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African-German Congress 2025
Doing Business in Africa: Think Local, Resolve Smart
Why Local Arbitration Matters – Practical Strategies
for Contractual Dispute Resolution in African Markets
18 November 2025, 08:30 AM to 06:30 PM
Forum, Hamburg Chamber of Commerce (Adolphsplatz 1, 20457 Hamburg, Germany)
Program
The event is free of charge.
- Registration, Welcome Coffee & Networking
- Prof. Norbert Aust, President of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce
- Representative of the German Federal Government
- Ms. Dahlia Mohamed Abdelfattah Abdelwahab, Consul General, Consulate General of the Arab Republic of Egypt
- Mr. Christoph Kannengießer, CEO, German-African Business Association (Afrika-Verein der Deutschen Wirtschaft e.V.)
Partnership & Risk: German–Africa Business in Practice
Moderated by Ms. Alexandra Antwi-Boasiako
- EU/German Perspective – Frank Scheidig, Global Head of Senior Executive Banking by DZ BANK AG
- African Perspective – Dr. Gaston Kenfack Douajni, President African Arbitration Association (AfAA)
- Corporate Response: “What This Means on the Ground” – Mr. Tom Pause, Managing Partner, E&P Focus Africa Consulting GmbH
- GIZ Contribution – Anna Sophie Herken, Managing Director / Board Member of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
Followed by moderated audience Q&A
- Networking Coffee Break
Local Realities: Dispute Resolution in African Markets
AfGAC in action – Legal Certainty for Business
Moderated by Senator Sylvia Kasanga
Real-world case studies from business practice
- Egypt – Dr. Dalia Hussein, Deputy Director CRCICA
- Kenya – Dr. Henry Kinyanjui Murigi, CEO NCIA
- Rwanda – Mr. Victor Mugabe, Secretary General KIAC
- Lunch
Local Arbitration in Action: What Works and What Doesn’t
Moderated by Dr. Jan Curschmann, LawCom Institute
- Prof. Emilia Onyema, SOAS University of London (School of Oriental and African Studies)
- Mr. John Nyanje, LawCom Institute
- Corporate Insight: Mr. Jan Heiko Koehlbrandt, Associate General Counsel (EMEA), Archer Daniels Midland (ADM Co.)
- Prof. Antje Baumann, Baumann Resolving Disputes, Chair of Hamburg Arbitration Circle (HAC)
- Ms. Eunice Lumallas, Chairperson, Women in Alternative Dispute Resolution (WADR)
Followed by moderated audience Q&A
Making Dispute Resolution Work: What AfGAC and potential Partners offer Businesses
Moderated by Mr. John Nyanje, LawCom Institute
Short Pitches and Answers of the AfGAC Partners CRCICA, KIAC, NCIA, HCC
as well as AFSA, CIMAC, MIAC, LCA
- Dr. Dalia Hussein, Deputy Director, Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA)
- Mr. Victor Mugabe, Secretary General, Kigali International Arbitration Centre (KIAC)
- Dr. Henry Murigi, CEO, Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration (NCIA)
- Christian Graf, Legal Director, Hamburg Chamber of Commerce (HCC)
- Andile Nikani, CEO, Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA)
- Hicham Zegrary, Secretary General, Casablanca International Mediation and Arbitration Centre (CIMAC)
- Ms. Smita Luximon, Office and Case Manager, Mauritius International Arbitration Centre (MIAC)
- Prof. Adewale Olawoyin, President, Lagos Court of Arbitration (LCA)
- What do we specifically do for businesses?
- What sets us apart from the ICC and LCIA?
- What is our local added value?
Followed by moderated audience Q&A
Reflection: The African View on Partnership & Dispute Culture
Moderated by Prof. Emilia Onyema, SOAS
- Networking with wine & canapés
Registration
The event is free of charge.
Speaker
Sprecher
Alexandra Antwi-Boasiako
Moderator @ Alexandra Speaks
Alexandra Antwi-Boasiako is a Hamburg-based presenter and moderator with a strong track record across the business, policy, and innovation landscape. She has moderated high-level events for the Federal Chancellery, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the German Africa Foundation—including the German Africa Award—and the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, where she led discussions on sustainable governance and global partnerships. Alexandra is known for her ability to translate complex political and economic themes into engaging dialogue, connecting decision-makers, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders. With experience spanning startup ecosystems, international cooperation, and cultural exchange, she brings a sharp, human perspective to every stage she steps onto.
Prof. Dr. Antje Baumann
Chair of Hamburg Arbitration Circle (HAC) @ Baumann Resolving Disputes
Prof. Dr. Antje Baumann is an arbitration practitioner with over 23 years of experience in advising clients in complex, high-value commercial disputes. She is primarily serving as an arbitrator in international proceedings, encompassing a broad spectrum of legal systems and subject matters. Antje’s professional expertise is widely recognized in leading national and international rankings. Who’s Who Legal refers to her as “one of the go-to arbitrators of her age”, “extremely skilled”, “one of the superstars”, and “very experienced and great to work with”. In 2019, Antje founded BAUMANN Resolving Disputes, a boutique law firm specializing in dispute resolution. Antje holds a PhD in Law from the University of Osnabrueck and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from the UC Berkeley School of Law. She is admitted to practice law in Germany and in the State of New York, USA and a honorary professor at the University of Osnabrueck. Since 2024, she has been a member of the ICC Court of Arbitration, where she is entrusted with, among other responsibilities, the scrutiny of arbitral awards and the review of procedural decisions made by arbitral tribunals.
Dr. Gaston Kenfack Douajni
President @ African Arbitration Association (AfAA)
Dr. Gaston Kenfack Douajni is a Cameroonian Magistrate, currently the Director of Legislation at the Ministry of Justice in Cameroon; he has obtained a Doctorate of International Economic Law at the University of Paris I (Pantheon Sorbonne) in 2005, a Certificate on trade, negotiations and settlement of trade disputes at the Kennedy School of Government –Harvard University (USA) in 2004 and an Habilitation to Direct Researches at the University of Pau in France. He is the Editor of the “Revue Camerounaise de l’Arbitrage”, the President of the Association for the Promotion of Arbitration in Africa (APAA), the President of the African Arbitration Association (AfAA). He is registered on the list of arbitrators and conciliators at the ICSID, at the OHADA Common Court of Justice and Arbitration and Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). Gaston KENFACK DOUAJNI acts as sole arbitrator, co-arbitrator, President of arbitral tribunals and counsel in CRCICA, ICC, ICSID, CACI, CEPAM, PCA, OHADA arbitration and ad hoc arbitration. Member of the Board of Directors of the Cairo Regional Center for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA) and of the International Federation of Arbitration Centers and Associations (IFCAI), he is the former Chair of the Management Board of the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF). President of the 49th Session of the United Nations Commission of the International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and Vice-President of the 60th Session of the Asian African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO), Dr. Gaston Kenfack Douajni teaches business law at various universities (in Africa and Europe) He also has experience as mediator and conciliator both at the national and international level.
Anna Sophie Herken
Managing Director / Board Member @ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
Anna Sophie Herken is Member of the Board of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). She has extensive experience in the private and public sector and across industries. Previously, she was Business Division Head at Allianz Asset Management GmbH and served as Member of the Board at Allianz Life (US) and CPIC Fund Management LtD (China) as well as President and Chair of the Board of Allianz Foundation for North America. As part of her international career, Anna was CFO of Hasso Plattner Capital Germany, Managing Director of the Hertie School of Governance GmbH and worked at the World Bank in Washington DC and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London. She also worked for the German government in international fora such as a delegate in the context of, inter alia, UN, EC, WTO, OECD. She also serves as a Board / Committee member of various non-profit organizations including the German Business Ethics Network (DNWE), International Rescue Committee (IRC) Germany and Save the Children Germany. She is the founder of the initiative #DieNächste against violence against women. Anna, a German- Swedish national, is a lawyer by training having studied in Germany, France and the US. She also holds an MBA from the University of Cambridge. She has received several awards including the Focus Female Finance Award 2023, the Strive Award, Top 40 under 40 etc.
Dr. Dalia Hussein
Deputy Director @ The Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration, CRCICA
Dr. Dalia Hussein is the Deputy Director of CRCICA, the Vice Chair and Honorary Secretary General of the CIArb Egypt Branch. Dr. Hussein has over 20 years of experience in international commercial and investment arbitration. Before joining CRCICA, she worked as prosecutor then as counsel in an international arbitration law firm based in Cairo where she represented states and private parties in domestic and international commercial and investment disputes. She taught business and contract Law at the French and British universities in Egypt, commercial and investment arbitration at the the Institut de Droit des Affaires Internationales at Cairo University and at the French Law Section at Ain Shams University, and at the Law Department at the American University of Cairo. She also worked as an external legal expert for Arab and Islamic Laws at the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law. Dr. Hussein serves as arbitrator and published a number of articles and book chapters in Arabic, English and French. She holds a Maîtrise en Droit from Paris I-Pantheon-Sorbonne University, an LL.B. from Cairo University, an LL.M. in International Law from Paris II-Pantheon-Assas University, an LL.M in Private Law from Cairo University, a PHD in international arbitration from Cairo University.
Christoph Kannengießer
CEO @ German-African Business Association (Afrika-Verein der Deutschen Wirtschaft e.V.)
Christoph Kannengiesser, Attorney at Law, has been the CEO of the German-African Business Association (Afrika-Verein der deutschen Wirtschaft) since June 1, 2012. Since 1995, he has held senior roles in leading business associations, including the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce and the Confederation of German Employers’ Associations, and served as CEO of the German Brand Association (2007–2009). He also spent nearly four years as Deputy Secretary General of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
Sen. Dr. (Arch) Sylvia M. Kasanga h.c., FCIArb
Senator, Arch. (A1083) TAAM, MCIArb, @ FCIArb
Sylvia Kasanga is a distinguished Architect and Arbitrator with over 23 years of experience in the construction industry. She represents Kenya on the ICC Court of Arbitration and is celebrated for her leadership in dispute resolution, architecture, and mental health advocacy. Founder and Managing Partner of Sycum Solutions LLP, she has built a strong reputation for excellence as both consultant and arbitrator and is passionate about mentoring the next generation of professionals. As a former Nominated Senator (2017–2022), Sylvia sponsored landmark legislation, including the ADR Bill and the Mental Health (Amendment) Act 2022, positioning Kenya as a regional model. She continues this mission with the Africa CDC, promoting mental health laws across Africa. She chairs Lukenya University’s Board of Trustees, leads national sustainability and smart-city initiatives, and serves as President of The Architects Alliance (TAA)—a transformative leader shaping Africa’s built environment and dispute-resolution landscape.
Jan Heiko Köhlbrandt, LL.M. (Norwich)
Associate General Counsel (EMEA) @ Archer Daniels Midland Co.
Jan Heiko Koehlbrandt is Associate General Counsel at Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM), a global leader in the food and feed industry and agricultural commodity trading & processing business, with global sales of ~ USD 80 billion and 41,000 employees serving customers in nearly 200 countries. He is both the lead lawyer of ADM’s global commodity trading units and the ADM agri-processing activities in the EMEA region representing revenues of ~ USD 30mn and also the lead lawyer for ADM’s disputes (litigation, arbitration and out-of-court matters) for the EMEA region. Prior to ADM he worked during the last 20 years for a major international oil company, a specialized transport finance bank, a major liner shipping company and (maritime) law firms in Germany, England and the United States. He studied law in Germany and England and is admitted to the German bar. In addition, since over 15 years Jan Heiko regularly acts as arbitrator in international commercial disputes, according to both the rules of international arbitration institutions such as ICC and DIS, and industry specific arbitration rules in the commodity trade, maritime and food industry.
Eunice Lumallas
FCIArb|Certified Mediator @ International Litigation and Arbitration
Corporate and Trial Lawyer, International arbitrator and mediator; Kenya’s representative at the International Centre for Settlement of International Disputes (ICSID) Washington DC (2022-2026) (Conciliation Panel) Member Public Private Partnerships Petitions Committee (PPPPC), African Arbitration Association (AfAA) and Advocates Disciplinary Tribunal (ADT). Listed in several panels for Arbitration and mediation including the Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration, The mediation and Arbitration Centre Mauritius, and Kigali Centre for International Arbitration in East Africa. Advocate of the High Court and partner at LAK Advocates, Tutor and Trainer of law and Alternative Dispute Resolution, a qualified Patent Agent, Commissioner for Oaths and a Notary Public and Chairperson of Women in Alternative Resolution (WADR).
Smita Luximon
Office Manager @ Mauritius International Arbitration Centre (MIAC)
Smita Luximon is a Case Manager at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), and the Office Manager of the Mauritius International Arbitration Centre (MIAC), in Port Louis, Mauritius. Smita completed her management studies (with law), and a holder of a degree in Social Work for Africa, prior to joining MIAC in 2011. In her role as Case Manager at the PCA since 2019, Smita provides secretarial and administrative support to the Legal Counsel and other staff of the International Bureau for case, including drafting, proofreading, and formatting documents to publication standard, and assist with organizing hearings and meetings in the context of international arbitration and other diplomatic and professional settings. As the Office Manager at MIAC, Smita handles the day-to-day operation of the organisation alongside providing assistance to the Registrar with cases and hearings. She has also been part of the organising team for the Mauritius International Arbitration Conferences 2010, 2012 and 2014, and the ICCA Congress 2016. She speaks English, French, Hindi, Marathi, and Mauritian Creole.
Victor Mugabe
Secretary General @ KIAC
Victor MUGABE is the Secretary General of Kigali International Arbitration Centre (KIAC), the premier and sole arbitral Institution in Rwanda mandated to administer Arbitration and other Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms. Victor Mugabe serves as the head and Registrar of the Centre and supervises the administration of arbitration, mediation and other ADR cases filed at the Centre. Prior to joining the Kigali International Arbitration Centre, Victor MUGABE served as the Executive Director of the Rwanda Bar Association since April 2012 to December 2020 and the the Coordinator of the Justice, Reconciliation, Law and Order Sector Secretariat (JRLOS) in the Ministry of Justice of Rwanda since 2010 to 2012 and Assistant Coordinator in the same Secretariat from 2007 to 2010. Victor MUGABE is a professional lawyer duly registered with the Rwanda Bar Association, East Africa Law Society and member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators with rich experience in institutional development, Arbitration, Mediation and other ADR mechanisms.
Andile Nikani
Chief Executive Officer @ AFSA - The Arbitration Foundation of South Africa NPC
Andile Nikani is a seasoned legal, corporate governance, and strategy professional with over 20 years of experience. An admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa and an accredited mediator, he serves as CEO of the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA), managing multiple branches nationwide. Formerly Executive Head of the Takeover Regulation Panel, he issued over 1,000 rulings, including 50 landmark decisions shaping South African company law and public M&A regulation. His expertise spans complex commercial contracts, corporate and competition law, and mergers and acquisitions. Andile holds BA and LLB degrees from the University of Cape Town, an LLM from the University of Liverpool, and an MPhil in Corporate Strategy from GIBS. Currently a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Pretoria, he has presented research at the London Stock Exchange, UK Takeover Panel, and Hong Kong Takeover Panel.
John Nyanje
Consultant @ LawCom.Insitute
John Nyanje is a Kenyan lawyer with broad expertise in international law and a growing footprint in transnational litigation and global legal scholarship. He holds a dual LL.M. in International Law and International Dispute Settlement (MIDS) from the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. He is a doctoral research fellow at Leibniz University Hannover. Nyanje has practiced in leading law firms in Geneva and Nairobi, advising clients across diverse jurisdictions. He has acted in international commercial arbitration, investment arbitration, public international law, and sports arbitration matters before institutions such as the ICC, LCIA, SCAI, SIAC, PCA, ICSID, CAS, as well as before ad hoc tribunals. He has also provided cross-border investment advice to multinational clients, development organizations, and State agencies. In addition to practice, Nyanje teaches and researches in the fields of international investment law, public international law, climate change law, international trade, international environmental law and regional integration. His academic work is closely linked to his litigation experience. Nyanje is fluent in English and Swahili, has a working proficiency in French.
Emilia Onyema, PhD, SFHEA, FCIArb
Professor of International Commercial law @ SOAS University of London
Emilia Onyema is an independent arbitrator with experience as presiding, co and sole arbitrator, and acts as legal expert witness in international arbitration. She is a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the DIAC Court, among others. She is a Professor of International Commercial Law at SOAS University of London where she teaches and publishes on international arbitration, international investment law and commercial law in a global context. She is qualified to practice law in Nigeria, as a Solicitor in England & Wales, and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. She is the Director of the SOAS Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Centre (SADRC). In 2024, she received the CPR Institute award for Outstanding Contribution to Diversity in ADR, and the African Arbitration Association award for Publication/Speech of the Year for her Roebuck Lecture which was also shortlisted for the GAR Best Lecture/Speech Award 2025.
Tom Pause
Managing Partner @ E&P Focus Africa Consulting GmbH
Tom Pause is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of E&P Focus Africa Consulting GmbH in Hamburg, established in 2014. E&P advises German and European companies on business development and market entry across the African continent. He began his professional career in 1985 with an apprenticeship in foreign trade, followed by two and a half years as Managing Director of a German trading company in Uganda. He later studied economics at the University of Witten/Herdecke and the University of California, Berkeley, before holding senior management positions for more than 20 years with Hamburg-based firms engaged in international trade, particularly with Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Over the past three decades, Tom has built an extensive network across business, politics, and civil society in both Africa and Germany. His expertise spans strategy, business development and international trade. In addition to his professional work, he serves as Chairman of the Africa Working Group and member of the Foreign Trade Committee of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Board of the Afrika-Kollegium Hamburg e.V., and Board Member of the Friends of the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM).
Frank Scheidig
Global Head of Senior Executive Banking @ DZ BANK AG
Frank Scheidig is Global Head of Senior Executive Banking at DZ BANK, leading DZ BANK’s high level global strategic engagement with government and official institutions. His network covers – amongst others - the German government, Bundesbank and KfW; the EU commission, EIB and ESM as well as SAFE, AIIB and Worldbank. Having previously had a 40+ years career in the capital markets, with Deutsche Bank and Dresdner Bank among others, covering governments, central banks, supranationals, state funds, and development banks. He is Deputy Chairman of the Advisory Board of OMFIF (The Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum), a well-connected think-tank for central banking, economic policy and public investment. He chairs the Rhein-Main regional committee of the British Chamber of Commerce in Germany, is a member of the Board of the IBF International Bankers Forum and of the Sustainable Finance Advisory Committee of the Federal Government of Germany.
Hicham Zegrary
Secretary General @ Casablanca International Mediation & Arbitration Centre (CIMAC)
HICHAM ZEGRARY is Secretary General of Casablanca International Mediation & Arbitration Centre (CIMAC). Hicham Zegrary is a graduate of the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (Paris, Robert Badinter class 2010) and holds a Masters of Public Affairs from Paris Dauphine University. He is preparing a PhD thesis on arbitration. In November 2010, Hicham joined Casablanca Finance City Authority as head of Legal Affairs and since January 2012, he has been its Director of Operations & Institutional Affairs. He has been Secretary General of CIMAC since March 2016. Hicham began his professional career in February 2002 in Microsoft North Africa as Legal Counsel in the Intellectual Property Department. In October 2004, he joined the General Inspection of Finance related to the Minister of Economy & Finance, which is in charge of auditing projects funded by international financial organisations and auditing management of state-owned companies and departmental corporations. Hicham is the chairman of the organising committee of the Casablanca Arbitration Days. He is member of the ENA Alumni Association, member of ICCA, and member of Association Droit et Commerce.
Supported by
Partner
Organized by
Partner
Contact
Ms. Jessy Wallis
Hamburg Chamber of Commerce,
E-Mail: jessy.wallis@hk24.de
Location
Forum, Hamburg Chamber of Commerce
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