Chairperson of the Africa Prosperity Network (APN) Advisory Council, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, has called on Africans at all levels to take collective responsibility for building a more inclusive and prosperous continent.

Speaking at the 2026 Africa Prosperity Dialogue(APD) under the theme, “Empowering SMEs, Women and Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Inoovate, Collaborate, Trade”, Dr Dlamini-Zuma said that the responsibility of building Africa does not rest on governments and businesses alone.

“Building the Africa we want cannot be the responsibility of governments and business alone. It is a shared responsibility,” she said.

Dr Dlamini-Zuma urged governments, businesses, and citizens to move beyond promises and commit to practical action.

“As we begin our Dialogue 2026, we must commit to inclusive innovation, meaningful collaboration, and expanded trade. Simplified trade regimes must move from pilot projects to continental norms. We can’t be piloting forever.”

She said that Africa’s integration efforts must benefit small businesses, not only large corporations and financial institutions.

“Cross-border payments, logistics, and digital trade platforms must be designed for small businesses, not only for large banks and corporates. Integration must reduce costs, not add layers of delay,” Dr Dlamini-Zuma said.

She called on governments to take firm steps to open up markets across the continent.

“Governments must decisively remove tariffs and non-tariff barriers,” she said, adding that the private sector also has a duty to support inclusive growth.

“The private sector must procure from SMEs, women, and youth businesses, and financial institutions must be transparent and accountable.”

She questioned whether banks and other financial institutions are doing enough to support those driving inclusive development.

“How much of their capital truly reaches those who drive inclusive growth?” she asked. “Maybe we should have a law in every country that financial institutions must declare how much of their capital goes to youth, women, and small and medium enterprises.”

She challenged Africans from all walks of life to see themselves as active contributors to the continent’s future.

“Each and every one of us, whether you are a policymaker, an investor, an entrepreneur, an academic, a worker, or just a citizen like me who doesn’t work anymore, we still have the responsibility to build the Africa we want,” she said.

According to her, true integration must start with a shift in mindset. “This must begin with us changing our mindset and understanding that we are Africans. The borders that we cherish so much were not drawn by us, and we must remove them,” she said.

Dr Dlamini-Zuma also congratulated young Africans who took part in a recent continental competition held in Morocco.

“Let me congratulate the young people who participated in the AFCON competition recently in Morocco. We congratulate all of them, because they are our young people, and we congratulate Senegal for winning,” she said.

She noted that participation itself was a victory for the continent’s youth. “You only win if there are participants, so we must congratulate those who participated,” she added.

Dr Dlamini-Zuma said the success of the Africa Prosperity Dialogue would be judged by action, not speeches.

“The measure of the success of this dialogue will not be the eloquence of our presentations, but the courage of our implementation as we leave here,” she said.

She urged leaders to create opportunities that keep young people on the continent.

“If we genuinely empower SMEs, women, and youth within Africa’s single market, we will ignite hope rooted here in the continent. We will send a clear message to Africa’s young people that their future does not lie in the perilous journeys across the Sahel and the Mediterranean, but right here in Africa.”

“We must build an Africa where young people will aspire to live in Africa, to fix Africa, rather than to escape it,” she added.