BLACKWEEK Announces Johannesburg as Host of Inaugural BLACKWEEK Africa — November 2026

BLACKWEEK, the United States–born hybrid economic forum and cultural festival for brands, creators and business leaders, has formally chosen Johannesburg to host the inaugural BLACKWEEK Africa in November 2026. The announcement was made today at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, marking a major expansion of BLACKWEEK’s global footprint and a strategic embrace of Africa as a centre of cultural and commercial influence.

The move signals what organisers describe as the next phase in BLACKWEEK’s evolution from a New York–based cultural moment into a global movement that brings the business of culture to new markets. BLACKWEEK Africa will convene creators, innovators, business leaders and cultural visionaries from across the continent and the diaspora for a program of conversations, exhibitions, performances and immersive experiences designed to connect African talent to international markets.

“Expanding to Africa is more than growth — it is a homecoming,” said Monique Nelson, executive chair of UWG INC. and co-founder of BLACKWEEK. “BLACKWEEK Africa is about connecting the diaspora, building bridges among Black and Brown communities shaping culture on the continent and across the world, and ensuring our collective creativity drives lasting impact globally.”

The Nelson Mandela Foundation framed the partnership in terms of legacy and economic justice. “Madiba understood that justice is lived in people’s economic realities, in their opportunities, and in their ability to participate fully in society. BLACKWEEK is not only an economic forum or cultural festival. It is a space that honours creative power, collective voice, and the agency of communities to shape their own futures. Bringing an African leg to Johannesburg recognises Africa as a global centre of creativity, innovation, and cultural influence,” said Mbongiseni Buthelezi, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

A platform for creators, brands and markets

BLACKWEEK Africa is being hosted by UWG INC., the US-based multicultural advertising agency with decades of experience in cultural storytelling and a footprint that includes Canada and Africa. The agency will act as local host and strategic partner for the Johannesburg program.

The inaugural African edition will combine elements that have defined BLACKWEEK’s New York events — multi-stage conversations, curated exhibitions and DEBUT@BLACKWEEK (a showcase for emerging film, music and art talent) — while creating bespoke activations relevant to African markets and diasporic connections. The event aims to give African creators commercial pathways and international exposure, while offering brands practical insight into culture-driven growth.

Since launching in 2024, BLACKWEEK has rapidly scaled into a platform that draws thousands to New York each year. The annual gathering has featured more than 150 speakers and past participants have included cultural and media figures such as Lena Waithe, Don Lemon, Joy Reid, Mara Brock Akil, Charlemagne Tha God, Bethann Hardison, Eddie Huang and Timnit Gebru. BLACKWEEK Africa will build on this model — a hybrid forum that pairs economic rigor with cultural programming.

Founding advisory board announced

To guide the launch, BLACKWEEK introduced a Founding Advisory Board for its African edition, bringing together leaders with deep experience across culture, media and creative business:

• Mbongiseni Buthelezi, PhD — CEO, Nelson Mandela Foundation

• Sheryl Daija — Founder and CEO, BRIDGE Telling Culture’s Story Since 1969

• Caralene Robinson — Chief Marketing & Growth Officer, Global Citizen

• Matthew Scheckner — Founder, Windsor Park Entertainment

• Preetesh Sewraj — CEO, The Loeries

• Barkue Tubman-Zawolo — Founder & CEO, MBL International Group LLC and WalkerHER; Chief Community Officer, Essence Ventures

The board’s remit is to shape programming, partnerships and commissioning priorities that centre African perspectives and foster cross-border cultural commerce.

A strategic moment for culture and commerce

Organisers say Johannesburg was chosen for its cultural density, creative industries and position as a vibrant continental hub. BLACKWEEK Africa intends to create partnerships across the cultural ecosystem — with artists, media platforms, agencies, foundations and commercial partners — to transform creative expression into measurable economic opportunity.

“BLACKWEEK aligns deeply with our purpose of mobilising Nelson Mandela’s legacy in service of just societies,” Dr Buthelezi added. The foundation’s involvement underscores the event’s stated ambition to pair cultural celebration with social impact.

Next steps

BLACKWEEK Africa will run in November 2026. Further details on programming, ticketing, speaker line-ups and commercial partnerships will be released in the coming months. For more information on BLACKWEEK and its global programming, visit blackweek.co; for UWG INC. visit uwginc.com; and for the Nelson Mandela Foundation visit nelsonmandela.org.