Reflections From AfricaXchange: A Turning Point for Development by Africa, for Africa

From Talk to Tangible Action

AfricaXchange was never intended to be another conference. It was a call to action. That intent echoed throughout the week in every panel, every roundtable, every conversation in the hallways. The message was clear: the status quo is shifting, and so must we.

This is a pivotal moment. The continent is facing significant changes in its development landscape, and this convening was our opportunity to respond collectively and with purpose. Together, we discussed locally led funding models, advancing adaptive governance, and most importantly, strengthening the role of local leadership.

What struck me most was the mindset shift. It wasn’t about filling gaps anymore — it was about redesigning the system from the ground up. Building from community, not around it.

To summarize, I would highlight the key takeaways across three core themes:

Alliance Building: Global funders can force cross-sector collaboration by first working better amongst themselves and then channeling their resources towards building alliances of unlikely partners comprising funders, government, local actors/communities, and the private sector to ensure equity and inclusion in development. These alliances if properly structured can help African countries drive sustainable growth that prioritizes local needs over external dependencies.
Domestic Resource Mobilization: Global funders should align resources with local philanthropy, African corporate foundations and impact investment to tackle big development challenges. Aligning global funder’s resources with domestic funding is particularly compelling, as it shifts resources toward homegrown solutions rather than relying solely on foreign development assistance. Similarly, self-reliant models that strengthen local capital markets and domestic revenue generation can create long-term economic stability.
Governance and Accountability: There was a strong focus on Governments’ role in undertaking the systemic changes required to meet the funding crisis caused by shifting policies by their traditional sovereign development partners. In addition to fostering better governance and accountability as well as greater transparency in their development frameworks, Governments must see the capacity of local actors and NGOs previously funded by foreign development partners as a resource through which Government resources can be channeled to deliver development outcomes.

Catalyzing Local Leadership

Throughout the year, we hosted workshops and roundtables that led us to this point, creating a platform where global funders, African philanthropies, implementers, and government leaders could align on a shared roadmap. At AfricaXchange, that roadmap came to life.

The energy in the room was electric, powerful voices from across the continent were stepping into the driver’s seat and championing their commitment to leading and implementing solutions by Africa for Africa.

William Asiko, Vice President of The Rockefeller Foundation’s Africa Regional Office, moderating a panel during AfricaXchange. (From left to right: William Asiko; Yosej Abramowitz, CEO, Gigawatt Global; Chris Adamo, Sustainability Lead, Danone; Mendi Njonjo, Director, KCB Foundation; Oscar Njuguna, Group Director-Sustainability, Equity Bank)

Leadership in Action

One of the most inspiring moments was visiting the First Lady of Kenya at State House. Her Mama Organic Garden, which provides food for over 2,000 employees and local schools, is a beautiful example of regenerative agriculture in action. Even more exciting was her preliminary agreement to serve as a regional champion for Regenerative School Meals across Africa — a role that could drive transformative change across nutrition, education, and agriculture.

Later, our meeting with the Cabinet Secretary of Agriculture was equally energizing. We spoke about scaling school meals by connecting them directly to local smallholder farmers, a strategy he immediately embraced. His enthusiasm for reviving 4K Clubs (Kenya’s equivalent to 4-H) and using innovations like Digital Green’s AI-driven tools reinforced how the right ideas, backed by political will, can reshape the future of farming — making it aspirational for the next generation.

Reimagining Power and Partnership

AfricaXchange also underscored a hard truth: for too long, the development sector has dominated narratives that should belong to Africans. That time is over. The path forward must be built on fair financing, unwavering political will, and the genius of local communities.

Together, we explored ways to tackle deep structural issues, push for greater transparency and accountability, and amplify community voices with the support of data, media, and our invaluable faith leaders.

We spoke about what the next five years must deliver: Tangible economic growth, robust education and health systems, and a complete decolonization of development thinking.

William Asiko, Vice President of The Rockefeller Foundation’s Africa Regional Office.

A Sense of Purpose

I left AfricaXchange with a deep sense of purpose — and optimism. Yes, the challenges are enormous. But so is our collective will.

AfricaXChange2025 shaped a unified vision of an “Africa for Africans,” aimed at fostering economic development, promoting transparency, and prioritizing investments in food security, education and healthcare. It is essential to translate these discussions into concrete actions, elevate the voices of marginalized communities, and adopt approaches to development that are free from colonial influences.

Next Steps:

Synthesize key commitments and action items for discussion in a Bellagio Convening.
Develop a roadmap for Rockefeller Foundation support.
Align priorities from the convening with RF strategy.
Explore further collaboration with peer Foundations.
Communicate progress to stakeholders.

If this convening taught us anything, it's that Africa’s future will be shaped by Africans, and our job now is to keep this momentum alive and to move from bold ideas to bold action.