A full day of keynotes, a national Living Wage Report launch, three expert panels, a concurrent masterclass and a live debate returns to Labadi Beach Hotel, Accra on Friday, 16th October 2026, under the theme “Inclusive Leadership & HR Strategies for a Diverse Workforce: A Regional Perspective”
HR Focus Africa, in partnership with L’AINÉ HR, will convene the HR Focus Africa Conference (HRFAC) 2026 on Friday, 16th October 2026, at the Labadi Beach Hotel, Accra. The one-day conference is expected to draw participation from chief executives, human resource leaders, policymakers, and development partners from across Ghana and the wider region under the theme “Inclusive Leadership & HR Strategies for Diverse Workforce: A Regional Perspective.”
One workplace. A thousand different people. A hundred different ways of thinking, leading, and working. That is the question at the heart of this year’s conference: how do organisations build cultures where every one of those people thrives, not just survives?
HRFAC 2026 is not conceived as a diversity checkbox event or a lineup of talking heads, it is a full day of keynotes, a major report launch, panel debate, and an exclusive masterclass, built to put the people running HR at Africa’s biggest institutions in one room, with real strategies, not theory.
Touching on the timeliness of the theme, Mr. James Laar, Managing Director, L’AINE HR noted:
“Our theme this year is timely because Africa is undergoing a significant transformation. New generations are entering the workforce with different expectations.Persons with disabilities are asking institutions to recognise their abilities… Institutions do not change by themselves. They change when leaders change how they see, value and develop people.” — Mr. James Laar, Managing Director, HR L’AINE
The theme responds directly to developments reshaping Ghanaian and regional workplaces: the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024, which sets binding expectations for women’s representation in leadership; the Persons with Disability Act, which continues to expose gaps between statutory compliance and genuine workplace accessibility; and the accelerating adoption of AI and automation across telecommunications, banking, and financial services, unfolding in a labour market where roughly four in five Ghanaian workers remain in the informal economy.
A Full-Day Programme
Beyond its three headline panels, HRFAC 2026 brings together policy, research, industry and culture across a single day:
- Policy Perspective: — Dr. Rashid Pelpou, Minister of State for Special Initiatives, opens the policy conversation with “Inclusive Leadership and HR Strategies for a Diverse Workforce: Policy Perspective.”
- Living Wage Report Launch: — James Laar, Managing Director of L’AINÉ HR, presents and launches the Living Wage Report – 2025 Edition, a flagship piece of regional HR research.
- CIHRM Goodwill Message: — Florence Hutchful, President of the Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management (CIHRM), brings the profession’s voice to the programme.
- Strategic Keynote: — Dr. Joyce Aryee, Executive Director of Salt and Light Ministries, delivers “The Human Side of Growth: Why Inclusive Workplaces Will Define Africa’s Economic Future.”
- Panel 1 — The Future of Work in Africa: AI, Automation and Human Capital Readiness: — examines how AI and automation are already reshaping job roles across telecoms, banking, and insurance, and what “human capital readiness” means for a labour market defined by informality and youth unemployment.
- Transformative Keynote: — Danquah Addo-Yobo, Country Manager, Newmont Ghana, delivers “Driving Regional Excellence: Inclusive Leadership and HR Strategies for Africa’s Diverse Workforce,” followed by audience Q&A.
- Mindshift Session: — a short provocation from management consultant Prince Kludjeson ahead of the afternoon’s panel.
- Panel 2 — Inclusive Leadership Beyond Rhetoric: Building Equitable and Diverse Workplaces: — pushes past diversity rhetoric into the mechanics of inclusive leadership: accountability beyond headcount metrics, and how organisations translate legislation such as the Affirmative Action Act into everyday workplace practice.
- Concurrent Masterclass (2:30–4:30PM): — Derick Omari, HR Inclusion & Belonging Advisor at the World Bank Group, leads an exclusive, invitation-only masterclass for CHROs and senior HR leaders, “Inclusive by Design: Leveraging Technology and HR Strategy to Build Inclusive Workplaces,” running in a breakout room alongside Panel 3.
- High-Energy Inclusiveness Debate: — delegates debate the motion “This House Believes Mandatory Diversity Targets Do More Harm Than Good in African Workplaces,” opening and closing on a live audience vote.
The programme also features cultural performances, an exhibition floor running throughout the day, partner spotlights from Pepsodent and Newmont, and sustained networking at breakfast, the health break, lunch and the afternoon coffee break, together offering delegates a full arc from macro policy context to boardroom practice to individual career pathway.
Event Details
- Date: Friday, 16th October 2026
- Time: 9:00AM GMT (arrival and registration); main programme runs through 4:30PM, with networking continuing after
- Venue: Labadi Beach Hotel, Accra
- Expected Attendance: 300–350 delegates expected
- Tickets: Standard – GH₵2,000 | VIP – GH₵3,000 | Virtual – GH₵500
- Registration: hrfocusevents.com | 0541 842 198 / 0509 620 204
About HR Focus Africa
HR Focus Africa is a Ghana-based HR consulting, media, and events organisation dedicated to advancing human resource practice across the continent. Its platforms include the HR Focus Africa Conference, HR Tech Playground, HR Lounge, and HR Universe Magazine.
Media Contact
Samuel Boateng Osarfo
Communications Manager, HR Focus Africa Email: samuel.osarfo@hrfocusafrica.com Tel: 0541 842 198 / 0509 620 204
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