Next week, around 500 global leaders — including large-scale investors, family office principals, business leaders, and cultural and academic voices — will gather in Cape Town for three days designed around trusted connections and thoughtful dialogue on tomorrow’s most important opportunities.
Running 27–29 January 2026, Counder Conference brings leading organisations like OpenAI, The Stack Group, Investec, Ringier and many others together with invite-only guests and Members of the Counder network to exchange on emerging trends and markets.
Among those confirmed to attend are Hardy Pemhiwa (President & CEO, Cassava Technologies), Dr. Christo Wiese (Chairman Emeritus, Shoprite), Cyrille Nkontchou (Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Enko Capital), Martin Manniche (Managing Director, Axon Networks), and Sudeep Ramnani (Founder, Sporty Group & 885 Capital).
What draws the high-level attendees in is the timing. When technology, capital, and culture start moving at the same speed, the advantage goes to the leaders who compare notes early, test assumptions honestly, and leave with relationships strong enough to act.
The three-day arc
Counder Conference is designed as a sequence.
It starts at the German Residence venue in Bishopscourt, where the room forms without the usual rush of programming. In a relaxed setting, introductions happen naturally — and participants begin shaping the path they want to take through the days ahead.
It then shifts to the iconic Norval Foundation in Tokai for Context Day, the intellectual core of the conference. This is where world-class organisations host breakout sessions and topical lunches under Chatham House Rules (no direct quotes). The emphasis is practical: what is being deployed now, what remains uncertain, and where collaboration can realistically happen.
Finally, the conference leans into follow-through. On Connect Day, participants spend time together across Cape Town through curated excursions, before the group reconvenes for a Gala Dinner at the DHL World Cup Stadium.
What is being discussed — and why these partners are in the room
The themes across the three days are shaped through breakout sessions and topical lunches hosted by Counder’s Knowledge Partners — world-class organisations chosen for deep expertise in a theme that matters now, and they host the discussion by setting the framing and guiding the room.
This year, that includes OpenAI hosting Artificial Intelligence: The Biggest Trend of Our Time and The Stack Group hosting Africa Tech: Start-ups Becoming Institutions, alongside sessions on digital assets such as Crypto: From Speculation to Stablecoins — and Investec hosting Key Macro Investment Trends: Global Wealth Influx.
Across the programme, the focus is practical and forward-looking: what leaders are building now, where capital is being deployed, and which technologies are moving from capability to infrastructure. Sessions are designed to surface real constraints, compare approaches across markets, and leave participants with clearer next steps — whether that is a new relationship to follow up on, an assumption to revisit, or a collaboration to explore.
Connect Day: excursions and the Gala Dinner
Connect Day is designed to turn context into connection through shared experiences across Cape Town.
Participants choose from a set of curated excursions and hosted gatherings, including the Counder Golf Tournament, Counder Padel Tournament, Morning Hike, Yacht Tour, the Counder Red Bus Excursion, Wine Tasting & Studio Tour, and a series of Family Brunches hosted by Counder Members.
The day closes with the formal Gala Dinner at the DHL World Cup Stadium, bringing the full group back together to reconnect, continue conversations from the week, and set up the follow-through that happens after Cape Town.
How leaders can join
Counder Conference is free for invited guests.
Leaders can be approved to attend by either:
- Asking for an invitation via counder.com/be-part, or
- Being referred by a Counder Member.
All applications are reviewed, and attendance is confirmed only once an application is approved.
The takeaway
Counder Conference is built for follow-through. The aim is to move from context to connection to collaboration — and to leave Cape Town with trusted relationships and a clear set of conversations to continue long after the final dinner.
For leaders building, backing, or steering work on tomorrow’s most important opportunities, Counder Conference is where those conversations move from insight to action — with the right people in the room, and a clear path to continue the work afterwards.
