By Our Reporter
Johnnie Walker Uganda will this Thursday host the first-ever Afro Exchange Creative Summit, a thought-leadership and networking event set to bring together some of Uganda’s leading creatives, industry mentors and emerging talent. The Afro Exchange Creative Summit is a build-up to the highly anticipated Afro Exchange cultural platform, slated for early 2026.
The summit, which will take place at Dstrkt 24 KLA, will unpack the theme “Uganda’s Creative Identity in a Connected Africa,” exploring how music, fashion, art and storytelling are shaping culture, communities, and Uganda’s global creative presence.
Afro Exchange is a cross-cultural creative movement by Johnnie Walker that celebrates the fusion of talent, style, sound and Cultural expression between cities. Anchored in the brand’s global Keep Walking philosophy, the platform is designed to inspire collaboration among artists, creators and cultural shapers, sparking new conversations, partnerships and creative projects that transcend borders.
The Creative Summit serves as the intellectual and cultural foundation of the movement, designed to ignite dialogue and build momentum ahead of the full Afro Exchange experience, which is set to connect Kampala and Lagos in a “tale of two cities” cultural collaboration in 2026.
The event will feature keynote discussions and conversations led by some of Uganda’s most influential creative minds, including musical sensation Joshua Baraka, legendary fashion icon Santa Anzo, and multi-disciplinary creative Xenson, producer Steve Keys, creative entrepreneur Abaasa, among others.
Speakers will explore topics ranging from building global audiences from Uganda, how labels, managers and producers build stars, to fashion as a structured industry, collaboration as a creative currency, and quality, policy and perception in Ugandan storytelling.
Beyond dialogue, the summit is also expected to set the tone for the Afro Exchange cultural showcase, an immersive experience that will celebrate art, music and fashion, from two cities, Lagos and Kampala, culminating in a distinctive, high-impact Johnnie Walker cultural experience.
According to Christine Kyokunda, the Johnnie Walker Brand Manager, the Afro-exchange Creative Summit is timely, as it will highlight the urgent need for deliberate collaboration across platforms that intentionally grow Africa’s creative industry.
“This creative summit is a window for us to deeply reflect on the current state of our creative industry, and collectively design the steps needed to grow it. This summit is a prelude to what we want to achieve in February, when we officially launch Afro Exchange, which will bring together top creators from Kampala and Lagos, for the first time, to deliberate, create, and collaborate on conversations and projects that will push the African creative industry forward,” she said.
Through Afro Exchange, Johnnie Walker continues to reaffirm its commitment to empowering Africa’s creative industries, as well as create platforms that inspire progress, collaboration and cultural pride.