The 28th edition of the Africa Tech Festival officially opened on Tuesday in Cape Town, South Africa’s legislative capital, convening thousands of delegates from across the continent and beyond to deliberate on how technology can serve as a lever for inclusive and sustainable growth. The event, Africa’s largest annual technology gathering, continues to position itself as a critical platform for shaping digital futures through responsible innovation and harmonised policy engagement.
Hosted under the theme “Responsible Innovation, Inclusive Investment, Connectivity for Development, and Policy Harmonisation,” the festival runs until Thursday and is projected to attract over 17,000 delegates, 300 exhibitors, and 450 speakers, according to the festival organisers. It comprises four main tracks — AfricaCom, AfricaTech, AfricaIgnite, and the AI Summit Cape Town — each addressing pivotal components of Africa’s evolving digital ecosystem.
In his keynote address, South Africa’s Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, stressed that the continent’s participation in the next wave of technological advancement, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI), depends fundamentally on laying robust digital foundations. “If we want Africa to benefit from and participate in the next wave of innovation, especially AI, we must get three foundations right at scale: affordable connectivity and devices; reliable digital public infrastructure; practical digital literacy that meets people where they are,” he stated.
Malatsi underscored the need for AI and emerging technologies to be seen not as mechanisms of marginalisation, but rather as tools to democratise opportunity. “We will turn prototypes into products, and products into public value in order to build a more inclusive digital future for our continent,” he said.
The discussions reflected a pan-African understanding of the digital divide, recognising that barriers to connectivity are often multi-layered, encompassing regulatory fragmentation, infrastructural deficits, and systemic disparities in education and digital literacy. As highlighted by Sean Suzuki, Portfolio Manager at AfricaCom, affordability and accessibility remain entrenched challenges. “This is linked to regulatory challenges, and it is crucial to develop the right frameworks as well; forming key partnerships across the ICT industry; and the digital skills gap,” Suzuki said.
Justin Georges Tala, Global Accounts Manager at Cameroon Telecommunications, echoed the sentiment, advocating for a continental approach to digital equity. “We cannot do this alone — there have to be strategic partnerships that need to be put in place to make sure that we bridge the digital gap on the continent,” he noted. He emphasised the importance of creating “end-to-end meaningful connectivity” tailored to local realities and contexts.
The festival’s broad appeal across sectors — from telecommunications and fintech to AI governance and public-private partnerships — is a testament to the growing recognition that Africa’s digital future cannot be siloed or externally dictated. With countries charting divergent paths in policy and infrastructure development, the Africa Tech Festival serves as a critical convening space to share best practices and foster south-south collaborations.
What distinguishes this year’s edition is its conscious effort to reframe Africa not as a latecomer to global innovation, but as a unique crucible of contextualised digital solutions. This framing counters prevalent external narratives that often view the continent primarily through deficits, instead foregrounding African-led innovation and homegrown capacity building as central to digital sovereignty.
As the continent looks ahead, the success of initiatives like the Africa Tech Festival lies not only in high-level dialogue but in follow-through — ensuring that ideas presented are translated into scalable, inclusive, and locally-relevant interventions. The continent’s future digital trajectory will be defined not by the adoption of imported technologies alone, but by the cultivation of ecosystems that reflect the lived experiences, aspirations, and ingenuity of its people.
