In an exciting announcement today, Global Citizen, a prominent movement dedicated to eradicating extreme poverty, revealed that Grammy Award-winning artist Doja Cat will be the headliner for the third edition of MOVE AFRIKA. This influential concert tour is set to promote Africa's creative economy and will continue to expand its reach across the continent as it embarks on its third year.
Rwanda has been selected as one of the host countries, alongside South Africa, aiming to generate job opportunities and economic growth in the region. The tour kicks off with MOVE AFRIKA: Kigali at the BK Arena on March 17, followed by MOVE AFRIKA: Pretoria at the SunBet Arena on March 20. This year's events will further MOVE AFRIKA's goal of establishing the first pan-African music touring circuit, which promotes economic investment and creates job prospects for the next generation of young Africans in the creative sectors of all participating cities.
Tickets for MOVE AFRIKA: Kigali can be purchased at moveafrika.org.
For those interested in attending MOVE AFRIKA: Pretoria, special ticket access is available for Mastercard holders starting at 9 am on Monday, February 16, until 8:59 am on Wednesday, February 18. World & World Elite Mastercard cardholders will have preferred access to premium tickets beginning at 9 am on February 18, with details available on priceless.com/music.
The pre-sale for Big Concerts Fan Club members starts at 9 am on February 17 and ends at 8:59 am on February 18. Current members should check their emails and the Big Concerts website for more updates.
The general public can buy tickets starting at 9 am on February 18 from ticketmaster.co.za.
More information regarding the March MOVE AFRIKA tour, including opportunities to earn free tickets through participation with Global Citizen, will be shared in the upcoming weeks.
The MOVE AFRIKA initiative has garnered partnerships with pgLang, Big Concerts, Major Tour Partner Cisco, and the Rwanda Development Board.
"With my roots in South Africa, I'm excited to bring energy, purpose, and real change to MOVE AFRIKA in Kigali and Pretoria. This initiative is more than just a tour; it symbolizes a movement that creates lasting job opportunities,” stated Doja Cat. "I’m honored to take part in a celebration of Africa's creativity, contributing to its future, and demonstrating to the world that Africa is not just emerging, but is already here."
Hugh Evans, co-founder and CEO of Global Citizen, remarked, "We are thrilled to have Doja Cat as the headliner for MOVE AFRIKA 2026. She has given memorable performances at several key Global Citizen events, and as we expand our reach from Johannesburg to Accra and Canberra to Pretoria, we are placing Africa's creative talent at the heart of global touring, fostering job creation, and enhancing local creative industries."
"We're eager for Global Citizen and MOVE AFRIKA's return to Rwanda, showcasing our commitment to elevate Africa's creative sectors and leverage the global entertainment industry's influence to foster meaningful progress across the continent," added Jean-Guy Afrika, CEO of Rwanda Development Board. This collaboration aligns with our vision of making Rwanda a top destination for live entertainment that generates youth employment opportunities and drives economic growth, ultimately benefiting Rwanda and Africa as a whole.
Since its establishment, MOVE AFRIKA has reportedly created over 2,500 jobs in Kigali and Lagos, with local talent filling over 90% of roles in crew and production. In Kigali, the proportion of local crew has increased from 75% in 2023 to 90% in 2025, with 95% of audio and lighting equipment sourced locally. The programme also emphasizes enhancing youth training initiatives in areas such as rigging, security, and hospitality, supported by the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator that provided 50 young people with paid practical experience in production and event operations.
In Lagos, MOVE AFRIKA employed 90% local crew and used 95% locally sourced equipment, awarding contracts to local suppliers for technical production, staging, and event design. Looking ahead to MOVE AFRIKA 2026, plans are in place to create further employment opportunities and expand the youth employment accelerator program.
The 2026 iteration of MOVE AFRIKA continues the efforts from last year's advocacy campaign focused on strengthening health systems across Africa. With the aim of leveraging live music to bolster the creator economy and advocate for healthcare access, Global Citizen plans to collaborate with local partners before each event to encourage African nations to improve primary care and invest in health resilience, thereby minimizing financial barriers to public health.
In conjunction with MOVE AFRIKA 2026, the Music Economy Development Initiative (MEDI), launched last year, is set to unveil new research in collaboration with Global Citizen, Universal Music Group, and IFC. This initiative aims to promote music policy reform and position music financing as a vital contributor to sustainable growth in Africa's creative economy.
MEDI strives to provide data and insights crucial for understanding the music industry and how to bolster it. The initiative aims to harness music's economic potential globally, facilitate targeted investments to empower creators, amplify underrepresented communities, and showcase more local music on a global stage. MOVE AFRIKA functions as Global Citizen’s pan-African touring project aiming to address global inequalities by fostering job and entrepreneurship opportunities for the continent's youth through an annual series of live events. By promoting African talent to the world, MOVE AFRIKA generates transformative investments within local communities, engaging local artists, vendors, and crews while fostering on-the-job training and skill development. The tour aims to set a new benchmark for entertainment touring events, stimulating interest from both international and regional artists to perform in the region and enhancing local capacity in host cities across the continent. MOVE AFRIKA is poised for annual growth, with plans to include additional countries in its itinerary as it expands its presence across Africa over the next five years.
Global Citizen is grateful for the contributions of leading media organizations such as BellaNaija, EIB Network, Rolling Stone Africa, TIME Africa, TimesLIVE, and Vanguard Media.
MOVE AFRIKA 2026 is building upon Global Citizen's previous campaigns throughout Africa, including the 2025 performances of MOVE AFRIKA: Kigali and MOVE AFRIKA: Lagos, both headlined by renowned artist John Legend, and the inaugural MOVE AFRIKA: Rwanda in 2023, featuring Kendrick Lamar. Notable past events also include the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100, with performances from prominent artists like Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Ed Sheeran, Usher, Eddie Vedder, and Chris Martin of Coldplay in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2018, as well as Global Citizen Live: Lagos, showcasing performances by Davido, Femi Kuti, and Tiwa Savage in 2021, and the Global Citizen Festival: Accra 2022, featuring Usher, SZA, Stormzy, and TEMS.
For more information, visit moveafrika.org.
About Global Citizen
Global Citizen is the world's largest movement targeting extreme poverty reduction. It is fueled by a global community of advocates committed to raising their voices and taking actions that result in significant change. The movement is bolstered by campaigns and events that gather influential figures from music, entertainment, public policy, media, philanthropy, and the private sector.
Since its inception, over $50 billion in commitments through Global Citizen's platforms has been allocated, positively affecting 1.3 billion lives. Founded in Australia in 2008, Global Citizen now operates in various countries, including the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, UAE, and throughout Asia. Join the movement at globalcitizen.org, or download the Global Citizen app, and connect with Global Citizen on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.
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