It seems the C-suite has had a rather belated epiphany: the 80 million people living with disabilities in Africa represent a massive, untapped talent pool and consumer market. In a flurry of activity at Johannesburg’s Houghton Hotel this week, a coalition of business leaders, led by the global initiative The Valuable 500 and local non-profit Afrika Tikkun, announced a major push to get disability inclusion onto the corporate agenda.
The pitch is simple and delivered in a language that executives understand: money. With a global annual spending power estimated at $18.3 trillion (€17 trillion), the disability community is a demographic that companies can no longer afford to ignore. As Paul Polman, former Unilever CEO and now chair of The Valuable 500’s advisory board, bluntly put it, companies that overlook disability inclusion are “leaving growth on the table.”
Beyond the Buzzwords
The summit’s central theme is a move beyond tokenism. The organisers are adamant that this isn’t about hitting diversity quotas or creating feel-good marketing campaigns. “Real inclusion means people with disabilities are included in decision-making roles,” Polman insisted. “They are not token hires but genuine voices, shaping strategy and innovation.”
This push for authenticity comes with a dose of self-awareness. Research presented at the event revealed that before joining the Valuable 500 movement, a mere 25% of member companies considered disability inclusion a board-level priority. It appears that for many, the €17tn figure has been a powerful catalyst for a change of heart.
Katy Talikowska, CEO of The Valuable 500, framed the issue as one of competitive advantage. “The leaders who succeed at disability inclusion aren’t the ones following a strict set of rules… they’re the ones who understand that this is fundamentally about talent and innovation,” she explained.
An ‘African-Led’ Solution?
While The Valuable 500 is a global movement with over 500 corporate signatories, the organisers are keen to brand the African chapter as a homegrown initiative. The partnership with Afrika Tikkun, a South African development organisation with a 30-year track record, is intended to ground the movement in local realities.
Talikowska argued that the continent is uniquely positioned to lead. “African entrepreneurs are solving problems that the rest of the world haven’t even figured out exist, let alone how to fix,” she said, suggesting that a history of innovating with limited resources makes inclusion a natural part of the business landscape.
Marc Lubner, CEO of the Afrika Tikkun Group, challenged the assembled executives to put their money where their mouths are. “This convening is about more than dialogue — it is about shaping a future,” he stated. “Inclusion is not charity, but strategy; not an aspiration, but an imperative.”
The new chapter, Valuable 500 Africa, is now on the hunt for 50 founding companies to anchor the initiative on the continent, focusing on leadership commitment, transparent reporting, and authentic representation.
The Reality Check
For all the optimistic boardroom rhetoric, the government’s presence served as a reminder of the on-the-ground challenges. Phuti Mabelebele, a chief director at the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, frankly acknowledged the persistence of “marginalisation, discrimination, [and] negative attitudes… against persons with disabilities,” despite existing policy frameworks.
While she noted that South Africa has launched a G20 disability inclusion working group to push the topic on the global stage, her comments highlighted the gap between policy and practice that this new corporate initiative aims to fill.
The ultimate test for Valuable 500 Africa will be whether its 50 founding members — and the many more it hopes to attract — move beyond the summit circuit. The question remains whether this newfound corporate enthusiasm will translate into accessible products, inclusive workplaces, and a genuine share of that €17 trillion market, or simply become another line item in an annual ESG report.