Midrand, South Africa, 5 May 2026 - The African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), in partnership with the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), is today hosting the central celebration of African World Heritage Day and the 20th Anniversary of the AWHF on 5 May 2026 at the DBSA campus in Midrand.
Held under the theme “Celebrating Two Decades of Sustainable Investment in Africa’s Heritage,” the event brings together high-level representatives from governments, the African Union, UNESCO, development finance institutions, the private sector, philanthropy, civil society, and heritage experts. The gathering celebrates progress made over two decades, strengthens strategic partnerships, and mobilises renewed investment in Africa’s irreplaceable heritage.
Established in 2006 through the vision of the African Union and UNESCO, the AWHF has become Africa’s leading institution supporting the implementation of the World Heritage Convention. Over the past 20 years, the Fund has strengthened heritage conservation, supported World Heritage nominations, and invested more than USD 20 million in capacity-building programmes across Africa.
For two decades, the AWHF has served as Africa’s heritage investment engine, transforming heritage from a legacy of the past into a strategic asset for identity, dignity and sustainable development. Despite this progress, Africa remains underrepresented on the UNESCO World Heritage List, with only 154 properties, representing 12% of the global total of 1,248 sites inscribed globally. At the same time, the continent accounts for approximately 30% of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger, while nine African countries still have no sites inscribed. These realities call for stronger political commitment, deeper partnerships, and sustainable financing.
“Africa’s heritage is not only a record of our past; it is a strategic asset for our future and as we celebrate twenty years of impact, we must move beyond recognition to sustained investment,” says Dr. Albino Jopela, Executive Director of the African World Heritage Fund. “Protecting Africa’s heritage means protecting our identity, strengthening our communities, and advancing sustainable development across the continent.”
The celebration serves as both a commemoration and a call to action, supporting the AWHF’s ambition to build a USD 25 million Endowment Fund to ensure long-term support for African Member States in protecting, managing, and promoting their heritage.
“As the host institution and strategic partner to AWHF, DBSA provides the governance, financial strength and institutional capacity that underpin the Fund’s credibility, transparency and impact across Africa,” says Boitumelo Mosako, Chief Executive Officer of the DBSA.
The programme includes remarks from key partners, messages from UNESCO and African Union leadership, a keynote address by the Deputy President of South Africa, Mr. Paul Mashatile, and a high-level roundtable on investing in Africa’s World Heritage.
The event also marks the launch of Africa Month in South Africa, reaffirming heritage as a driver of identity, dignity, social cohesion and inclusive economic development. AWHF further renews its commitment to working with partners to ensure Africa’s heritage is preserved, valued and leveraged for sustainable development and shared prosperity.
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About the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF)
The African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) is a Pan-African UNESCO Category 2 Centre and Africa’s only centre of excellence dedicated specifically to supporting the implementation of the World Heritage Convention on the continent. Through capacity-building, advocacy, technical expertise, and strategic financing, AWHF strengthens the conservation, promotion, and sustainable management of Africa’s cultural and natural heritage, while advancing the aspirations of the African Union Agenda 2063 and UNESCO Priority Africa.
For more information visit, www.awhf.net
About the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)
The Development Bank of Southern Africa is one of the leading development financial institutions on the continent. Our primary purpose is delivering impactful development finance solutions that ignite transformative change in South Africa and on the rest of the African continent. Improving the quality of life of people in Africa is the fundamental focus of our development impact. We aim to bend the arc of history towards shared prosperity through multifaceted investments in sustainable infrastructure and human capacity.
Our product solutions span all phases of the infrastructure development value chain from infrastructure planning and project preparation, across a range of financing and non-financing investments to infrastructure implementation and delivery. Our primary areas of focus include Energy, ICT, Transport, Water and Sanitation. Our secondary area of focus includes Education, Housing and Health. For more information, visit www.dbsa.org
Media Enquiries:
African World Heritage Fund (AWHF)
Ms. Veronica Maduna
Head of Partnership Development
Tel: 076 183 0333
Email: VeronicaM@dbsa.org
Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)
Mr. Soneni Phiri
Head of Marketing and Communications
Tel: 011 313 3911
Email: DBSAEnquiries@dbsa.org