People
Culture, leadership, inclusion and the employee experience.
THE PAN-AFRICAN FORUM FOR RETAIL PEOPLE LEADERS
Where Africa's retail people leaders shape what's next.
A senior-level meeting for the leaders redesigning people strategy, performance and work across Africa's fast-changing retail sector.
27–28 January 2027 two focused daysFour Seasons The Westcliff Johannesburg, South AfricaPeople · Performance Technology · Future of Work
THE CASE FOR THIS SUMMIT
Retail's biggest transformation challenge is not technology alone. It is people.
Across African markets, retail leaders are balancing growth, skills shortages, frontline pressure, new technology and changing employee expectations.
This summit creates the senior, practical conversation often missing from broad HR conferences: a focused forum where retail people leaders can compare what is working, challenge assumptions and leave with ideas they can use.
Why this summit matters ↗CONTENT PILLARS
Four priorities.
One connected agenda.
Every session is designed around the decisions retail people leaders are making now.
Performance
Frontline productivity, retention, reward and workforce planning.
Technology
AI, people analytics and HR technology that improves work.
Future of work
Skills, new operating models and the evolving retail workforce.
2027 SPEAKER FACULTY
The people doing
the work.
We are building a speaker faculty of senior practitioners, operators and specialists with evidence—not sales pitches.
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Bring the case study
the industry needs to hear.
We are inviting CHROs, HR directors, people leaders, retail operators and selected experts to contribute original, practical perspectives to the 2027 programme.
Propose a session ↗What makes a strong proposal
01A real challenge and a clear point of view
02Evidence, outcomes or lessons from implementation
03Practical value for a senior retail audience
04A topic aligned to one of the four summit pillars
PROGRAMME PREVIEW
Retail people strategy.
Real operating impact.
A retailer-first programme connecting workforce priorities with store performance, customer experience and responsible technology.
DAY ONE
KeynoteAfrica’s Retail Workforce 2027: From People Strategy to Store Performance
DAY ONE
Executive PanelAfter the Peak: What the 2026 Festive Trading Season Revealed
DAY ONE
Executive PanelThe Store Manager Challenge: Building the Leadership Layer Retail Depends On
DAY TWO
KeynoteAI on the Shop Floor: Redesigning Retail Work Without Losing the Human Advantage
DAY TWO
HR Technology Buyers’ ForumWhat Retail People Leaders Will Invest In—and What They No Longer Need
DAY TWO
Executive PanelSkills for Omnichannel Retail
WHO BELONGS IN THE ROOM
Built for leaders with
work to do.
01Chief Human Resources Officers02Chief People Officers03HR & People Directors04Talent & Learning Leaders05Retail Operations Executives06Employee Experience Leaders07Reward & Wellbeing Leaders08HR Technology Leaders
PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Earn attention by
adding value.
For carefully selected partners, the summit offers a credible route to the senior people leaders shaping workforce investment across African retail.
Partnerships will be built around useful content, relevant conversations and high-quality visibility. A limited 2027 prospectus is available to organisations that fit the audience and agenda.
Request the prospectusAFRICA RETAIL HR AWARDS
Recognition for the people
behind retail progress.
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION
Questions,
answered.
Senior HR, people, talent, learning, reward, employee experience and retail operations leaders working across African retail and adjacent consumer businesses.
27–28 JANUARY 2027 · JOHANNESBURG