Date: June 17 – 19, 2026
Venue: Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani Hotel, Durban, South Africa
Conference Theme: “Rethinking Financial Market Resilience and Business Continuity in an Era of Global Fragmentation”
The 4th International Conference on Business Resilience, Continuity and Regeneration (BRCR) will be hosted by the Business Rescue Unit (BRU), under School of Commerce, University of KwaZulu-Natal, on 17 – 19 June 2026, in the picturesque, vibrant coastal city of Durban, South Africa.
In recent years, there has been growing attention on the challenges of operating in an increasingly fragmented global economy, marked by trade instability, geopolitical disruption, and shifting global alliances. This environment of disruption has become inescapable. From escalating trade wars and tariff regimes to ongoing geopolitical conflicts, supply chain fragmentation, and information warfare, economic and political uncertainty has become the norm.
These dynamics have profoundly affected global trade flows, financial markets, and, more critically, business continuity. Resilience has therefore become vital for businesses and financial markets to withstand and adapt to these disruptions. Consequently, examining the resilience of businesses and financial markets in the face of trade instability and geopolitical shocks has emerged as a central and enduring focus of contemporary research.
The main aim of this conference is to create an effective platform for connecting, collaborating, and exchanging various research results and problem-solving modi operandi among academicians, postgraduate students, practitioner-researchers, policymakers, and entrepreneurs from all four corners of the world.
We cordially invite all interested academicians, postgraduate students, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and practitioner-researchers with multi-disciplinary/inter-disciplinary research interests to participate and present their original, unpublished and high-quality research papers related to building business and financial market resilience in the context of trade instability, geopolitical disruption, and a fragmenting global economy.
Keynote Speaker
– Professor Jonathan Calof
Guest Speaker
– Advocate Andrew Donnelly
Conference Tracks
The conference will focus (but will not be limited) on the following themes:
Access to Finance, Advertising, Agri-Business and Food Security, Artificial Intelligence, Banking/Bank Risk, Big Data Analysis, Brand Equity, Business Analysis, Business Ethics, Business Law, Business Leadership, Change Management, Competitiveness and Small Businesses, Consumer Behaviour, Corporate and Public Governance, Corporate Communication, Corporate Finance, Customer Behaviour, Customer Relationship Management, Development Economics, Development Finance, Development Studies, E-commerce, Economic Resilience, Ecotourism, Entrepreneurship, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Matters, E-tourism, Financial Distress Prediction, Financial Economics, Financial Institutions, Financial Management in Tourism, Financial Markets, Financial Risk Management, Hospitality Management, Human Resource Management, Humane Tourism Information Technology, Innovation, Internal Tourism, Internet Economy, Issues on Business Rescue, Market Structure and Pricing, Marketing, Mobile Commerce, Organizational Behaviour, Organizational Culture, Organizational Structure, Poverty Studies, Procurement, Production Management, Project Management, Responsible Tourism, Search Engine Optimization, Small Businesses, Smart Connected Products, Smart Logistics, Social Media and Services, Strategic Management, Supply Chain Management, Turnaround and Rehabilitation Management.
Registration and Conference Presentation
Abstracts and full papers must be submitted via the Conference website
Alternatively, abstracts and full papers can be submitted at BRCR Conference@ukzn.ac.za copy MatendaF@ukzn.ac.za.
The language of conference presentations is English. Once the abstract is accepted, the author must send a full-text paper, including results, tables, figures and references. Please note that your conference registration will only be finalised after your payment of the registration fee is received and verified.
Conference Registration Fees
| Classification | Conference registration fee (Early bird) | Conference registration fee (Regular) | ||
| US dollars | Local currency | US dollars | Local currency | |
| Physical attendance | ||||
| Delegate (article presenting author) | US$350.00 | R6 500.00 | US$400.00 | R7 200.00 |
| Delegate (author presenting second paper) | US$200.00 | R3 600.00 | US$250.00 | R4 500.00 |
| Delegate not presenting | US$200.00 | R3 600.00 | US$300.00 | R5 400.00 |
| Postgraduate student | US$200.00 | R3 600.00 | US$300.00 | R5 400.00 |
| Virtual attendance | ||||
| Delegate (article presenting author) | US$200.00 | R3 600.00 | US$250.00 | R4 500.00 |
| Delegate (author presenting second paper) | US$200.00 | R3 600.00 | US$250.00 | R4 500.00 |
| Delegate not presenting | US$200.00 | R3 600.00 | US$250.00 | R4 500.00 |
| Postgraduate student | US$200.00 | R3 600.00 | US$250.00 | R4 500.00 |
Note
The conference registration fee includes the following: registration, conference material, certificate of participation, breakfast, lunch and gala dinner. There are no refunds, but delegates can send substitutes at no additional cost.
Publications
Conference Proceedings: Selected full papers accepted for the BRCR Conference will be included in the Conference Proceedings (with an ISSN number) to be published after the
conference.
Article Publication: The BRCR conference has partnered with journals accredited by South Africa’s Department of Higher Education and Training and indexed in SCOPUS, UGC CARE List, IBSS, EBSCO, ProQuest, ABDC, COPERNICUS, SAJE, CABELL, SABINET, J-Gate, WoS, EconLit, DOAJ, ERIH PLUS, etc., to publish Special Issues featuring selected papers from the conference. These partner journals include the Interdisciplinary Journal of Economics and Business Law, Review of Business and Economics Studies, Academic Finance, The Journal of Accounting and Management, Emerging Markets Case Studies, Journal of Contemporary Management, and the African Journal of Business and Economic Research. Please note that the final decision for paper publication will be evaluated based on peer review reports of the Journals. Additional publication charges may be incurred depending on the Journal selected. Emerald pay authors £100 (GBP) or the equivalent currency, upon publication of their case study in Emerging Markets Case Studies.
NB: The conference adheres to rigorous academic and ethical standards in line with international scholarly best practice.
Important Dates
Closing date for submission of abstracts (max. 250 words): 30 April 2026
Abstract acceptance notification (notification will be given 5 days after submission)
Final date for registration and payment of fees (early bird): 15 May 2026
Final date for registration and payment of fees (regular): 31 May 2026
Final date for submission of full papers (5000-8000 words): 31 May 2026
Conference dates: 17 – 19 June 2026
Conference Chairpersons
Professor Paul-Francois Muzindutsi: MuzindutsiP@ukzn.ac.za
Dr Kajal Ramnanun: RamnanunK@ukzn.ac.za
Enquiries
Conference Coordinator: Dr Frank R. Matenda
Email: BRCR-Conference@ukzn.ac.za cc MatendaF@ukzn.ac.za
Conference Coordinator: Dr Hilary Tinotenda Muguto
Email: MugutoH@ukzn.ac.za cc BRCR-Conference@ukzn.ac.za
Conference administrator: Nokuthula Mthembu
Email: MthembuN14@ukzn.ac.za
Website: https://businessrescue.ukzn.ac.za/
