Tickets are still available for the historic 25th WABF conference (November 3rd to 5th in Philadelphia) at wabf2017.whartonafrica.com. We hope to see you there!

Amtrak Partnership

Amtrak offers a 10% discount off the best available rail fare to Philadelphia, PA between October 31, 2017 – November 8, 2018. To book your reservation call Amtrak at 1 (800) 872-7245 or contact your local travel agent.

This ticket cannot be booked via Internet. Please be sure to refer to Convention Fare Code when making your reservation. Simply send an email to wabf-info@wharton.upenn.edu after purchasing your WABF ticket to obtain the Convention Fare code. This offer is not valid on the Auto Train and Acela Service. Fare is valid on Amtrak Regional for all departures seven days a week, except for holiday blackouts. Offer valid with Sleepers, Business Class or First Class seats with payment of the full applicable accommodation charges.

Ticket Options

Regular Registration