Rabat – Casablanca will host a major international women’s leadership event in 2026 as Verve Management brings the Africa Women Leaders Summit & Awards to the African continent for the first time on January 28-29.
After organizing women leadership platforms in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and India, Verve Management is expanding its global initiative to Africa. This marks a new chapter in its mission to promote women’s leadership, equity, and impact worldwide, said the organizers in a press release.
The two-day summit will take place at the Barceló Anfa Casablanca Hotel and is expected to bring together some of Africa’s most influential women leaders, policymakers, business executives, and change-makers.
The event will focus on high-level discussions, strategic partnerships, and practical solutions aimed at strengthening women’s roles in shaping Africa’s economic and social future.
According to the organizers, the Africa edition builds on Verve Management’s experience in delivering world-class leadership platforms, while placing a strong spotlight on African excellence and encouraging cross-border and global collaboration.
The summit will feature a high-profile lineup of speakers, including Nadia Fettah Alaoui, Morocco’s Minister of Economy and Finance, Hakima El Haite, Honorary President of Liberal International, Leila Hanafi, Senior Legal Specialist at the World Bank Group, Rita Maria Zniber, CEO of Diana Holding, and Dahlia Khalifa, Director for Central and Anglophone West Africa at the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Other speakers include Aawatif Hayar, Chair of the Casablanca IEEE Core Smart City Project, Maria Nadim, Moroccan singer and actress, and Bouchra Baibanou, the first Moroccan and North African woman to climb Mount Everest and complete the Seven Summits challenge.
A major highlight of the event will be the Africa Women Leaders Awards, which will recognize outstanding women across business, public service, entrepreneurship, innovation, and social impact.
Sabah Parvez, Managing Director of Verve Management, said bringing the summit to Africa is “both a responsibility and a privilege,” adding that the platform aims to ensure African women are recognized as leaders and architects of growth.