ASA is expanding its 2027 Conference and Expo into a two-day African-focused platform connecting entrepreneurs, investors and franchise leaders with opportunities for sustainable business growth continentwide.
The Franchise Association of South Africa will host its expanded Annual Conference and Expo, known as Confex, at Emperors Palace in Boksburg, Johannesburg on 24 and 25 February 2027.
The event represents a significant evolution for the organisation, combining a longer two-day programme with a stronger focus on connecting South Africa’s franchise sector to opportunities and partnerships across the African continent.
FASA CEO Freddy Makgato said the association sees entrepreneurship and collaboration as important tools for strengthening economic participation and creating sustainable businesses.
“We need to break barriers to build South Africa’s economy. This is a new journey for FASA, and we are changing how we work,” Makgato said.
“We believe in entrepreneurship and in partnerships that help people build sustainable businesses.”
Under the theme “Implementing Franchising Today”, Confex 2027 will bring together franchisors, franchisees, investors, suppliers, policymakers, prospective entrepreneurs and organisations supporting business development.
The programme will focus on practical learning, networking, investment and the systems required to build and operate sustainable franchise businesses.
For aspiring entrepreneurs, franchising can offer a different route into business ownership by combining an established brand and operating model with training, mentorship and ongoing support.
FASA believes strengthening that ecosystem can contribute to entrepreneurship, skills development and employment while providing business owners with structures that reduce some of the uncertainty associated with starting independently.
A significant development for the 2027 event is its expanded African outlook.
FASA has joined the Africa Franchise Association, a network bringing together national franchise associations and specialist partners working to develop franchising across the continent.
Eight franchise associations have already joined the network, creating opportunities for stronger collaboration between markets and for African franchise businesses to build relationships beyond their domestic economies.
“The African focus will broaden the conversations and connections available through Confex, while supporting collaboration across markets,” Makgato said.
“It also reinforces the role that franchising can play in enabling entrepreneurs through established systems, training, mentorship and operating support.”
The broader continental approach could also create opportunities for South African franchise brands interested in expansion while giving businesses from other African markets greater access to the local franchise ecosystem.
For FASA, the intention is to create a platform where industry, government and the private sector can participate in shaping practical solutions around entrepreneurship and business growth.
The organisation is also encouraging partners to become involved early, allowing sponsors and sector stakeholders to contribute to the development of the platform rather than participating only during the two event days.
Warren Hickinbotham, FASA’s head of sponsorships, said the event gives companies an opportunity to associate themselves directly with entrepreneurship, skills development, transformation and employment creation.
“If you believe, like I do, that South Africa builds itself one entrepreneur at a time, one job, one skill and one franchise at a time, then this is where you put your name behind that belief,” Hickinbotham said.
Confex 2027 will also expand from a one-day event to two full days following feedback from previous delegates and sponsors.
The additional time will accommodate more keynote presentations, panel discussions, breakaway sessions, networking opportunities and direct business meetings.
Makgato said the longer format responds to demand for more meaningful engagement rather than compressing conversations and relationship-building into a single day.
“Our delegates and sponsors told us they wanted more time to connect, to learn and to do business, and we listened,” he said. “Moving to a two-day format allows us to go deeper into the issues that matter to franchisors, franchisees and investors, without rushing the conversations that lead to real partnerships.”
The expanded format is also expected to provide exhibitors and sponsors with greater visibility and more opportunities to generate business leads.
For the first time, members of the public will be able to access the exhibition independently of conference attendance.
This will open the franchise environment to a wider audience, including people exploring business ownership who may not previously have attended an industry conference.
Visitors will be able to engage with franchise brands, suppliers and business-support organisations while learning more about the realities, requirements and opportunities associated with becoming a franchisee.
FASA will also revive its awards programme during Confex 2027, providing a platform to recognise achievement and excellence across the franchise sector.
The combination of greater public access, continental participation and a two-day programme reflects FASA’s ambition to position Confex as more than an annual industry gathering.
It is increasingly being structured as a platform through which entrepreneurs, investors and established businesses can build relationships, exchange practical knowledge and identify opportunities for growth.
As African markets become more connected, franchising also presents an opportunity for established business models to travel across borders while creating locally owned enterprises and employment.
Confex 2027 will test how far a stronger network of franchise associations, investors, brands and entrepreneurs can turn that potential into practical business opportunities across South Africa and the wider continent.
