African Product Keynote highlights local product design
A growing community of designers, product leaders and entrepreneurs gathers in Lomé to discuss how African products can scale, innovate and serve local realities.
Across the African continent, a new generation of designers, developers and entrepreneurs is shaping products that respond directly to local contexts. Yet while the ecosystem is growing rapidly, many of these initiatives still struggle to gain international visibility. The Africa Product Keynote (APK) aims to change that narrative.
Scheduled for March 28–29, 2026 in Lomé, Togo, the event positions itself as a platform dedicated to product thinking, innovation and business growth in Africa’s digital ecosystem. Organized by Friends of Figma Lomé, the conference brings together designers, product managers, founders and industry experts to explore how African-made products can evolve into high-performing solutions capable of competing globally.
Gallery
Open full width
Open full width
Rather than focusing purely on technology, the initiative looks at the broader framework that allows products to thrive: design culture, customer experience, research, and strategic development. The 2026 edition will revolve around the theme “Building high-performance products: AI, Customer Excellence, and Business Growth.”
Designing products rooted in local realities
In recent years, Africa’s digital economy has accelerated significantly. Startups, creative studios and independent makers are developing tools and services tailored to the continent’s unique challenges—from financial access to mobility, education and communication. But as the organisers of Africa Product Keynote point out, the challenge is no longer simply building products: it is building strong product ecosystems.
That means sharing knowledge, improving research and development processes, and encouraging collaboration between designers, businesses and institutions. By facilitating dialogue between these communities, APK aims to help African products gain visibility while strengthening design and product practices across the region. One of the initiative’s key ambitions is to improve access to locally developed digital products, ensuring that innovation benefits the communities it originates from.
From community event to regional platform
The conference has grown steadily since its first editions. Early gatherings brought together dozens of participants and speakers representing startups, companies and independent creators working across design and product development. With each edition, the event has expanded its network of contributors, establishing itself as a reference point for product culture in French-speaking Africa.
The organisers envision Africa Product Keynote as an annual benchmark event, capable of connecting professionals from across the continent while fostering collaboration with international partners. This ambition reflects a broader shift happening across the African design and technology landscape: a move from isolated initiatives toward stronger professional communities and knowledge-sharing platforms.
A conversation about the future of product design
The 2026 edition will focus on the intersection between artificial intelligence, customer-centric design and business strategy. As digital services become increasingly central to daily life, designers and product teams must balance technological innovation with usability, accessibility and long-term sustainability.
Through talks, workshops and networking sessions, the event aims to explore how these disciplines can converge to create products that are both technologically advanced and deeply relevant to their users. This perspective also highlights an important evolution in contemporary design culture: product design is no longer limited to physical objects. Instead, it extends into digital systems, service design and user experience, areas where African creators are increasingly making their mark.
Building bridges between communities
At its core, Africa Product Keynote is less about individual projects and more about building connections. By bringing together designers, entrepreneurs, institutions and researchers, the platform encourages the exchange of ideas and practices that can strengthen the entire ecosystem. These conversations are essential for a continent where innovation is often driven by local ingenuity and resourcefulness, yet still requires stronger networks and global visibility.
As the organisers describe it, the goal is to create a space where knowledge circulates, collaborations emerge and new opportunities take shape. In that sense, the Africa Product Keynote reflects a broader movement within the global design community: one that recognizes the importance of diverse perspectives and local expertise in shaping the products of tomorrow.
