Powered by
CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa
Driving Africa’s F & B future
Shape the future of the African food and beverage industry at our Africa Food Summit. Take advantage of invaluable knowledge-sharing from industry power players over three days. This conference facilitates key discussions on trends, challenges, and opportunities, leaving a lasting impact on the decision-makers who attend.
From stabilising supply chains to advancing climate-centric solutions, we’ll dive into the future of sustainability and the shift to net-zero.
Discover the latest in nutritious, affordable food design, the rise of healthy snacking, new ingredients and flavours, and how to adapt products to meet shifting consumer demands.
Explore breakthroughs in cultivated meat, the role of AI across the value chain, and how private brands continue to lead innovation amid disruption
Unlock insights on cognitive health, the gut-brain axis, and the future of functional foods.
Dive into the ‘Kasi economy,’ supply chain optimisation, and the next phase of industry investment.
Meet the startups and innovations defining the future of food, from plant-based foods to the latest trends in quick-service restaurants.
Join us to gain valuable insights into the trends, technologies, and will drive the future of the industry.
* The Event programme may be subject to change by the Organiser
Miles KubhekaWakanda Food Accelerator
Alderrman James VosCity of Cape Town
Africa is home to one of the world’s fastest-growing populations, projected to reach 2.5 billion people by 2050. According to Africa Business, ‘The African food industry is set to reach $1 trillion by 2030’, driving the demand for sustainable innovation and improving an accessible, affordable, sustainable food system without a premium. Join this session and gain insights into how to navigate the future of Africa’s food systems, how innovation is reshaping food categories, transforming investment opportunities, and what technologies are working to solve supply chain challenges while balancing the food basket to monitor food affordability.
Key takeaways:
Miles KubhekaWakanda Food Accelerator
Melvi ToddElyxer Consulting
Maxwell GomeraUnited Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Lorraine MakhuraMcCain South Africa
Anne-Marie de BeerNestle South Africa
As sustainability progresses, consumers demand more traceability around the products they buy and the brands they support. This has led to more informative labelling, detailed information about food origins, curbing food waste, and circular packaging, leading to the rising demand for environmental transparency. Join this session and gain insights into what this means for your bottom line and how to prioritise climate solutions to accelerate your journey to net zero.
Key takeaways:
Jayne MammattDeloitte
Eric Leong SunHeineken Beverages
Steffen BurrowsStillGood
Ozzy NelSA Harvest
Ridhwana ShaikFood Lover's Market
The food safety climate is shifting with a renewed focus on shared responsibility between government, the food industry, and the consumer. Looking back at recent outbreaks and product recalls, it is apparent that there were several weaknesses in our ability to handle these, but what does this mean to your business and what can be done to prevent further catastrophes in the future? This discussion looks at what preventative measures the food industry should be embracing as we enter the next level of maturing in food safety management systems – preventing food-borne illness, adapting to climate change, the rise of food innovation and new products, consumer confidence and trust.
Key takeaways:
Nokuthula SelamolelaFoodBev SETA
Manufacturers, retailers or brand owners are increasingly focused on ingredient provenance to highlight product differentiation through taste, quality, and sustainability of products to increase value. With the spotlight on shoppers' changing tastes, brands can anticipate shifts aligning with changing consumer desires, prioritising freshness, ingredient sourcing, wellness, nutrition-influencing functional ingredients, new flavour developments, and more sustainable assortment options. But what does this mean for your R&D business to stay competitive? Join this session and gain insights into shifting trends impacting what ingredients and flavours drive new creations.
Key takeaways:
Mark FieldProf Consulting Group
Brian LantonCape Food Ingredients
Nicki RussellThink Flavour
Alex ZabbiaSynercore Food Holdings
Grant MomplePlant Inc.
As businesses navigate increasing supply chain complexities, real-time visibility, accurate demand forecasting, and operational agility are critical to maintaining profitability and growth. While AI, predictive analytics, and digital solutions offer unprecedented capabilities, the challenge remains – How do we move from fragmented data to integrated, actionable insights that drive measurable results? This panel brings together industry leaders in AI, R&D, supply chain, and logistics to discuss practical strategies for optimising the value chain from forecasting and SKU rationalisation to managing disruptions and unlocking new growth opportunities.
Key takeaways:
Michael DayValue Chain Solutions
Pierre le RouxSpatialedge
In a rapidly evolving food and beverage landscape, not all that glitters is gold. This presentation drives beneath the surface of industry buzzwords and fleeting trends to uncover what is a myth and what is not for consumers and businesses alike. By debunking common myths and challenging assumptions, we’ll explore the forces shaping today’s market and discuss how to separate genuine opportunities from hype. From sustainability to flavour innovation, and health-conscious choices to digital integration, this session will equip attendees with fresh insights to think critically and act decisively in shaping the future of food and beverages. Join this session and leave inspired to innovate beyond the obvious and align your strategies with enduring consumer values.
Key takeaways:
Karen StrantonIFF
According to NIQ’s ‘State of Snacking – What the Data Shows’ report, The $135 billion snacking industry market growth is driven by changing consumer lifestyles and preferences. The demand for healthy snacking options has skyrocketed, reflecting a shift in wellness-orientated lifestyles with an emphasis on plant-based snacks, protein-packed options, and products with clean labels free from artificial additives becoming one of the fastest growing categories for a nation of ‘on-the-go’ consumers. Join us and hear leading experts share their views on the latest trends, changing consumer appetites, and how millennial lifestyles influence new eating habits.
Key takeaways
Arthur RamorokaTiger Brands
Johannes SchuelerLBB Foods
Davey du PlessisHerbivore Earthfoods
Masoud ParkerMaspark Sales & Marketing
As consumers continue to feel the economic pinch, retailers are scrambling to innovate with new products and value for money. According to NIQ’s ‘Consumer Intelligence’, ‘retailers' Private Label sales are on track to exceed R100bn in the next six to twelve months as shoppers increasingly opt for value. As Private Labels continue to gain market share and outpace national brand performance, what does this mean for your business and how do you gain a piece of the pie? Join this discussion and hear key insights on why brands are transforming innovation in times of disruption.
Key takeaways:
Mark FieldProf Consulting Group
African consumers are increasingly engaging with food and beverage brands online, whether through social media, e-commerce, or loyalty programs. Yet, many companies (in the Southern African region) struggle to navigate the digital landscape effectively. Are they harnessing these avenues to support spaces such as product innovation, identifying ingredients, developing product formulations, creating flavours, automating production, protecting food safety, and supporting sustainability and nutritious product choices? Join this session and explore how technology, particularly marketing technology, AI, and digital commerce, is changing the way brands consider their workflows, and supply chains, and connect with consumers in Africa.
Key takeaways:
Consumer Behavior & Digital Trends in Africa
The role of AI & Data in Personalising Consumer Experiences
Digital Storytelling & Brand Engagement in the Food & Beverage Industry
Overcoming Barriers to Digital Transformation in Southern African Food & beverage Industries
Mabhir ThukralIFF
Vincent ViviersPick n Pay
According to Trade Intelligence's Mid-Year Retail Trends Check, it's all about connecting with consumers and driving innovation. Suppose 2023 was the year of the resilient consumers. Fast forward to 2025, it seems that this year is seeing the year of the empowered consumers looking for more deals and discounts, with 61% of Gen Zs turning to social media influencers as their best source of information when it comes to shopping more than brands driving brands to focus on telling stories on social platforms, but what does mean for your business – more promotions, combo deals, and collective buying. Global mega-shifts are reshaping the world we live in, creating a ripple effect, and influencing shopper behaviour, supply chains, and market dynamics.
Key takeaways:
Ailsa WingfieldCircana
It has been reported that the growth of alternative proteins continues to grow with consumers looking for environmental and health-conscious options, restaurants adopting menus, and retailers expanding product offerings to meet demand. Join this session and gain insights into the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the alternative protein landscape.
Key takeaways:
Donovan WillProVeg South Africa
Brett ThompsonNewform Foods
Charles ReedMycoSure
Clare EwingLIVEKINDLY Collective Africa, RCL Foods
According to Retail Africa’s ‘Consumers expect food and drink to promote wellness, prevent illness and taste delicious’, Euromonitor’s, revealed that social media is one of the fastest-growing factors behind the purchase of healthy food and drink, driving the growth of gut health. Biotics magnify digestive gut health as the top driver of functional food and beverage product purchases with consumers' interest in fiber, and prebiotics. On the ingredient side, manufacturers fine-tune product ingredients to support and optimise the gut microbiome. The food trend around gut support is spreading into more categories like snacks.
The explosion of interest in gut health reflects a growing consumer awareness around gut health from microbiome balance to gut-friendly ingredients as consumers adopt a more holistic view of wellness. Join this session and gain insights into the latest challenges and opportunities driving growth in cognitive health
Sian HemmingsUniversity of Stellenbosch
Join this lively discussion and gain first-hand insights into the latest market trends, tips on how to navigate challenges, and how to operate in new markets.
Key takeaways:
Grant McGregorTaste Africa
Laurance MilnerLaurance Milner Holdings
Golden MahoveNdarama Works
Bernard ImmelmanBermax
Yolande SchultzMcCormick Flavour Solutions
retail market is valued at R197 billion and growing faster than its formal counterpart. It continues to demonstrate resilience, achieving a 6.9% growth rate, and attracting the attention of some of the biggest retailers despite high pressure from high food inflation, continues to offer opportunities and plays a role in alleviating food insecurity from spaza and street vendors to QS restaurants and taverns playing a role in alleviating food insecurity. The township retail trade discussion will shine the spotlight on today’s retail trade sector, how you can tap into the thriving township economy value chain, and what this means for food security and accessibility, price, and the value of e-commerce.
Key takeaways:
Miles KubhekaWakanda Food Accelerator
Over the past decade, we’ve seen incredible growth in venture capital for food and beverage, fuelled by innovative solutions and technologies. But recently, the market has been going through a reset, showing cautious optimism, cooling off and dropping deal counts back to 2015 levels. Fast forward to 2024, we are seeing early signs of several investment opportunities identified in precision fermentation, gut health and microbiome, sustainable packaging, better-for-you beverages products, and scalable tech-based models like cloud kitchens and delivery platforms. Join an engaging discussion with leading experts as they share their views on the barriers to growth and scaling solutions, what new consumer trends are disrupting the current market, and how we can ensure innovation continues and doesn’t get left behind.
Key takeaways:
Judy SendzulInvenfin
Brendan MullenSecha Capital
Riel MallanEXEO Capital
Peter AllerstorferSilvertree Holdings
Raymond NdlovuNdlovu Ingredients
Join this session and get first-hand insights from a start-up that has scaled up to the next level as they share their views, successes, and failures from hindsight to insight.
Johannes SchuelerLBB Foods
Join this session and gain first-hand insights as Nicki Russell shares her retail journey learnings from what corporates are looking for to becoming an entrepreneur and tips on how to navigate your route to market merchandising challenges and gear up for success.
Nicki RussellThink Flavour
dmg & KAOUN Ltd, a joint venture company between KAOUN International, the international event organizing company of the Dubai World Trade Centre and dmg events to create a global portfolio of food, hotel and hospitality events.