Roundtable 1 — Unlocking African Philanthropy's Potential: Ecosystem Tools and Policy Frameworks for Sustainable Impact

Across Sub-Saharan Africa, national development agendas and policy think tanks are increasingly looking to philanthropic capital to sustain long-term growth, yet that capital remains constrained by fragmented support infrastructure, restrictive legal and fiscal environments, and limited integration with state policy. WINGS brings two operational tools to address these bottlenecks — the Enabling Environment Guide, grounded in over twenty national case studies, and the Playbook of Practices — noting that unlocking just 0.5–1% of the continent's private wealth into structured local philanthropy could mobilize an additional US$14–28 billion. Hosted by WINGS Network.

Facilitated by Ms. Ya Sally Njie (Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, WINGS), with a framing presentation by Mr. Leandre Banon (Africa Regional Engagement Lead, WINGS) and a panel featuring Mrs. Alia K. Uduhiri (Senior Director, GSF Global Advisors) and Mr. Christian Marie-Xavier Loupeda (Co-Founder & Managing Director, Inclusive Finance Accelerators).

Objective: introduce the Enabling Environment Guide and Playbook of Practices as instruments think tanks, PSOs and policymakers can act on directly — using Kenya's PBO Act and the South Africa and Senegal JETPs as worked examples — and test what would make the continental fiscal case actionable. Expected outcomes: wider use of both tools with digital copies distributed to delegates; a comparative picture of legal recognition and country platforms as entry points; and two to three governments or institutions expressing interest in a concrete follow-up step feeding into the Beyond Alignment series.