Pride of Africa Empowerment Summit drives economic inclusion in Waterfall City
A practical four-pillar fellowship launched at a Midrand gathering aims to equip young people with high-demand digital and business skills.
The Pride of Africa initiative expanded its mission from advocacy to economic empowerment on Friday, October 16, during a gathering of community members, corporate partners and professionals at Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City. The 2026 Pride of Africa Empowerment Summit was held under the theme ‘The Human Library’ as part of Pride of Africa Month leading to Johannesburg Pride Day and March on October 31.
Panellists and attendees held candid discussions on gender-based violence, unemployment, economic exclusion and professional development, with counsellors on site to support participants. The highlight of the event was the launch of the Pride of Africa Fellowship, a skills development programme set for 2027.
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The Fellowship aims to provide young LGBTQ+ individuals with practical career and entrepreneurial pathways through four pillars: Learn, Certify, Mentor and Apply. It will offer mentorship, recognised certification and access to professional networks, alongside training in high-demand fields such as project management, data analytics, data science, digital marketing, e-commerce and user experience (UX) design.
Pride of Africa chairperson Kaye Ally said Pride must extend beyond visibility.
“Pride has always created space for visibility and community, but empowerment also means creating access to skills, professional networks and economic opportunity. The Fellowship creates a practical pathway for that work to continue well beyond October,” Ally said.
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Paledi Rrakgalane, an attendee, outlined how the summit will help young people in the LGBTQ+ community.
Rrakgalane said the summit would highlight existing prominent brands within the community while extending support to emerging enterprises, adding that it would help upcoming entrepreneurs access resources to change their lives.
Event host Adam Benefeld said the summit aimed to assist participants who are not business-minded to become successful business people who can thrive in the corporate world and build sustainable livelihoods from their ideas.
As the summit concluded at Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City, organisers emphasised that visibility must yield tangible economic opportunities.
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