26 January 2026 – Johannesburg, South Africa – The Africa Rising Music Conference (ARMC) returns to Constitution Hill, Johannesburg, on 22-23 May 2026, continuing its role as a leading platform connecting African and global music industries through dialogue, innovation, and collaboration. Africa Rising Music Conference is a female-led music conference focused on leadership, artist and executive exchange, fostering collaboration, and building bridges between African and global music.
“ARMC continues to be about building real pathways – between artists, executives, markets, and ideas,” says Sarah Jane Nicholson, Founder and Conference Director of Africa Rising Music Conference. “Announcing our first speakers and genre spotlights sets the tone for a programme rooted in collaboration, cultural relevance, and long-term industry impact. We’re excited to reveal much more in the months ahead.”
ARMC is proud to announce its first headline speakers spanning music, technology, media, and culture, with further international artists, executives, and partners to be revealed in the coming months. Confirmed headline speakers include Elaine (Artist), Nkosiyati Khumalo (Billboard Africa), Filah Lah Lah (Singer/Songwriter) and Rofhiwa Maneta (Meta). International headline speakers announced to date include Steffen Holly (Fraunhofer IDMT, Germany) and Alex Jukes (Jukebox PR, UK), with additional global voices to follow. ARMC 2026 announces a strategic partnership with the Recording Industry of South Africa (RISA), representing South Africa’s major and independent record labels. The partnership supports ongoing dialogue around rights, sustainability, and long-term industry growth. ARMC 2026 will spotlight Lekompo, a fast-rising genre from Limpopo, translating grassroots momentum into digital scale. Leading artists, including Shandesh and Kharishma, have generated over 70–80 million cumulative streams, with continued growth across Spotify charts and playlists – signalling how regional genres are building national audiences through streaming-led discovery.
The programme will also spotlight Maskandi, exploring how traditional, community-rooted music continues to reach new mainstream audiences through digital platforms while retaining cultural identity. Based on ARMC’s Music in Tech (Africa) format developed in 2025, the AI Think Tank Roundtable, an initiative launched in Berlin by Paradise Worldwide, AIxchange, the Association For Electronic Music (AFEM), MusicTech Germany, and the Fraunhofer Institute, expands to Johannesburg for the first time in May 2026. The event will bring together music and technology leaders to explore ethical AI use, fair attribution, creator protection and discuss Pan-African independence ecosystems.
Early bird tickets are available via Quicket