Africa Day Lecture: Leaders call for unity as Afrophobia rises in Africa

Dr Kayode Fayemi addressing delegates during the 16th Thabo Mbeki Africa Day Lecture at the Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town.

African leaders, academics, and policymakers used the 16th Thabo Mbeki Africa Day Lecture in Cape Town on Saturday to warn that rising Afrophobia and xenophobia threaten the continent’s vision of unity, while calling for stronger institutions, accountable leadership, and renewed solidarity across Africa.

Held at the Century City Conference Centre ahead of Africa Day on May 25, the lecture was hosted under the theme "Rebuilding African Unity in an Age of Fragmentation: Sovereignty, Solidarity and the Renewal of Institutions".

Opening the event, Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Puleng LenkaBula said the lecture remained an important platform for critical engagement on issues affecting Africa and the Global South.

"We know what it means to millions of Africans who look to Pan-African institutions to facilitate dialogues, engagements, and critical discussions to reimagine the future," she said.