Programme

ANCA Summit 2025 – Session Structure

Theme: Unlocking Africa’s Natural Capital: Catalysing Investment for a Resilient and Equitable Future
Location: Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa
Dates: October 7–9, 2025

Day 1: Unlocking Strategic Public–Private Nature Finance Collaboration

Time Topic Speakers
09:00 – 09:30 Opening Address – ANCA Introduction & Summit Objectives Dorothy Maseke – Head of ANCA Secretariat
09:30 – 09:45 ANCA Council Speech to open the Summit Arthur Oginga – CEO, Old Mutual Holdings EA
09:45 – 10:15 Opening Keynotes – The Future of Nature Finance in Africa (linking to G20)

Khorommbi Matibe – Chief Director, Dept. of Forestry, Fisheries & Environment

Scyrielle Sende – CEO & DG, AGADEV (Gabon)
Break: 10:15 – 10:45
10:45 – 11:45 Financial Sector Perspective and Pipeline Generation
Introduction by Kelvin Massingham

Jason Quinn – CEO, Nedbank

Philip Lopokoiyit – ICEA LION

Reshma Shah – FSD Africa
11:45 – 12:00 Highlight of the Financial Instruments Paper Discussion
WEF Global Futures Council		 Representative – WEF Global Futures Council on Natural Capital
12:00 – 13:00 The role of disclosures & putting nature in national policy frameworks and on the balance sheet
Fireside Chat

Candice Dott – TNFD

Innocent Onah – AfDB

Chesney Huskisson – Landbanking Group

Justin Smith – Sustainable Finance Coalition

Fiachra Kearney – Forever Wild

Moderated by Dorothy Maseke
Lunch Break: 13:00 – 14:00
14:00 – 15:00 Best Practice Public–Private Partnerships Case Study Showcases

Samantha Petersen – WWF SA

Stephen Macharia – FSDA Investments

Dr. Matthias De Beenhouwer – African Parks

Elena Benedetti – ICGEB

Moderated by Josh Ayers
15:00 – 17:00 Afternoon Hackathon Sprint – Designing Effective Public Private Partnerships Moderated by Josh Ayers – University of Exeter
17:00 – 17:10 Wrap Up & Close Guests join networking cocktail

Day 2: Scaling Finance for a Thriving African Bioeconomy

Time Session Speakers
8:30 – 9:00 Networking breakfast
9:00 – 9:15 Keynote address: On the opportunities in developing the bioeconomy – new industries and maximising and diversifying existing industries John Steenhuisen, Minister of Agriculture of South Africa
9:15 – 9:30 Framing address: The African bioeconomy in a global context – on the G20 Initiative on the Bioeconomy and beyond Ben Durham, Director: Bio-Innovation, Department of Science Technology and Innovation
9:30 – 10:10 Panel: Creating an enabling environment to scale the bioeconomy

Dr Sue Snyman, Research Director, African Leadership University

Serge Amissah, Special Advisor to the CEO, Agadev

Simon Smit, Africa Director, Earthshot

Lara Kotze-Jacobs, Programme Manager, CSIR

Siloshini Naidoo, Head of Sustainability, DBSA
10:10 – 10:30 Panel Q&A
10:30 – 10:45 Introduction to the Bioeconomy Finance Hub
10:45 – 11:00 Coffee break
11:00 – 12:30 Bioeconomy Showcase

Consortium presentations from:

Ocean Hub • CRAF Nigeria • BFARM Tech • Forested • SMRI

Alexis Grosskopf, Founder & CEO, OceanHub Africa  Begashaw Meberate, Co-Founder & CEO, BFarm-Tech
Bankole Oloruntoba, CEO, Nigeria Climate Innovation
Center (NCIC)
Dr Kitty Fox, Group Leader Strategic Research, Sugar
Milling Research Institute (SMRI) NPC

 
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch and networking
Afternoon Sessions         Hackathon:
13:30 – 17:00

Catalysing bioeconomy investment pipelines and tangible pathways forward

 

1. Agri-Tech & Circular Agriculture

  • Insect protein production for animal feed
  • Biochar from agricultural waste for carbon sequestration
  • Precision fermentation for alternative proteins
  • Vertical farming systems powered by renewable energy

2. Marine & Blue Bioeconomy

  • Seaweed cultivation for bioplastics and nutraceuticals
  • Mangrove restoration with carbon credit generation
  • Sustainable aquaculture with integrated multi-trophic systems
  • Marine biotechnology for pharmaceutical compounds

3. Forest & Nature-Based Solutions

  • Bamboo processing for construction materials
  • Essential oils and natural cosmetics value chains
  • Mushroom cultivation on agricultural waste
  • Bio-based packaging from indigenous plants

4. Waste-to-Value Innovations

  • Biogas systems for rural energy access
  • Organic waste conversion to biofertilizers
  • Plastic-eating enzyme production facilities
  • Industrial symbiosis networks for zero waste

5. Health & Biotechnology

  • Traditional medicine standardization and commercialization
  • Biobanking for genetic resources
  • Vaccine production using plant-based systems
  • Diagnostic tools from African biodiversity

Rizqah Mohamed, R&D Manager, Regen Organics

Dominic Nicholas, CEO, Immobazyme

Emma Algotsson, Managing Director, Kompost-It

Dr Kitty Fox, Group Leader Strategic Research, Sugar Milling Research Institute NPC

Dheepak – uvbio
17:00 – 17:30 Closing Fireside Chat: The way forward toward a bioeconomy and the financing needed to pave it

Day 3: Champions of Conservation Wine Tour

(Fully booked – only for registered participants)

Time Activity
08:30 – 09:00 Departure from Mount Nelson Hotel
10:00 Arrival at Waterford Estate
10:15 – 10:45 Welcome and speech by Viticulturist David van Schalkwyk
10:45 – 11:00 Conservation Champions Talk
11:15 Seated for Wine Tasting
11:30 Wine tasting begins
12:00 First course served after three wines
12:30 Tasting of final three wines
13:00 Main course served
13:45 Dessert
14:30 – 15:00 Departure