Africa: SA Department of Communications and Digital Technologies partners with Africa Tech Festival 2024, Hosts Exclusive Ministerial Summit

1 November 2024
Africa Tech Festival ()
press release

 

Informa Tech, organisers of the 27th annual Africa Tech Festival 2024, are pleased to announce that the South African Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) will be an official partner of this year’s event, taking place from 12 to 14 November in Cape Town.

Incorporating AfricaCom, AfricaTech, AfricaIgnite, and The AI Summit Cape Town, Africa Tech Festival 2024 will welcome 15,000 visitors, over 400 speakers, and more than 300 exhibitors. Topics include enterprise tech innovation and disruption across key sectors such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud and data centres, and green ICT.

“Africa Tech Festival is the largest and most influential telecoms and technology event in Africa, with an audience that spans the entire ICT ecosystem, including trade and other ministries. The partnership with the DCDT is a clear indication of the South African government’s commitment to engaging with these key stakeholders from across the continent, opening dialogue, sharing insights, and working together to advance Africa’s digital transformation journey,” said Informa’s James Williams, Event Director of Africa Tech Festival.

One of the highlights of the partnership is the AfricaCom 2024 Ministerial Summit, a closed-door VIP event bringing together close to a dozen African and international ministers from across critical sectors such as ICT, innovation, trade, finance, education, and enterprise. The Ministerial Summit will provide government leaders with a platform that facilitates discussion, collaboration, and sharing of learnings on how progressive policy is nurturing tech ecosystems, building efficient workforces, unlocking technological innovation across public and enterprise sectors, and driving Africa’s socioeconomic development.

Another initiative that forms part of the partnership is an exclusive government pavilion at which a small group of top South African businesses, SMEs, and startups will be hosted, again reflecting top-tier support for businesses that are contributing to the country’s technology-driven agenda.

“The importance of collaborative efforts and partnerships in realising our goal of a connected and digitally transformed society cannot be overemphasised. The Africa Tech Festival presents such platform for different innovative minds to come together to explore and exchange tech solutions for Africa and the rest of the world. This global platform will not only afford us an opportunity to learn best practices but also afford our SMEs to market their innovative solutions to the more than 15 000 visitors from across the globe. We are committed to ensuring that Africa does not become a mere consumer of digital solutions developed elsewhere but a meaningful participant in the digital economy by being a supplier of solutions and infrastructure that are tried and tested in our shores. We are looking forward to welcoming the world to our shores.” said Ms Nonkqubela Jordan-Dyani, Director-General of the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies.

The introduction of the Ministerial Summit, along with the official endorsement of the event by the DCDT, add significantly to the depth of Africa Tech Festival. In addition to showcasing the immensely innovative nature of the industry, the event is also a targeted networking platform for tech leaders, role-players, and investors to make a positive contribution to Africa’s successful navigation of a tech-driven future.

Confirmed Africa Tech Festival 2024 speakers include:

Faith Burn

Chief Information Officer,  Eskom Holdings SOC

Funke Opeke

CEO, MainOne

Kerissa Varma

CISO, Vodacom Group

Leo Skarlatos

CEO, AT (formerly Airtel Tigo)

Mary Mahuma

CIO, Southern Africa, Philip Morris

Motunrayo Opayinka

Founder and CEO, Womenovate

Nollie Maoto

Chief Data and Analytics Officer – Merchant Services, FNB South Africa

Norbert Prihoda

Deputy CEO, Tunisie Telecom

Prasanna Kumar Burri

Group Chief Information Officer, Dangote Group

Samwel Magesa

Chief Data Officer, NBC Bank

Simbah Mutasa

Managing Director, Bank of America

Sithembile Songo

CISO, Eskom Holdings SOC

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