Pretoria – Senior South African diplomat Ambassador Xolisa Mabhongo opened a two-day Africa Space Law and Policy Conference in Pretoria this week, bringing together policymakers, legal experts, academics and industry players to map out the continent’s future in space.
The conference, running from 28 to 29 May 2026 at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), is jointly hosted by the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria, the Institute of Air and Space Law at McGill University, DIRCO, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, and the South African National Space Agency.
Mabhongo, who serves as Deputy Director-General for Global Governance and Continental Agenda at DIRCO, delivered the opening remarks, calling on African governments, universities, the private sector and regional institutions to take a more active and coordinated role in shaping the continent’s space future. 
The gathering is anchored around the theme “Laying Firm Foundations for the Sustainable Development of Africa’s Space Economy,” with delegates examining recent shifts in global space relations and exploring how international, regional and national laws and policies can support the growth of Africa’s emerging space sector.
A key focus of the conference is building African institutional and human capacity among professionals working across the private, public and academic fields in the continent’s fast-growing space industry.
