Sudhir Ruparelia Steps In as Main Sponsor Of 2026 Pan-African Pyramid Global Awards

By Gad Masereka

Ugandan businessman Sudhir Ruparelia has stepped in as the main sponsor of the 2026 Pan African Pyramid Global Awards and Convention, a development organisers say will significantly strengthen the platform that celebrates African intellectual leadership and continental unity.

The announcement was made in Kampala on March 10 by Andrew Irumba Katusabe, who revealed that the support will be channelled through the Ruparelia Foundation. The sponsorship will facilitate the hosting of the ninth edition of the awards, scheduled for August 29, 2026 at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala.

The Pan African Pyramid Global Awards recognise individuals and organisations whose work advances Pan African ideals, intellectual growth and social transformation across the continent and the diaspora.

Over the years, the convention has also evolved into a forum where scholars, entrepreneurs, activists and policy thinkers deliberate on Africa’s development trajectory and the future of continental cooperation.

Katusabe described the sponsorship as a major milestone for the movement, noting that the organisation has operated for more than a decade with limited financial backing.

According to him, the Pan African Pyramid was founded eleven years ago while the awards ceremony itself has been organised annually for the past eight years, largely sustained by volunteers and supporters committed to the ideals of African unity.

“After many years of perseverance and commitment to the Pan African vision, we are proud to welcome Dr Sudhir Ruparelia as the main sponsor of this year’s awards through the Ruparelia Foundation,” Katusabe said. “His support ensures that the event will be organised at a level befitting the global intellectual community that gathers under the Pan African banner.”

As part of the sponsorship, the Ruparelia Foundation will support logistical arrangements for the convention, including the gala dinner that traditionally concludes the awards ceremony.

Organisers confirmed that Ruparelia has also accepted to attend the event as the chief guest, where he will interact with scholars, cultural figures and Pan African advocates expected to attend the gathering.

The convention is projected to attract delegates from several countries including Jamaica, Canada, the United States, Burkina Faso, Ghana, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya. Participants will take part in discussions focused on Africa’s economic transformation, ideological renewal and strategies for strengthening continental cooperation.

Sources within the organisation indicate that Ruparelia has maintained a longstanding relationship with the Pan African Pyramid, quietly supporting some of its activities over the years before formally stepping forward as the headline sponsor for the 2026 edition.

For organisers, the partnership is expected to elevate the profile of the event and position it as one of the continent’s key intellectual and cultural gatherings dedicated to Pan African thought. With a globally recognised venue and expanded support from the private sector, the upcoming convention is anticipated to draw wider international participation and renewed debate about Africa’s future.

As preparations intensify for the August gathering in Kampala, organisers say the goal remains the same that inspired the movement’s creation more than a decade ago.

The platform seeks to celebrate African excellence while encouraging thinkers and leaders across the continent and the diaspora to organise, collaborate and advance the shared vision of a united and prosperous Africa.