As the curtains closed on the 2025 Sustainability & ESG Africa Conference (SEACon) at the Sandton Convention Centre, one message rang loud and clear: Africa is not slowing down on sustainability — it’s redefining it.

With over 575 delegates and 100 speakers from across the continent, SEACon 2025 has firmly established itself as Africa’s largest sustainability gathering. The event brought together business leaders, policymakers, innovators, and investors united by a shared purpose — to drive tangible, actionable change in how sustainability is understood and practised across sectors.

The conference was complemented by several key initiatives, including the Youth Employment Service’s ESG Awards and the Beyond Awards, Africa’s largest sustainability recognition programme. Both platforms celebrated individuals and organisations championing meaningful transformation in ESG. Additionally, the event hosted the third ESG Student Innovation Competition, providing young innovators with an opportunity to showcase their groundbreaking solutions for a more sustainable Africa.

Despite growing global fatigue around sustainability debates, Africa’s momentum has not faltered — it has matured. For African nations, sustainability is not a compliance exercise but a growth strategy, an identity, and a competitive advantage. Unlike in some developed markets where sustainability can be polarising, in Africa, it remains deeply rooted in our social and economic DNA. Our prosperity is inseparable from the health of our people and ecosystems. Africa’s G20 leadership, framed around sustainability and solidarity, underscores a model of inclusive growth that balances profit with purpose and resilience with regeneration.

The two-day programme fostered vibrant dialogue and collaboration through interactive plenaries and breakout sessions that empowered participants from diverse backgrounds — from corporate leaders and policy experts to youth innovators and SMMEs. Delegates described the atmosphere as “energising” and “transformational”, with stories of courage and innovation showcasing how African enterprises are redefining sustainability through creativity, collaboration, and heart.

Across the sessions, a unifying theme emerged — the shift from managing risk to creating value. Industry leaders shared examples of how sustainability is driving business transformation, from cleaner production and market diversification to embedding purpose within company culture. Sustainability has become a cornerstone of smart business strategy, unlocking new opportunities, attracting investment, and building resilience in the face of global uncertainty.

Speakers emphasised that true systems change begins with personal transformation. Leadership in sustainability demands authenticity, ethics, and courage — qualities that define the emerging generation of African leaders. “When sustainability becomes part of a company’s ethos, not an obligation, that’s when real transformation begins,” remarked one CEO during the event.

Collaboration was a defining characteristic of SEACon 2025, highlighting that no single organisation can achieve meaningful change in isolation. The conference demonstrated how partnerships between corporates, SMMEs, governments, academia, and communities are shaping an ecosystem of shared responsibility and innovation.

The 2025 Beyond Awards received over 200 entries from across the continent, celebrating outstanding contributions to sustainable development. Winners included Vodacom (Beyond Large-Scale Organisation Award and Sustainability Report categories), Agrigreat Solitech & Envirocare (Beyond Small-Scale Organisation Award), CareerKit (Beyond Sustainability Project Award), Amanda Blankfield-Koseff (African Trailblazer Award), and African Female Voices (Beyond Communication Strategy Award). These awardees exemplify the spirit of going beyond compliance to build businesses that serve people, planet, and prosperity.

Lastly, SEACon 2025 introduced two dynamic new side events that further deepened engagement and collaboration. On the opening morning, over 35 C-suite executives from leading corporations attended the Leadership Forum, co-organised by the National Business Initiative (NBI), UN Global Compact South Africa, and Shared Value Africa, and sponsorsed by ESKOM. The forum underscored the commitment of senior leaders to embedding sustainability at the heart of corporate strategy and driving meaningful transformation within their organisations.

On the second day, ECO-IQ, in partnership with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), hosted the inaugural SMME Summit. This session equipped small and medium-sized enterprise leaders with practical tools and insights to integrate sustainability and ESG principles into their business operations — reinforcing the message that sustainable growth is achievable at every scale of enterprise.

In the Student Innovation Challenge, Innocent Mandili from the Malawi University of Science and Technology was recognised for his THERMO EL Stove, powered by carbon-neutral briquettes made from waste — a true testament to the circular economy in action.

SEACon 2025 showcased a confident, connected, and conscious African business community that is not merely following global sustainability trends but actively shaping them. Africa’s message to the world is clear: sustainability is not an agenda to be paused or reframed — it is the foundation of leadership, collaboration, and transformation.

Co-founder and director of ESG Africa Events, Joshua Low, captured the spirit of the conference, stating:
“This event is more than a conference — it’s a movement. We’re not just talking about sustainability; we’re living it, building it, and sharing it. Africa’s leaders, innovators, and communities are showing that sustainable growth and resilience are not distant goals — they are happening here, now.”

Wendy Poulton, Co-founder and Director at ESG Africa Events, added:
“SEACon 2025 demonstrated the power of African collaboration in driving the sustainability agenda. The conversations, partnerships, and innovations that emerged here show that Africa is not waiting to be told what’s possible — we’re defining the future on our own terms.”

The Sustainability & ESG Africa Conference & Expo 2026 will return to the Sandton Convention Centre from 7–8 October 2026.