The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) (www.AWIEForum.org) has announced the theme for its prestigious annual conference taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), Cape Town, South Africa, from 30 to 31 October 2025.

As a leading pan-African organisation driving women’s entrepreneurship and innovation, AWIEF continues to provide a powerful platform to promote inclusive economic growth and gender equity across the continent.

AWIEF2025 is the 11^th edition of the annual conference, a highly anticipated two-day event, an international platform and gathering of a wide range of stakeholders from the African and global entrepreneurship ecosystem, to engage in impactful dialogue and work together on bold, gender-inclusive and forward-thinking solutions for a thriving business landscape for women in Africa.

The conference theme this year is “Breaking the Barriers: Now More Than Ever”.

Despite notable progress in women's empowerment, today, we are witnessing not just a stagnation but, alarmingly, an active backlash against gender equality and women’s rights. This regression threatens to reverse hard-won gains and underscores the need for urgent, collective action

The theme of AWIEF2025 is both a call to action and a statement of urgency. It reflects the growing recognition that, in a world marked by political instability, economic uncertainty, technological disruption, and persistent inequality, we cannot afford to remain complacent. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently emphasized, “We are witnessing an aggressive backlash against gender equality – threatening hard-won progress… We must push back against this pushback.”

In the lead-up to 2030, "Now more than ever," we must renew our commitment to gender equity and ensure that no woman is left behind in Africa’s development journey.

Following the resounding success of AWIEF2024, which brought together over 1,000 attendees from over 50 countries, including 42 African nations, the upcoming AWIEF2025 promises even greater impact and engagement.

AWIEF2025 will once again convene a vibrant community of entrepreneurs, corporate executives, investors, policymakers, development institutions, academia, media, and civil society to foster collaboration, drive transformative change, and scale women-led innovation and enterprise.

Delegate registration is now open.

Exhibition stand bookings are also open, offering a prime opportunity for businesses, startups, and organisations to showcase their products, services, solutions, and innovations to a pan-African and global audience.

Join AWIEF in Cape Town and be part of Africa’s most empowering platform for advancing women in business and innovation.

Visit www.AWIEForum.org to register and to secure your place. Contact: info@awieforum.org