Libreville To Host 2026 Edition of the NewSpace Africa Conference
Space in Africa, in collaboration with the African Space Agency and the Agence Gabonaise d’Etudes et d’Observations Spatiales (AGEOS), a Gabonese Agency, under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic of Gabon and the Ministry of Digital Economy, Digitalisation and Innovation (MENDI), is organising the 2026 edition of the NewSpace Africa Conference from 20th to 23rd April 2026 in Libreville, Gabon.
Themed “Inclusive Growth: Expanding Space Benefits to all Africans,” the 2026 edition will explore how space technologies and applications can drive equitable socio-economic development across the continent, and discuss strategies for ensuring that the advantages of Africa’s growing space sector reach every community, from urban centres to rural communities across Africa. The conference will go beyond showcasing technological advances to interrogate how space-enabled solutions can address the continent’s most pressing challenges, including food security, climate change, connectivity and digital inclusion, education, healthcare, disaster resilience, the blue economy, industrialisation and entrepreneurship, with an emphasis on building inclusive frameworks that leave no one behind. This theme aims to reframe the African space industry as not just a frontier of science and innovation, but as a strategic enabler of sustainable development and shared prosperity for every African.
The NewSpace Africa Conference 2026 will convene critical stakeholders from across the African and global space ecosystem, including government officials, policymakers, national space agencies, academia, and the commercial space sector, to provide a unique platform for partners to engage in agenda-setting and strategy development for inclusive growth for African people through space-enabled industries and technologies, thereby advancing Africa’s role in the global space arena. Participants from satellite manufacturing, Earth observation, satellite connectivity, navigation, and other industry segments will come together alongside NewSpace companies and high-level professionals to share insights that drive policy, business development, and the sustainable growth of the African space ecosystem for socioeconomic benefits.
As Africa’s leading space business event, the conference will highlight the continent’s technological advancements and innovations in space to reinforce Africa’s role and position it as a strategic player in the global space sector. It will serve as a platform to attract foreign investment, strengthen partnerships, forge new collaborations, and create new market opportunities across multiple segments, from established enterprises to emerging startups. Through keynotes, panel discussions, interactive sessions, business pitches, and matchmaking for B2B, B2C, and B2G collaborations, the event will explore policies, research, market trends, and the future outlook of Africa’s space industry. Side events and exhibitions will provide businesses, enterprises, and government agencies with the opportunity to display their capabilities to a targeted audience of local and international space stakeholders. In addition to fostering collaborations, the conference will address the challenges facing Africa’s NewSpace ecosystem while identifying actionable strategies to drive sustainable growth.
According to H.E. Dr Tidiane Ouattara, President of the Council of the African Space Agency, the NewSpace Africa Conference 2026 represents a defining moment for Africa’s space sector. It is not only an opportunity to highlight the progress our continent has made, but also a platform to align our collective vision for space as a driver of sustainable development, economic growth, and global partnership. It holds all the more importance as the second edition since the inauguration of the African Space Agency earlier this year.
Dr Aboubakar Mambimba Ndjoungui, Director-General, AGEOS, further shared that hosting the 2026 edition of the NewSpace Africa Conference in Libreville is a significant milestone for Gabon and the African space community. The gathering will foster collaboration, attract investment, and showcase how African countries are leveraging space technologies to address critical challenges and create new opportunities for future generations.
Previous NewSpace Africa Conference editions in Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Angola, and Egypt gathered over 1,700 attendees from more than 300 organisations and 65 countries in Africa, North America, Asia, and Europe, including representatives from ministries, embassies, space agencies, academia, foreign organisations, and the commercial sector. The 2026 edition in Libreville will build on this legacy by showcasing innovative applications, highlighting investment opportunities, and fostering collaborations that support sustainable growth and economic development. With Gabon’s long-standing commitment to advancing space science and technology, hosting the conference in Libreville underscores the nation’s central role in Africa’s rapidly evolving space landscape.
Early-bird registration is open until November 30, 2025, and Regular registration is open until March 31st, 2026. Visit here to register. In addition, to view our sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, click here. For more information on the conference, kindly visit here or email info@spaceinafrica.com.
About Space in Africa
Space in Africa is the leading analytics and consulting company in the space sector, serving both the institutional and commercial markets with a particular focus on Africa. Our experience builds on a long track of past projects executed for international organisations, national governments, and commercial players, with high stakes in the space business—our practice cuts across all African countries. Space in Africa’s proprietary, research-based business and market analysis predicts critical outcomes in what happens next in the industry and the opportunities available. Its data-driven analysis, free of vested interests and preconceptions, is helping to shape the ecosystem by making accurate information critical for change available. The NewSpace Africa Conference is the primary event in Africa’s space sector, designed to foster further business interactions and cooperation within the African space and satellite industry.
About the African Space Agency
The African Space Agency (AfSA) is the continental space organisation responsible for developing an adequate regional space capability on the continent. It is the focal point of Africa’s collaboration with worldwide partners. The African Union established the agency to coordinate the African Outer Space programme, promote cooperation between the space policies of the AU’s member states, and create a regulatory framework as prescribed in the African Space Policy and Strategy documents. Its strategic objectives are to embed space as one of the critical pillars of African socio-economic development through solid capacity building, translated by adequate infrastructure and training of critical, qualified human capital. The agency is domiciled in the Egyptian Space City, Cairo, Egypt.
About the Agence Gabonaise d’Etudes et d’Observations Spatiales (AGEOS)
The Agence Gabonaise d’Etudes et d’Observations Spatiales (AGEOS) is Gabon’s national space agency dedicated to advancing Earth observation and remote sensing in Gabon and across Africa. Operating under the Ministry of Digital Economy, Digitalisation, and Innovation, AGEOS plays a crucial role in advancing sustainable environmental management, natural resource monitoring, and land-use planning by utilising satellite data. With a mission to establish a robust satellite data infrastructure, the agency is strengthening Gabon’s capacity to monitor climate change impacts, ensure community safety, and harness space technologies for national development. As the only space agency in the Central African region, AGEOS positions itself as a regional tool to address the common challenges identified by ECCAS. AGEOS also ensures the strengthening of national and sub-regional capacities, as well as those beyond.