2026 Virtual Baobab Summit
20 Years of Impact: Shaping Africa’s Future Leaders
September 10 - 11, 2026
The Baobab Summit celebrates the leadership, achievements, and innovation of young people across the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program community.
Celebrate Youth Leadership and Excellence
The Baobab Summit convenes Mastercard Foundation Scholars, Alumni, partners, and Foundation stakeholders from around the world for two days of inspiring conversations, interactive learning, networking, and wellness experiences.
Participants connect across countries, cultures, and generations—building relationships and strengthening a shared commitment to transformative leadership.
This year’s theme, “20 Years of Impact: Shaping Africa’s Future Leaders,” marks a significant milestone for the Mastercard Foundation. It celebrates two decades of impact in advancing education, unlocking opportunities, and supporting a generation of young leaders committed to driving change across Africa and beyond. More importantly, the summit is a call to action for young people to lead boldly, collaborate across sectors, and continue shaping the future of their communities, the continent, and beyond.
With over 58,000 scholarships committed and a growing global network of Mastercard Foundation Scholars and Alumni, the Baobab Summit reflects the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to fostering inclusive opportunities and empowering young people to thrive.
The 2026 Virtual Baobab Summit reaffirms the importance of convening to foster deeper connections and a shared sense of purpose across the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program community.
Join the conversation: #BaobabSummit2026 #20YearsOfImpact
Strengthening the Community
Baobab Platform - Get Involved
The Baobab platform, developed by Arizona State University in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, brings together a long list of professional development courses in Transformative Leadership, entrepreneurship, hard and soft skills for the workforce.
The Mastercard Foundation Alumni Network
This supportive youth-led network is a community for Alumni to connect to opportunities for engagement and employment and supports ongoing career progression.
The Baobab Summit Frequently Asked Questions
General Information
-
Why is the 2026 Virtual Baobab Summit significant? -
The 2026 Virtual Baobab Summit marks an important milestone as the Mastercard Foundation celebrates 20 years of impact. Since 2012, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program has played a key role in advancing access to education and developing transformative leaders in Africa.
The Baobab Summit offers an opportunity to reflect on this journey, celebrate achievements, and look ahead to the future being shaped by Africa’s next generation of leaders.
-
Where and when will the 2026 Baobab Summit take place? -
The 2026 Virtual Baobab Summit will be held online on 10 and 11 September 2026. Full program details will be shared through the official invitation and registration package.
-
Who is eligible to attend? -
Participation is by invitation only. Attendees include Mastercard Foundation Scholars, Alumni, partner representatives, Baobab community, Foundation staff and leadership, and select speakers and stakeholders.
-
Will in-person participation be available? -
No. The 2026 Virtual Baobab Summit is a fully virtual event designed to connect participants globally through an engaging online experience.
Participation & Registration
-
Is registration required? -
Yes. All participants must register using the link provided in their official invitation to access the event and related resources.
Program & Content
-
What is the theme of the 2026 Baobab Summit? -
This year's theme is “20 Years of Impact: Shaping Africa’s Future Leaders.”
It celebrates two decades of the Mastercard Foundation’s impact in shaping a generation of leaders committed to driving change across Africa and beyond through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. It also serves as a call to action to strengthen youth leadership across sectors and communities.
-
What types of sessions will the Baobab Summit include? -
The program will feature keynote addresses, plenaries, panel discussions, workshops, talent showcases, and networking opportunities.
-
Will there be opportunities for Mastercard Foundation Scholars and Alumni to share their perspectives? -
Yes. The Baobab Summit platform is designed to be interactive, enabling participants to share perspectives, engage in discussions, and access content before, during, and after the event.
Post-Summit Engagement
-
How will content from the Baobab Summit be shared afterward? -
Highlights, recap videos, and key insights will be published across the Mastercard Foundation’s digital platforms and shared with partners.
-
Will the Baobab Summit remain an annual convening? -
Yes. The Baobab Summit will continue to serve as the flagship annual convening of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program community—either virtually or in person—strengthening connections and advancing the Foundation’s mission.
Mastercard Foundation General Information
-
How does the Mastercard Foundation respond to the many crises happening in the world today, including wars, displacement, and violence? -
We are deeply aware that young people across Africa and beyond are living through times of conflict, displacement, and uncertainty. Our thoughts are with all those experiencing loss and instability. The Mastercard Foundation remains committed to its charitable objectives of advancing education and promoting financial inclusion as a means of relieving poverty. Even in times of crisis, we believe education and opportunity are powerful pathways to resilience, hope, and long-term peace.
-
Does the Mastercard Foundation take a position on specific political conflicts? -
As a charitable organization, we do not take political positions. Our focus is on young people and communities. We work to expand access to education, strengthen institutions, and create inclusive opportunities—particularly for women, displaced communities, and persons with disabilities. These efforts help young people to learn, lead, and build stronger, more just societies.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
A global initiative designed to develop the next generation of transformative leaders by enabling highly talented, service-oriented young people to pursue higher education and cultivate their leadership potential.
