Africa Tech Festival: Call for collaboration

The closing day of the 28^th annual Africa Tech Festival 2025 (https://AfricaTechFestival.com/) delivered a clear message: Africa is on a technology trajectory unlike anything seen before, and its potential is limitless. With the world’s youngest population and a rapidly expanding digital economy, the continent is charting its course toward digital sovereignty.

This message was reiterated in the headline keynote, Closing the Talent Gap to Power Africa’s AI Economy, which emphasised that Africa’s digital transformation depends on embedding foundational digital literacy and AI skills across education systems. Along with moderator Dr. Miriam Altman, panellists Mary Mahuma (Philip Morris SA), Sipho Mtombeni (Google), and Shamiela Letsoalo (Naspers/Ecommerce Forum SA) highlighted the need for critical thinking, problem-solving, and adaptable “AI-enabled” workers across all sectors. They pointed to scalable talent models and partnerships as catalysts for preparing Africa’s youth for emerging digital careers.

Data excellence was in the spotlight at the AI Summit, with Building Africa’s Data Backbone – Governance, Infrastructure and Interoperability, focusing on the foundations required for continental-scale digital growth. SenthilKumar Velayutham (African Development Bank), Matis Pellerin (Oracle), Caitlin Tallack (The AI Collective), James Turuthi (TESPOK), and Matthias Reusing (Delegation of the EU to the African Union) emphasised that harmonised data regulation, interoperable systems, and aligned regional standards are crucial for unlocking innovation, supporting AI development, and enhancing Africa’s digital resilience.

Policy as a catalyst for African startups took centre stage at AfricaIgnite, where Kunbi Tinuoye (UrbanGeekz), Nikita Thakrar (Included VC), and Natalie Miller (XRGlobal) called for gender-equitable investment environments and coordinated cross-border regulation to expand capital access beyond the continent’s major hubs. Speakers noted that Africa’s next wave of high-growth ventures will depend on investor diversity, streamlined regulation, and policies that reflect the realities entrepreneurs face across 54 markets.

The AfricaCom panel Collaboration in Action – Fostering Telco Partnerships to Drive Digital Inclusion brought together leaders from MTN, Standard Bank, RMB, and the Mobile Ecosystem Forum to explore how cross-industry alliances are extending connectivity, enabling digital commerce, and supporting the continent’s broader inclusion agenda.

A keynote on the AfricaCom main stage by Arthur Goldstuck, CEO of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of Gadget, provided a packed audience with fresh insights on what the world can learn from the way AI is used in Africa. He also warned that a culture of trust was key to successful implementation of AI in organisations and countries.