The Amplifying African Voices for Strategic Action (AFSA) Conference 2025 concluded in South Africa with a call for Africa to step up its contributions in shaping the world order. Participants, including civil society leaders, academics, policymakers, and practitioners, reinforced the need to strengthen African agency in a multipolar world.
Held on the margins of the G20 Summit in South Africa, from November 21-28, 2025, the Conference was organized by the African Centre for the Study of the United States (ACSUS), at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, in collaboration with the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and other international partners.
The collaboration to host AFSA Conference is courtesy an MoU signed between CDD-Ghana, through its International Desk and the University of Wits, South Africa.
This year’s Conference was under the theme “Africa in the G20: Advancing Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability,” and was kicked off with a public lecture on November 21, 2025, themed “Africa in the G20: Multilateralism in a Shifting Global Order,” delivered by world-renowned economist and global leader Prof. Jeffrey D. Sachs.
Over the course of the Conference, experts from diverse fields exchanged knowledge and analyzed the relations between African nations and external powers, exploring alternatives for balanced relationships forged in African interests.
Several panels addressed key topics and led vital discussions on African agency, climate solutions, AI innovation, trade, peace-building and Africa’s involvement in the G20. This includes CDD-Ghana’s discussion on the topic: Foreign influence, Disinformation, and Democratic Resilience in West Africa.”
The panel comprised Moussa Kondo (Executive Director, Sahel Institute, Mali), Ibrahima Kane (Governance Expert and Advisor to the Special Envoy of the President of Senegal), Paul Osei Kuffour (Coordinator, WADEMOS Network), Kessy Ekomo-Soignet (Director, Peace and Development Watch, Central African Republic), and Rabiu Alhassan (Executive Director, FactSpace West Africa), who moderated the discussion.
Reflecting on the Conference, participants underscored the need for regional blocs such as ECOWAS and the African Union to review their protocols and mechanisms, ensuring that they remain relevant and effective in today’s rapidly evolving global context. They also emphasised the need to develop African-centered approaches to counter dis/misinformation, highlighting the risks associated with the menace.
The Conference also highlighted calls for increased intra-African trade, deeper cross-border cooperation and ties, and a more integrated, borderless Africa to promote easy movement of people, goods, and services for sustainable growth and regional development.
