As New York celebrates the FIFA World Cup in June 2026—with several African teams, including Senegal, in competition—the city will also host one of the season’s most dynamic cross-cultural business and lifestyle events: Africa Pops.
According to organizer Josephine Garrick, the initiative will transform New York into a platform where public engagement, diaspora activation, nation branding, and investment converge around West Africa. Led by Josephine Garrick Ltd Group, Senegal Is Calling x Africa Pops builds on the momentum of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to present a creative, ambitious, and internationally minded Senegal while opening concrete business pathways for Senegal, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, and Guinea.
Garrick describes the broader ambition of the initiative as creating more than visibility for Senegal and Africa in New York. She envisions a platform where brands, talent, companies, industries, major groups, creators, chefs, architects, artists, members of the diaspora, partners, and investors can meet, recognize shared opportunities, and build a common future.
Key Dates
June 16: MetLife Stadium Experience, 1:00 PM–6:00 PM
June 16: Senegal Cultural Parade, 1:00 PM
June 16: FanZone France vs. Senegal Game, 11:00 AM–11:00 PM
June 17: Investors & Buyers Day, 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
June 17: Investors Dinner, from 6:30 PM
June 22: FanZone Norway vs. Senegal Game, 4:00 PM–11:00 PM
June 22: MetLife Stadium Experience, 6:00 PM–11:00 PM
Public Activations and Nation Branding Through the France vs. Senegal and Norway vs. Senegal fan zones, the initiative creates high-visibility gathering points for members of the diaspora, media, partners, sponsors, and invited guests in a premium New York setting. These experiences combine match-day energy with cultural programming, brand activations, hospitality, and storytelling designed to project the image of a contemporary Senegal that is creative, confident, and globally connected. This public-facing dimension sits at the center of Senegal Is Calling, conceived as a nation-branding platform that presents Senegal through its talent, brands, creativity, lifestyle, hospitality, and international outlook. The aim is not only to generate visibility, but also to shape a stronger narrative around Senegal and engage audiences whose interest can develop into partnerships, business discussions, and long-term collaboration.
Africa Pops: Turning Attention Into Opportunity
On June 17, Africa Pops—Investors & Buyers Day at Virgin Hotels New York City—becomes the business engine of the week. Under the theme Beyond the Hype: From Pride to Power—West Africa Pops Up, the conference is designed to capture the attention generated by the public and cultural activations and convert it into structured exchanges with investors, buyers, entrepreneurs, institutions, and members of the diaspora. The program highlights West Africa’s strategic gateways, export readiness, buyer confidence, access to global capital, and practical investment structuring. It also creates direct matchmaking opportunities through networking, exhibitions, investor roundtables, deal-flow sessions, and sector-focused discussions covering agro-industry, fintech, AI and digital services, tourism, logistics, the blue economy, the green economy, and energy.
June 17, 2026 — Investors & Buyers Day at Virgin Hotels New York City
Beyond the Hype: From Pride to Power—West Africa Pops Up: Resources, New Growth Drivers, and Shifting Mindsets
Business Networking & Exhibition Experience: Taste, Design & Creative — An immersive business and cultural exhibition showcasing brands, products, and creative industries.
1:30 PM–2:30 PM | Panel 3: Global Capital Roundtable
What global capital needs before saying yes.
This session features direct conversations with international investors on investment readiness and capital expectations.
2:30 PM–3:30 PM | Panel 4: Finance & Investment Structuring
How to move capital into West Africa through diaspora participation, private investment, and structured vehicles. The discussion explores practical investment mechanisms, diaspora capital, and structured finance solutions.
3:30 PM–3:55 PM | Deal Flow & Networking Break
Capital meets projects through curated discovery and investor matchmaking centered on ready-to-fund opportunities.
3:55 PM–4:55 PM | Sector Sprint
A rapid-fire investor session highlighting high-potential sectors, scalable opportunities, and strategic growth areas across agro-industry and local transformation, fintech and financial inclusion, AI, data and digital services, real assets, logistics and tourism, the blue economy, the green economy, and oil and gas.
4:55 PM–5:20 PM | Soft Power Session
Soft Power to Revenue — Sport, culture, fashion, food, and creative capital as economic growth drivers.
Featured use cases include JOJ Dakar 2026 and Vodun Days in Benin.
5:20 PM–5:30 PM | Closing Ceremony
From New York to West Africa—ready to go.
The closing remarks will connect the momentum generated in New York to opportunities across West Africa in 2026 and 2027.