ARBITRATION IN A FRAGMENTED GLOBAL ORDER: THE FUTURE OF TRADE, INVESTMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The JAW 2026 venue is the Sandton Convention Centre, a world-class facility in the Sandton commercial node.
JAW 2026 is a 3-day event involving plenary and breakaway sessions led by speakers and panels of international eminence. It includes exciting side events, in which participants can socialise and network.
Join the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA) and our co-hosts on this exciting journey to drive change, create new alliances and champion arbitration as a cornerstone of Africa’s economic success.
5 – 7 MAY 2026
SANDTON CONVENTION CENTRE, JOHANNESBURG
JAW 2026 Programme
DAY 1 Tuesday 5 May 2025 |
| REGISTRATION | PLENARYVenue A | 08H00 – 08H30 | |
| Registration and refreshments | |||
| WELCOME, OPENING AND THEMATIC REVIEW | PLENARYVenue A | 08H30 – 09H00 | |
| Choir | |||
| SESSION 1 | PLENARYVenue A | 09H00 – 09H45 | |
| Welcome, Opening and Thematic Review | |||
| SESSION 2 | PLENARYVenue A | AFSA Africa Forum | 09H45 – 10H30 |
| Statesmen in Dialogue: Leadership and Dispute Resolution in Africa Moderator: Leslie Mkhabela, Managing Director and co-founder of Mkhabela Huntley Attorneys Introduction: Adv Michael Kuper SC Panellist: HE Joaquim Alberto Chissano, Former President of The Republic of Mozambique Panellist: HE Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Former President of The Republic of Nigeria Panellist: HE Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, Former President of The Republic of Kenya Panellist: HE Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Former President of The Republic of Liberia Signing of a Partnership Agreement | |||
| PLENARY Venue A | 10H30 – 11H00 | ||
Arbitration Through the Eyes of the Bench: Practice Pitfalls and Perspectives Moderator: Adv Lindi Nkosi-Thomas SC, AFSA Vice Chair | |||
| TEA BREAK | 11H00 – 11H20 |
| SESSION 3 | PLENARYVenue A | AFSA | 11H30 – 12H30 |
AFSA@30: Founding and Growth Moderator: Stanley Nyamanhindi, Executive: Business Development, AFSA | |||
| LUNCH | 12H30 – 13H30 |
| SESSION 4 | PLENARY Venue A | CDH | 13H30 – 14H30 |
BRICS, AfCFTA & the Fading Rules-Based Order: What This Means for Arbitration Moderator: Jackwell Feris, Director & Sector Head, CDH | |||
| TEA BREAK | 14H30 – 14H50 |
| SESSION 5 | PLENARY Venue A | Webber Wentzel | 15H00 – 16H00 |
Beyond Expropriation: Performance Obligations, Resource Nationalism and Mining Arbitration in Africa Moderator: Prianka Soni, Partner, Webber Wentzel | |||
| SESSION 6 | PLENARY Venue A | JSA / AFT | 16H00 – 17H00 |
| Reseating Africa: Structural Reform, Judicial Confidence and the Rise of African Arbitral Hubs | |||
| COCKTAIL PARTY | Bill Gallagher Room | 17H00 for 17H30 |
DAY 2 Wednesday 6 May 2026 |
| SESSION 1 | PLENARYVenue A | Bowmans | 09H00 – 10H00 |
Leveraging Opportunities in Times of Uncertainty: Africa’s Legislative Modernisation, BITs and Increased Judicial Support for Enforcement Moderator: Clement Mkiva, Co-Head of Litigation, Bowmans | |||
| SESSION 2 | PLENARYVenue A | AFSA | 10H00 – 11H00 |
AFSA in the World: The Architecture of International Arbitration Practice Moderator: Prof Lise Bosman, AFSA Court President and Executive Director of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) | |||
| TEA BREAK | 11H00 – 11H20 |
| SESSION 3 | PLENARYVenue A | AFSA Initiative | 11H30 – 13H30 |
KALAGADI/IDC: Moot and Judiciary-led discussion and dialogue Judge: Judge Fayeeza Kathree-Setiloane | |||
| LUNCH | 13H30 – 14H30 |
| SESSION 4 | BREAKAWAY 1 Venue B | Webber Wentzel | 14H30 – 15H30 |
| The Impact of Sanctions on International Arbitration and Enforcement Moderator: Chandni Gopal, Partner, Webber Wentzel Panellist: Lele Modise, Group Chief Legal and Regulatory Affairs Officer, MTN Panellist: Neil Boyd, Counsel, Linklaters Panellist: Trevor Versfeld, Partner, Webber Wentzel | |||
| BREAKAWAY 2 Venue C | JSA/AFT | 14H30 – 15H30 | |
| Energy, Infrastructure and Transition Risk: Arbitration at the centre of Africa’s Commercial Transformation | |||
| TEA BREAK | 15H30 – 15H50 |
| SESSION 5 | BREAKAWAY 1 Venue B | CDH | 16H00 – 17H00 |
Critical Minerals, Energy Security & Strategic Supply Chains: Disputes in the New Geopolitical Battleground Moderator: Denise Durand, Director, CDH | |||
| BREAKAWAY 3 Venue C | Jus Mundi | 16H00 – 17H00 | |
The Use of AI in Arbitration Proceedings Moderator: Alexandre Vagenheim, VP Institutional & Legal Affairs | |||
| GALA DINNER | BALLROOM | 18H30 for 19H00 |
DAY 3 Thursday 7 May 2026 |
| SESSION 1 | PLENARYVenue A | AFSA Initiative | 09H00 – 09H45 |
AFSA and Partners in Africa: Africa Minerals Development Centre (AMDC), African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) Moderator: Jackwell Feris, Director & Head of Industrialisation, Manufacturing and Trade Sector, Cliff Decker Hoffmeyer (CDH) | |||
| SESSION 2 | PLENARYVenue A | AFSA Initiative | 09H45 – 10H30 |
AFSA Partnerships in Business and Human Rights Moderator: Evangelista Nashon, Partner Africorp, Tanzania. | |||
| SESSION 3 | PLENARYVenue A | AFSA Strategic Partnerships/ Signing Ceremony | 10H30 – 10H45 |
MOU Signing with AUDA-NEPAD and AMDC Signatories: Andile Nikani, AFSA CEO and Adv Michael Kuper SC, AFSA Chair The UCT Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Unit of the Law Faculty of the University Of Cape Town, Cape Town Signatories: Andile Nikani, AFSA CEO and Adv Michael Kuper SC, AFSA Chair Chamber of Arbitrators, Belarus Signatories: Andile Nikani, AFSA CEO and Adv Michael Kuper SC, AFSA Chair Russian Arbitration Association Signatories: Andile Nikani, AFSA CEO and Adv Michael Kuper SC, AFSA Chair AFSA International Rules Translation Representative: Prof Lise Bosman, AFSA International Court President, France | |||
| TEA BREAK | 10H45 – 11H10 |
| SESSION 4 | PLENARYVenue A | AFSA | 11H15 – 12H30 |
Collaborating for Credibility: Institutional Cooperation and the Future of Arbitration in Africa Moderator: Dr Jamsheed Peeroo, Bar of England and Wales (36 Stone), the Mauritian Bar (Peeroo Chambers) | |||
| SESSION 5 | PLENARYVenue A | Young AFSA | 12H30 – 13H30 |
Sanctions, trade wars, and geopolitical rivalry make mediation (not arbitration) the only realistic mechanism for resolving cross-border commercial disputes involving African parties caught between competing global blocs. An Oxford-style debate focusing on audience persuasion, with two opposing sides arguing the motion. | |||
| SESSION 6 | PLENARYVenue A | 13H30 – 14H00 | |
| Conference Theme: Looking to the Future | |||
| CLOSING | PLENARYVenue A | 14H00 – 14H15 |
| LUNCH | BALLROOM | 18H30 for 19H00 |