PAFA Convenes Forum to Advance Sustainability and Integrated Reporting in Africa

Johannesburg, South Africa 18 November 2025 

The Pan African Federation of Accountants (PAFA) has convened the inaugural meeting of the Forum for Advancing Sustainability and Integrated Reporting in Africa (the Forum), a landmark initiative designed to strengthen Africa’s leadership in sustainability disclosure and integrated reporting.

Chaired by Dr Iheanyi Anyahara, the Forum brings together high-level leaders from across Africa’s sustainability ecosystem, including representatives of professional accountancy organisations (PAOs), regulatory bodies, standard-setters, audit firms, development partners, and regional institutions. The Forum continues the pioneering work of the Africa Integrated Reporting Council (AIRC), which laid the foundation for continental collaboration on integrated reporting. The AIRC’s Chair Professor Mervyn King, will serve as Chair Emeritus of the Forum, ensuring continuity, shared experience, and the preservation of institutional memory as the Forum takes forward and broadens the AIRC’s legacy to encompass sustainability reporting.

The meeting marks the formal establishment of a continental platform to coordinate Africa’s response to the evolving global sustainability reporting landscape, particularly the implementation of the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards and the advancement of integrated thinking and reporting across all sectors.

A Strategic and High-Level Platform for Africa’s Voice

Speaking at the opening, Alta Prinsloo, Chief Executive Officer of PAFA, underscored the strategic importance of the Forum: “This Forum convenes Africa’s foremost thinkers and influencers in sustainability and integrated reporting. It provides a high-level platform for identifying and deliberating on strategic issues, informing adoption and implementation across Africa and strengthening the continent’s contribution to global dialogue.  Through this mechanism, Africa’s collective voice will be more coordinated, credible, and impactful in shaping global sustainability and reporting frameworks.”

The Forum’s deliberations will focus on issues that influence Africa’s readiness and participation in global standard-setting processes. These include:

Supporting adoption and implementation of sustainability standards across Africa;

Strengthening assurance and quality in sustainability reporting;

Enhancing data readiness and capacity development;

Promoting integrated thinking within governance and decision-making structures; and

Facilitating continental advocacy, partnerships, and alignment among stakeholders.

Linkage with PAFA’s Sustainability Centre of Excellence (SCoE)

The Forum provides strategic direction to the SCoE, which serves as the continent’s hub for sustainability-related technical guidance, research, and capacity building. The SCoE then executes and operationalises these priorities through country engagements, capacity-building initiatives, and the development of technical resources.

Dr Anyahara, in his opening remarks, emphasised that the Forum’s role is to foster continental coherence and elevate Africa’s participation in international discourse: “Africa’s sustainability journey must be shaped by African leaders, grounded in our realities, and aligned with global best practice. This Forum provides the platform for that collective leadership to flourish.”

Next Steps

During its inaugural meeting, the Forum:

Adopted its Terms of Reference;

Approved a Work Plan and Consultation Calendar; and

Formalised its reporting framework to the PAFA Board, ensuring strategic alignment with PAFA’s governance processes.

The Forum will meet quarterly, with the PAFA Secretariat providing coordination through the PAFA Secretariat.

About PAFA

PAFA is the continental body representing professional accountancy organisations in 47 African countries. Its mission is to accelerate the development of the accountancy profession to strengthen Africa’s voice and influence in the global economy.