Johannesburg is about to become the epicenter of the continent’s creative evolution as the Africa Live Entertainment Conference (ALEC) 2026 descends on the city from April 23 to 25. This is a high-stakes convening of the brightest minds in music, touring, and policy, all gathered to dismantle the barriers holding back Africa’s live circuit. With the global gaze fixed firmly on our sound, ALEC is stepping in to ensure the infrastructure matches the hype, creating a sustainable blueprint for an interconnected touring ecosystem that stretches from Lagos to Johannesburg and beyond.
The weight of this year’s conference is backed by heavy-duty endorsements from the National Council for Arts and Culture and the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, signaling a serious shift toward merging policy with the pulse of the streets. Over three days, the program will tackle the gritty realities of the business through a series of intentional dialogues designed to move the needle from potential to profit:
- Panel 1: The State of African Live Entertainment — Infrastructure, Investment & Growth: A deep dive into the foundational needs of the industry.
- Panel 2: The Global Routing — Breaking African Artists into International Markets: Strategizing the journey from local stages to global dominance.
- Panel 3: Festivals, Venues & the Fan Experience — Building World-Class Events on the Continent: Examining what it takes to produce elite experiences on home soil.
- Panel 4: The Business of African Music — Rights, Royalties & Revenue: A necessary breakdown of the financial structures powering the music.
- Panel 5: The Johannesburg Commitments — Closing Roundtable: A session dedicated to securing long-term outcomes and actionable steps.
- Flagship Session: Touring Without Borders: Mobility, Visas & Regional Cooperation: The event’s heavy-hitting culmination, confronting the most critical hurdles facing the industry today.
The speaker lineup reads like a “who’s who” of the culture, featuring power players like Amb. (Mrs.) Ninikanwa Olachi Okey-Uche (Consul General of Nigeria in Johannesburg), Trace TV’s Olivier Laouchez, gamma’s Sipho Dlamini, and the legendary Mo Abudu. They’ll be joined by a diverse roster of practitioners, including African Tourism Board Chairman Cuthbert Ncube, SAMRO CEO Annabell Lebethe, entertainment executive Amy Oraefo, and Sima CEO Mamby Diomandè. The dialogue is further enriched by the presence of Mozambican icon Dama Do Bling, Jacaranda Festival Director Walter Wanyanya, Livespot 360 Co-Founder Solomon Sonaiya, The Plug’s Bizzle Osikoya, entertainment lawyer Lerato Sengadi, and Samora Central’s Founder Usher Nyambi.
Guiding the vision of ALEC 2026 is an elite advisory board that bridges the gap between corporate investment and raw creative energy. This group includes She Speaks Africa CEO Lee Kasumba, Akintunde Marinho of T.A.M.C, and Solape Hammond (Co-Founder of Impact Hub Lagos). They are joined by Chim Chalemera (Regional Director for Southern Africa at the UK Department for Business & Trade) and Bolanle Austen-Peters, the powerhouse behind Terra Kulture and TAFTA. Together, they ensure the conference is curated to address the most pressing needs of the African creative economy.
At the heart of it all is Sasha P, the industry pioneer and ALEC founder, who views this gathering as a necessary intervention. “Africa’s live entertainment industry is full of potential, but unlocking that potential requires more than talent — it requires structure, collaboration, and intentional investment. ALEC was created to bring together the people shaping the industry, not just to have conversations, but to drive real, long-term outcomes for the continent.” With stakeholders flying in from across Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Senegal, ALEC 2026 is positioning itself as the definitive catalyst for the deals and dialogues that will define the next decade of African entertainment.
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