Addis Ababa — The African Social Media Influencers Summit (ASMIS) 2026 officially kicked off today in Addis Ababa, bringing together leading digital creators, content producers, media personalities, and communication experts from across the continent to promote a more authentic African narrative through digital platforms.
The two-day summit, being held under the theme of advancing Africa’s voice in the digital era, has attracted influencers with millions of followers from different African countries.
Participants emphasized the growing role of social media influencers in shaping public opinion, promoting African culture and tourism, and countering negative stereotypes about the continent.
The influencers noted that Africa is home to a young and digitally connected population, making social media an increasingly powerful tool for driving social change, economic opportunity, cultural exchange, and continental integration.
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They also stressed the importance of Africans telling their own stories from their own perspectives, noting that the continent’s realities, achievements, and aspirations are often underrepresented or misrepresented in global media narratives.
Several participants also praised Ethiopia for successfully hosting the continental gathering and for the warm hospitality extended to delegates arriving in Addis Ababa.
Speaking to ENA on the sidelines of the summit, participants highlighted that ASMIS 2026 will create valuable opportunities for networking, collaboration, experience-sharing, and partnerships among African digital creators.
They added that the platform will help strengthen collective efforts to showcase Africa’s innovation, culture, development, tourism potential, and success stories to global audiences.
Participants further noted that the summit reflects the growing influence of African content creators in the global digital ecosystem and their increasing role in redefining how Africa is perceived worldwide.
The summit is expected to feature panel discussions, experience-sharing sessions, digital innovation showcases, and conversations focused on content creation, monetization, branding, ethical storytelling, and the future of Africa’s digital media landscape.
ASMIS 2026 is also anticipated to contribute to strengthening people-to-people ties among African countries while encouraging young Africans to use digital platforms as tools for creativity, entrepreneurship, and positive social impact.
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