There are plenty of business conferences. Few are built specifically to open doors for Black and women-owned businesses, and fewer still bring investors, governments, global buyers and the African Diaspora together in one place on the African continent.
reSURGEnce Durban 2026 takes place from 24 to 27 October at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli ICC. Its theme, Decreasing Barriers by Increasing Access, is a promise: to turn connections into real opportunities for businesses that have too often been left out of the room.
If you are still deciding whether to attend, here are seven reasons to be in Durban this October.
1. The capital conversation is happening here
Access to capital is the single biggest barrier facing Black and women-owned businesses, on the continent and in the Diaspora. Banks ask for collateral many founders don’t have. Investors often fund people they already know.
reSURGEnce puts capital access at the centre of its programme. The conference brings together venture capitalists, development finance institutions, angel investors, corporate funders and lenders, alongside sessions on funding strategies, banking and investment readiness. You will leave knowing what funders look for, and with the chance to have met some of them in person.
2. A direct bridge to the African Diaspora and the Americas
reSURGEnce began in Brooklyn, New York, and has always been about linking Africa with its Diaspora. In Durban, many delegates travel from the United States and the Caribbean specifically to find partners, suppliers and investment opportunities in Africa.
For a South African business, that is a ready-made audience of buyers and collaborators with a genuine interest in your success. For Diaspora entrepreneurs, it is a chance to meet African businesses face to face, rather than through a screen. One of the conference’s ten focus areas, Business and Trade in America and the Americas, is dedicated to making these cross-continental partnerships work.
3. Women entrepreneurs are a named priority
Strengthening women’s entrepreneurship and growing SMMEs is one of the conference’s key focus areas, not an afterthought. Women-owned businesses face a double barrier to finance, networks and visibility. reSURGEnce aims to tackle that with targeted conversations on capital, networks and market access.
If you are a woman building a business, you will find peers, mentors and potential partners who understand the road you are on.
4. A seat at the government and corporate table
Public procurement and corporate supply chains are among the largest markets any small business can access, yet they can feel impossible to break into. reSURGEnce facilitates direct engagement with government stakeholders, city leaders and procurement officers.
This year’s speakers include the Lord Mayor of Kampala, a former Mayor of New York City and a former Vice President of Zambia, alongside other public leaders. The programme also includes a Mayoral Reception, an evening built for high-level networking. These are conversations about how cities buy, invest and partner, and how your business can be part of it.
5. Durban is where Africa meets the world
There is a reason reSURGEnce chose Durban. The city is home to one of Africa’s busiest ports, a major gateway for goods moving between Southern Africa and global markets. KwaZulu-Natal has strengths in manufacturing, agro-processing, logistics, tourism and the creative economy, and it is actively seeking investment partners.
Delegates can see this for themselves on the KZN Site Visits and Investment Opportunities tour, which introduces key provincial projects looking for partners. For investors and entrepreneurs alike, there is no substitute for seeing opportunities on the ground.
6. You can learn to make the deal, not just hear about it
reSURGEnce is designed to move from conversation to action. The Durban programme includes plans for a Pitch Competition that connects small and micro-sized enterprises with potential investors and partners. It also offers practical training in dealmaking, pitching, funding and equity formation.
[Editor: confirm Pitch Competition details before publishing.]Even if you don’t pitch this year, the training alone can change how you approach investors for years to come.
7. A pathway to global markets for African products
One of the most ambitious outcomes reSURGEnce is working towards is a global marketplace for African products. It would create a pathway for qualifying manufacturers, distributors and entrepreneurs in Africa and the Diaspora to reach customers around the world.
If you make a product, Durban is where you can position yourself early. Focus-area sessions on marketing, branding and global market access will help you prepare your product for international buyers.
The bigger picture
Each of these reasons matters on its own. Together, they point to something larger. reSURGEnce’s vision is a global Black economic renaissance, built through access, partnerships, business growth and the regeneration of cities and communities.
That vision depends on businesses like yours being in the room, not as spectators, but as participants shaping the deals, partnerships and ideas that come out of it.
How to attend
- International delegates: choose from the Diamond, Gold or Silver travel packages. Each includes accommodation and sightseeing, and Diamond also includes airfare.
- Local businesses in Durban: register for the free Local Delegates Pass, which includes conference access and refreshments.
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