Top-notch speaker list, including several government ministers, exemplifies the importance of tech to drive Africa’s needed economic big boom.
Africa’s potential in economics, digital penetration, and business has positioned it for explosive growth, but there are challenges it must overcome first. These challenges, alongside innovative solutions, will be spotlighted at the 2023 Africa Tech Festival, happening in Cape Town, from November 13–16.
The festival will feature a strong line-up of headline speakers, including several African government ministers.
“Businesses across Africa have benefited enormously from leap-frogging traditional technology to the digital world and wireless connectivity, and this is spurring incredible growth across the continent,” says James Williams, director of events at Informa Tech, organisers of the festival. “The incredible advantages of digitalisation are, however, dependent on a plentiful and reliable source of power, and it’s essential that the public sector has strong strategies in place to drive this growth.”
Among the 200-plus speakers, presenters, and panellists will be Gwede Mantashe, minister of mineral resources and energy and Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, South Africa’s minister for electricity, both of whom will be providing insight on how the South African government is tackling load shedding and the country’s energy crisis.
There will also be a panel on “Universal power access: Plotting a route through Africa’s electricity challenge”, which will place the future of digital transformation on the shoulders of electricity and citizens’ access to energy.
In Africa, energy insecurity has been a chronic inhibitor of economic development for decades, and continues to cripple enterprise growth and innovation, and these panels will unpack why a staggering 30 of Africa’s 54 nations face daily power shortages and supply interruptions, all of which cause economic havoc to local businesses and hamper consumer activity.
Another key area of public-sector engagement with the tech sector will be discussed in the keynote panel “Unleashing digital prosperity: How progressive policy is shaping Africa’s tech transformation”. This session will present African ministers from across the continent with an opportunity to share how they are tailoring policy to their unique national priorities.
“The process of developing and implementing policy across myriad industries and sectors is, however, an inherently complex and lengthy process and relies heavily on industry consultation, sector-specific legislation and flexibility to evolve with rapidly changing sectors,” says Williams, highlighting the importance of the growing number of ministerial delegations at Africa Tech Festival year on year.
Other African ministers of government that will be in attendance are Ousmane Gaoual Diallo, the Republic of Guinea’s minister of posts, telecommunications and digital economy; Peya Mushelenga, Namibia’s minister of information and communication technology; and Audrin Mathe, executive director and permanent secretary in the ministry of information and communication technology.
Other high-level speakers that will be sharing with the government delegates over the three days of the festival are Dion Jerling, co-founder, Connect Earth; Richard Cazalet, head of strategy, Telkom SA; Robert Aouad, CEO, ISOCEL Telecom; Russell Southwood, CEO, Balancing Act; Vuyani Tati, managing partner, AfriTech Catalytic Growth Fund; Jocelyn Nyaguse, head of marketing and storytelling, Startupbootcamp AfriTech; Calvin Govender, general manager ICT fixed services, MTN; Marjorie Saint-Lot, country manager, Ghana and the Ivory Coast, Uber; Evan Jones, CEO, The Collective X; Nfaly Sylla, ministry of posts, telecommunications and digital economy, Republic of Guinea; Kellie Murungi, chief investments officer, East African Power; John Davies, TMT Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence; and many others.
The Africa Tech Festival is the meeting place of Africa’s largest community of tech champions and offers this vibrant grouping the ideal space to connect and interact.
For more information, please visit the festival website, and to get your tickets, click this link.
