The Houghton Hotel buzzed on September 10 and 11 as more than 200 leaders, HR professionals and entrepreneurs gathered for Culture Summit Africa 2025.

Hosted by Happy Sandpit, a South African company that helps organisations build stronger workplace cultures through workshops, gamified learning and consulting, the summit placed people and purpose at the centre of the business conversation.

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Delegates from South Africa, Namibia, Uganda and Mauritius explored how culture shapes performance, innovation and loyalty.

Joe Public’s Dr Pepe Marais spoke on purpose-driven leadership, while Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) shared the story of its bold cultural turnaround.

Once known for a rigid, top-down environment, RBM has been working to embed a culture of ‘everyday respect’ – a shift designed to encourage accountability, openness, and dignity in daily interactions, from boardroom decisions to on-the-ground teamwork.

The approach has helped to rebuild trust internally while improving collaboration across the organisation.

For host Colin Browne, CEO of Happy Sandpit, the summit highlighted a broader shift in African business.

“We set high standards, but what impressed me most was the mix in the room, large corporates, small businesses, even one-person shows.

It shows just how broad the appetite for culture really is,” he said.

Browne emphasised that the focus was on actionable insights rather than motivational speeches.

“Our speakers zeroed in on initiatives they’ve actually implemented, building engagement councils, redefining employee value propositions, introducing new ways to measure culture, and sharing tools delegates could use immediately.

People left not just inspired, but equipped to act.

“There’s now a very active, intelligent community of culture-minded individuals. Businesses are becoming more people-focused, more human, more empathetic, and that’s not a passing trend; it’s the future.”

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A recurring theme throughout the summit was shared purpose. People aren’t motivated solely by profit, but by belonging to organisations that do meaningful work.

As Tovè Sithole, the head of brand and talent at iTOO Special Risks, put it, “Humans are not a resource. They are the source.”

The summit closed with momentum and optimism.

With Johannesburg and Nairobi already lined up for 2026, one message rang loud and clear: in Africa, culture is no longer a side conversation; it is the blueprint for performance, purpose, and lasting impact.

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