The

Business of

Conservation
Conference

2026

Report
Highlights

BCC was in Nairobi in 2026,

watch the recap...

Held in Nairobi, Kenya from 4–7 March 2026, the Business of Conservation Conference (BCC 2026), convened by the African Leadership University School of Wildlife Conservation, brought together leaders from conservation, communities, finance, business and policy around a shared ambition: to unlock the potential of Africa’s wildlife economy as a driver of sustainable economic development. Under the theme Changing the Conservation Narrative: Everyone’s Business in Africa and Beyond, BCC 2026 was our largest gathering to date.

BCC is an inspiring, powerful gathering of African CEOs, policymakers, investors, philanthropists, community leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers, students and innovative conservationists to find practical, sustainable ways of powering economic growth in Africa through wildlife conservation.

Top African
CEOs

Policy
Makers

Heads of
State

Global
Technologists

Investors

Philanthropists

Entrepreneurs

Innovative
Conservationalists

Leaders of conservation businesses

Academia
and Research

Media

and more...

It is not a meeting about conservation for conservation’s sake. It instead provides a practical ‘how to’ guide for African economic development through conservation. It is a gathering to discuss ways of investing in wildlife and its habitat so that African people can derive economic and cultural value from it. Ultimately, BCC helps catalyze an abundant future for one of Africa’s greatest untapped sources of wealth.

Why BCC?

...

Our goal is to influence current leaders in politics, business, government, technology, philanthropy, media etc. such that they prioritise conservation issues that threaten the quality of life for current and future generations. This is urgent as time and resources are disappearing at an alarming rate. We also aim to identify young Africans with leadership potential and develop them into highly capable leaders who will ensure a sustainable future for one of Africa's most valuable resources - wildlife. 

  • Building a community that believes in Africa's Wildlife Economy
  • Launch the Wildlife Economy Investment Index
  • Assist SOWC in addressing the urgent need to develop a strong pipeline of highly capable African Conservation leaders for the future

Programme

...

Across four days, BCC 2026 combined high-level plenaries with 40+ parallel sessions hosted by partners including African Parks, NatureFinance, the Sustainable Finance Coalition, Conserve Global, Carbon Tanzania, AWF and ALU SOWC – covering conservation finance, nature markets, BioTrade, carbon and blue finance, community governance, data sovereignty and next-generation leadership. The programme closed with a field day.

Read the BCC 2026 Report

BCC 2026 was our largest gathering to date: 450+ registrations, 350+ attendees from 42 countries, 60+ speakers and 60+ partner organisations across 40+ plenary and parallel sessions. Around 90% of participants said BCC met or exceeded their expectations – and many left with new research collaborations, project partnerships and funding conversations already underway. Dates: March 4th–7th, 2026 Venue: Nairobi, Kenya

4-7 March

2026

Nairobi, Kenya

What BCC 2026 delivered:

A robust agenda: 40+ plenary and parallel sessions spanning conservation finance, nature markets, community governance, BioTrade, carbon and blue finance, and insurance for human–wildlife coexistence.

Influential attendees: 350+ attendees from 42 countries and 19 sectors – from ministers, investors and business leaders to community representatives, researchers and young conservation leaders.

Inspirational speakers and sessions: 60+ speakers – including Sidee Dlamini (CEO, ALU), Judi Wakhungu (former Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Kenya), Martin Potgieter (RMB) and Sue Snyman (ALU SOWC) – challenged the sector to make conservation deliver real returns for people and nature.

Expand your knowledge: Five strategic takeaways emerged: conservation must deliver measurable economic, social and ecological returns; finance must evolve toward investment-driven approaches; narrative change is essential; communities and indigenous knowledge must be central; and investment-ready conservation enterprises are key to achieving scale.

Help make BCC a success

Increase your organization's brand awareness and credibility by making an impact as a sponsor. There are various types of sponsorship opportunities that provide a level to meet any budget. Contact us for more information via email at businessofconservation@alueducation.com. Sponsoring BCC will provide your organization with brand exposure to potential customers/clients and more importantly, you will be making a difference in the conservation community and supporting the next generation of ethical, entrepreneurial conservation leaders.

Contact Us

For more information,
please contact us via email at businessofconservation@alueducation.com