Call for Abstracts 7th APC
August 2, 2026

Call for Abstracts

The convenors of the 7th  African Philanthropy Conference (7APC) invite scholars, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to submit abstracts for the academic programme of the conference. Hosted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the 7th  APC will take place under the theme: Philanthropy in the Age of AI and Digital Sovereignty in Africa

The conference builds on six years of advancing scholarship and dialogue on African philanthropy, from agenda-setting and systems change to sustainable financing for development. The 2027 conference turns its attention to one of the defining issues of our time: how artificial intelligence (AI), data governance, and digital transformation are reshaping philanthropy, development, civic participation and institutional power across Africa.

As AI, digital finance, platform technologies, and data systems increasingly influence how resources are mobilised, programmes are delivered, evidence is generated, and communities are represented, the conference asks a critical question: How can African philanthropy move beyond digital adaptation towards digital agency?

Hosted in Addis Ababa, the seat of the African Union and a centre of continental policymaking, the conference will provide an important platform for examining how African philanthropy can contribute to building inclusive, ethical, and sovereign digital futures grounded in African knowledge, justice, accountability and community ownership.

The academic conference seeks original contributions that advance theory, policy, and practice while offering new insights into the opportunities and challenges presented by AI and digital transformation for philanthropy and development in Africa.

Conference Details

Theme: Philanthropy in the Age of AI and Digital Sovereignty in Africa

Dates: 27–31 July 2027

Venue: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Conference Sub-themes

The conference welcomes submissions related to, but not limited to, the following areas:

  • AI, African agency and philanthropic transformation
  • Data sovereignty, consent and knowledge justice
  • Digital infrastructure, platform power and institutional autonomy
  • Methodologies, memory and narrative sovereignty in the age of AI
  • Gender, digital divides and inclusive AI futures
  • Digital capability, jobs and the future of African work
  • Digital finance, trusted giving and African philanthropic capital
  • Civic space, digital rights and democratic accountability
  • Continental governance, climate futures and digital sovereignty
  • AI ethics, human judgment and accountable innovation

Interdisciplinary and cross-cutting submissions that engage multiple sub-themes are particularly encouraged.

Presentation Formats

Authors may propose their work in any of the following formats and should indicate their preferred format when submitting an abstract. Final decisions on format and session placement rest with the Scientific Committee.

  • Individual paper – a single scholarly paper reporting completed or advanced research; accepted papers are grouped by the Scientific Committee with related submissions into a themed session.
  • Panel (organised session) – a pre-arranged set of three to four papers addressing a common question under a shared title, preferably drawing contributors from more than one institution or country, with a nominated chair and, where possible, a discussant.
  • Roundtable – an interactive session in which several contributors give short opening interventions on a shared issue, with the majority of the time reserved for structured discussion with the audience.
  • Poster – a visual presentation of completed or ongoing research displayed during a dedicated session; particularly suited to early-career researchers and work in progress.
  • Doctoral colloquium – a supportive forum in which doctoral candidates present and receive feedback on their emerging research from experienced scholars.

Submission Guidelines

  • Abstracts should be between 300 and 500 words.
  • Abstracts should clearly state the research problem, objectives, methodology (where applicable), key findings or expected findings, and the contribution of the study to scholarship and practice in African philanthropy.
  • Submissions are welcomed from academics, doctoral researchers, early-career scholars, policymakers and practitioners.
  • Abstracts may be submitted in English, French, Portuguese, or Arabic. To support blind peer review, author(s) names, institutional affiliation(s) and contact details must be entered on the submission portal and should not appear in the body of the abstract itself.
  • Abstracts must include three to five keywords and identify the sub-theme(s) the submission addresses.
  • Submissions must be original and must not have been published, accepted for publication, or presented at another conference, nor be under review elsewhere.
  • A lead author may submit no more than two abstracts, although a person may appear as a co-author on additional submissions.

Review and Selection

All abstracts are subject to double-blind peer review by at least two independent members of the Scientific Committee. Submissions are assessed against the following criteria:

  • relevance to the conference theme and sub-themes;
  • originality and significance of the contribution to scholarship, policy or practice;
  • theoretical, methodological or empirical rigour; and
  • clarity, coherence and quality of writing.

Decisions of the Scientific Committee are final. At least one author of each accepted submission is expected to register for and present the work in person in Addis Ababa.

Important Note

Submission of an abstract constitutes a commitment to prepare and submit a full draft paper should the abstract be accepted.

Authors of accepted abstracts must submit a complete draft paper by 22 January  2027. The extended submission period is intended to allow sufficient time for peer review, constructive feedback, and the development of high-quality papers ahead of the conference.

Only authors who submit a full draft paper by the required deadline will:

  • be included in the final academic programme;
  • be eligible for peer review and editorial feedback;
  • be considered for travel scholarship support (where available); and
  • be considered for publication opportunities arising from the conference.

Submission Portal

All abstracts should be submitted via: https://africanphilanthropyconference.com/call-for-abstracts

Submit Abstract

Important Dates

  • Call for abstracts opens: 03 August 2026
  • Abstract submission deadline: 30 September 2026
  • Notification of acceptance: 20 October 2026
  • Full draft paper submission deadline: 22  January 2027
  • Peer review and author revisions:  February  – March 2027
  • 7th African Philanthropy Conference: 27- 31 July 2027

Support for Delegates

The conference convenors will provide the following subject to the conditions listed below:

  • Conference registration
  • Conference materials
  • Conference meals
  • Local transport, including airport transfers and transport between designated conference hotels and the venue

Presenters are expected to cover the cost of their international travel and accommodation unless notified otherwise.

Conditions of support

  • A limited number of travel scholarships will be available. Scholarship consideration will only be given to authors who have submitted a complete full draft paper by  22 January 2027 and whose papers successfully meet the academic review requirements.
  • Registration fee waivers may be considered upon written request and are subject to approval by the conference convenors.

Enquiries

Questions regarding this call for abstracts, the submission process, or presentation formats may be directed to the conference secretariat at wycliffe.ouma@wits.ac.za and phumudzo.mufamadi@wits.ac.za