Senegalese capital Dakar will host the sixth NewSpace Africa Conference from April 19 to 23, 2027, providing a leading platform for dialogue, collaboration and business development within Africa’s space ecosystem, organisers have announced.
The four-day event is organised by Space in Africa, a space-sector analytics and consulting company serving institutional and commercial markets, with a particular focus on Africa, in collaboration with the African Space Agency (AfSA), the continental body responsible for advancing Africa’s space capabilities.
Themed “Building, Financing and Delivering Africa’s Space Infrastructure,” the conference will be hosted by Senegal’s Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MESRI).
According to a press release issued by the organisers, the conference will bring together senior stakeholders from across the continent’s space sector, including representatives of national space agencies, regulatory bodies, government institutions, commercial space companies, academia, investors, international partners, researchers and emerging innovators. Participants will discuss the policies, technologies and investment opportunities shaping the industry’s future.
The theme reflects a sector transitioning from ambition to implementation, the organisers said. Discussions will focus on how African governments, industry players and international partners can identify infrastructure needs, mobilise financing, develop viable commercial models and ensure that investments translate into services addressing the continent’s development priorities.
Dr Tidiane Ouattara, president of the Council of the African Space Agency, said the 2027 edition would build on previous conferences to strengthen cooperation and unlock new opportunities for investment and innovation.
“Dakar 2027 will build on the progress of the NewSpace Africa Conference to bring Africa’s space community together around new opportunities for cooperation, investment and innovation,” Ouattara said.
“As Africa’s space ecosystem continues to grow, platforms that connect governments, industry, investors and international partners will be essential to turning our ambitions into tangible outcomes,” he added, according to the press release.
The organisers said the selection of the West African nation as host of the 2027 conference reflects the Senegal’s growing role in Africa’s and the global space economy.
In 2024, Senegal launched Gaindesat-1A, its first nanosatellite. In July 2025, the country signed the Artemis Accords, becoming the fourth African nation to join the international framework promoting principles for responsible and transparent space exploration.
Dakar also hosted the inaugural African Union–European Union Space Dialogue in 2023, the first high-level space cooperation forum between the two continental blocs, underscoring Senegal’s commitment to multilateral cooperation in the space sector.
The conference programme will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions, business pitches, business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-government (B2G) matchmaking sessions, side events and exhibitions.
Through these activities, the organisers aim to strengthen partnerships between African and international stakeholders, support investment opportunities, showcase innovations emerging from the continent and create pathways for the continued development of Africa’s NewSpace ecosystem.
Space in Africa said previous editions of the conference had attracted more than 2,300 participants from 792 organisations across 98 countries.
