The first-ever Valuable 500 Africa Summit on Disability Inclusion was successfully held at The Houghton Hotel, Johannesburg, hosted by award-winning non-profit Afrika Tikkun in partnership with the Valuable 500 and the Gauteng Provincial Government.
The landmark event convened global business leaders, policymakers, and disability rights advocates to tackle the persistent exclusion of persons with disabilities (PWD) from education, employment, and leadership roles. With persons with disabilities making up an estimated 20% of Africa’s population, the Summit highlighted inclusion as both a moral imperative and a strategic business advantage.
Key Outcomes
The Summit centred on leadership, reporting, and representation, with strong commitments made by attending organisations:
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Official launch of the Valuable 500 Africa Chapter, with more than 50 founding members.
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Corporate pledges to increase disability employment targets from 2% to at least 3%.
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Commitments by several businesses to employ at least 30 job-seekers with disabilities from Afrika Tikkun’s candidate pool.
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Strengthened public–private partnerships to embed sustainable inclusion strategies.
Afrika Tikkun’s Group CEO, Marc Lubner, said:
“Our goal has always been to create meaningful employment and integration for persons with disabilities. The commitments secured at this Summit mark a major step toward making that vision real.”
Why It Matters
Lana Roy, Programme Lead of 360: Disability Inclusion at Afrika Tikkun, stressed the continent’s opportunity:
“Africa’s youthful population and fast-growing economies mean disability inclusion is not just the right thing to do — it is a catalyst for innovation, talent development, and economic growth.”
Katy Talikowska, CEO of the Valuable 500, added:
“No society can prosper if it leaves a fifth of its people behind. This Summit is a defining moment for Africa to lead the world in inclusive growth.”
Looking Ahead
As a precursor to the G20, the Summit aimed to ensure Africa’s voice is heard on global platforms around economic inclusion and social equity.
Special acknowledgement was extended to Rand Mutual Assurance and the SAB Foundation for their generous contributions to the success of the event.
For more information, visit: https://afrikatikkun.org/valuable-500/.
