Africa Tech Festival 2023 Highlights
Last year was an incredible success! Africa Tech Festival 2023 brought together innovators, leaders, and tech enthusiasts from around the world to celebrate and explore the latest advancements in technology. Here are some highlights from the event:
In 2023 Africa Tech Festival brought together...
12,500+
In Person Attendees
5,000+
Attending Companies
1000+
VIPs
400+
Speakers
250+
Exhibitors
125+
Investors
Top Speakers
Our past speakers are industry leaders and innovators who have shaped the tech landscape. Here are some of the top speakers from 2023:
USA
Anna Gomez
Vodacom
Dejan Kastelic
African Bank
Unathi Mtya
Top Sessions
Our sessions covered a wide range of topics and were highly attended. Here are some of the most popular sessions from 2023:
Panel: Harnessing the Artificial Intelligence Revolution for African Enterprise
Keynote Panel: Digital Skills Africa: Igniting a Tech Revolution with the Workforce of the Future
Panel: Leveraging Private-Public Partnerships to Build Sustainable Digital Ecosystems
Fireside chat: Connectivity Beyond Borders: Unlocking Universal Broadband Access in Africa
Panel: Demystifying the Start Up Journey
Fireside Chat: Giga Girls - Empowering Futures & Transforming Lives
Panel: How Open Banking Can Help Financial Institutions Compete in the Digital Age
Panel: CreaTech Africa: Empowering Creative Innovation Across the Continent
Top Attendees
Africa Tech Festival attracts high-profile attendees from various sectors every year. Take a look at our 2023 attendees:
ABSA
CIO
Orange
COO
Wester Cape Government
Chief Network Technologist
Bidvest
CIO
Vodacom
CEO
Telkom
Chief Digital and Information Officer
MTN South Africa
CCOO
Multichoice Group
Group Chief Architect
Take a look at our
Past Sessions
Relive the insights and discussions from our 2023 headline keynotes, including AI, connectivity, healthtech, fintech and navigating the 4IR, alongside strategies for addressing the skills gap.
South Africa's Digital Vision: Minister Mondli Gungubele
Minister Mondli Gungubele of the Department of Communications & Digital Technologies, South Africa, delivers a keynote at Africa Tech Festival, envisioning Africa's digital transformation.
He highlights Cape Town's role as a digital hub and addresses the continent's digital divide. Gungubele emphasizes infrastructure development, including fiber optic networks and cloud services, to advance digital connectivity. He outlines South Africa's initiatives and invites partnerships for local manufacturing of devices.
The Minister concludes with optimism for collaborative efforts in Africa's digital future.
Cybersecurity Evolution: Liquid Technologies' Insights
Nic Rudnick, Group Deputy Executive Chairman at Liquid Intelligent Technologies, reflects on Africa's technological evolution in this cybersecurity evolution session at Africa Tech Festival 2023
From the advent of mobile phones to AI applications, he marvels at the rapid progress. Rudnick discusses the safety benefits of driverless technology and highlights Africa's fiber network expansion enabling progress but also attracting cyber threats. He addresses the escalating cyber threat landscape, focusing on business email compromises and the rise of Crimeware-as-a-Service.
Rudnick warns about deep fakes and emphasizes the need for innovative authentication methods. He calls for consolidated AI-powered cyber defense centers in Africa to ensure a safer digital future.
Into the Metaverse - Africa’s Place in a New Virtual World
SPEAKERS:
- Louise Claassen - Co-founder & Creative and Technology Lead, ORBmersive
- Alex Masu - Head of Africa and Middle East - Network Investments, Meta
- Brian Afande - Co-Founder & Managing Director, BlackRhino VR
DESCRIPTION:
The chances are that if you’re interested in technology, you’ll have heard the term ‘Metaverse’ recently. The Metaverse, like much of the tech that enables it, remains at a nascent stage of development, but estimates have put its revenue potential at $800B by 2024. Many global tech brands are already betting big on the idea, and the dream of an immersive, business-ready 3D world is very much alive. This session looks past the hype to explore real-world application of a new virtual universe for business and consumer, dives into how Africa aims to build its own unique space in the Metaverse and how pioneers are leveraging new tech to make this vision a reality.
Digital Transformation in Africa: Key Insights from Omdia’s Research
Thecla Mbongue, Research Manager at Omdia, discusses the critical role of digital transformation in African and global organizations at Africa Tech Festival 2023.
She highlights the challenges faced by telecom providers in meeting customer demands and improving internal efficiencies. The session delves into the multidimensional changes affecting telecom businesses, emphasizing digital transformation as an ongoing journey. Thecla presents insights from Omdia's Service Provider Digital Transformation and Cloud Strategy Survey, identifying drivers and challenges for digital transformation.
Key focus areas include improving customer experience, data-driven organizations, and cloud transformation, with discussion on investment priorities like network automation and open APIs. The session sets the stage for further exploration of how digital transformation is shaping Africa's tech landscape.
Redefining Cybersecurity: Insights from the Office of the National Cyber Director
Philip Stupak, Assistant National Cyber Director for the Office of the National Cyber Director, discussed cybersecurity's role in enhancing connectivity and achieving collective goals at Africa Tech Festival 2023. He highlighted the Digital Transformation with Africa initiative (DTA), aiming to expand digital access and literacy in alignment with the African Union's strategy.
Stupak emphasized the U.S.'s commitment to building resilient networks and advocated for a Zero Trust architecture, prioritizing verification over blind trust. He underscored the Biden-Harris administration's strategic changes and stressed the importance of public-private collaboration in mitigating cyber risks. Stupak urged for the growth of national cyber workforces and digital literacy to ensure future resilience.
Take a look at our
SPONSOR Past Sessions
Relive the insights and discussions from our 2023 sponsors, including PCCW, Orange, Huawei, USAID, Sentech, and Cloudflare alongside a special award interview with Intelsat!
Huawei's Vision for a Digital and Sustainable Africa
At Africa Tech Festival, Huawei's Sub-Saharan Africa Region President outlines the company's strategy for fostering digital and energy revolutions on the continent.
They highlight ICT advancements such as 5G, cloud, AI, and solar energy driving productivity. Huawei emphasizes the importance of digitalization and interconnected infrastructure for Africa's leapfrog development. Initiatives in cloud migration, AI, and green energy are discussed, along with plans to train 100,000 digital talents by 2026.
The session showcases Huawei's 8-Point Sustainability Plan and commitment to a digitally prosperous and sustainable Africa.
Empowering Digital Inclusion: Orange's Vision
Brelotte Ba, Deputy CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa, emphasizes digital inclusion at Africa Tech Festival.
He discusses Orange's efforts to expand mobile money and broadband services, serving 146 million customers and reducing digital disparities across Africa. Ba showcases Orange's multi-service approach, focusing on connectivity and digital education.
He highlights initiatives like Orange Money's impact on financial security and energy projects enabling entrepreneurship. Ba concludes with a call to invest in infrastructure and skill development for a digitally inclusive future, inspired by Nelson Mandela's legacy.
Africa Tech Festival Awards Interview with Hans Geldenhuys - Director, Sales of Intelsat
Hans Hen Haaste, Director of Sales for Intelsat, discusses the company's involvement as a featured sponsor of the Africa Tech Festival and its sponsorship of the Changing Lives Awards. He highlights Intelsat's long-standing mission to connect unconnected communities, particularly in Africa, where the company has been providing satellite solutions since 1964. Haaste elaborates on Intelsat's focus on creating sustainable connectivity solutions across various sectors, including education and rural development, to ensure long-term impact. The conversation also touches on Intelsat's upcoming 60th anniversary and its ongoing commitment to advancing connectivity across the continent.
Sentech's COO Tebogo Leshope on Innovating ICT in South Africa
Tebogo Leshope, COO of Sentech, offers an overview of the company's role in South Africa's ICT sector since the 1950s. Sentech provides services in terrestrial networks, fiber connectivity, and satellite distribution. Leshope discusses the launch of their streaming platform, Free Vision Play, and their new IoT capabilities, showcased at Africa Tech Festival 2023, where Sentech also gained significant brand exposure and participated in panels on digital infrastructure investment.
Cloudflare's Vision for Africa: Empowering Digital Security
Dave Barnett, Head of SASE and Email Security EMEA at Cloudflare, discusses the company's strategy for Africa, focusing on empowering businesses with advanced, affordable technologies. Cloudflare is committed to enhancing digital security with zero-trust models and integrating AI to protect against cyber threats. Their SASE solutions are aiding African businesses in transitioning to cloud-based models. With a presence in 26 African cities, Cloudflare values learning from local partners to tailor services for the continent, partnering with firms like eNetworks, Demios, and CloudHop to better serve the African market.
Interview with Tom Koutsky - Digital Inclusion Team Lead at USAID
Take a look at Tom Koutsky, Digital Inclusion Team Lead at USAID, as he discusses the agency's efforts to promote open, inclusive, and secure digital ecosystems across Africa. Koutsky highlights USAID's focus on closing digital divides, particularly the gender digital divide, by partnering with local internet service providers and community groups. He also introduces the Women in the Digital Economy Fund, a $60 million initiative in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aimed at increasing internet access and usage among women in Africa. Koutsky encourages companies to join public-private partnerships to further advance these goals.
Interview with Silvio Do Carmo - Vice President, Sales, Africa at PCCW Global
Take a look at an interview with Silvio Do Carmo, Vice President of Sales for Africa at PCCW Global, as he discusses the company's role as a tier-one network provider with over 3,000 points of presence across 160 countries. Silvio introduces Console Connect, their SDN platform that automates digital services and enables customers to deploy services globally within minutes. He also reflects on the significance of the Africa Tech Festival, where PCCW Global's team connected with key customers, suppliers, and partners, emphasizing the event's value for business growth and networking opportunities.