Africa Tech Festival 2026 spotlights the debates driving the continent’s digital economy. With just over two months remaining, the 29th edition of Africa’s longest-running and most influential technology event is being assembled. Its agenda tackles critical issues such as artificial intelligence, the supporting infrastructure, cybersecurity, connectivity and the evolving investment climate for African tech firms.
The event will once again be hosted at the Cape Town International Convention Centre between 16 and 19 November 2026. Attendees will include government officials, technology companies, telecom operators, infrastructure providers, enterprise leaders, startups and investors from across Africa and the wider world.
David Monaghan, vice-president of Africa Tech Festival, noted that the challenges confronting the digital economy are becoming increasingly intertwined and pressing. “It’s no longer simply about whether businesses will adopt AI, move to the cloud or invest in new infrastructure, but about how those decisions are made, who benefits from them and what needs to be in place for them to deliver sustainable growth,” he said.
The 2026 schedule is designed to host these dialogues, offering participants a clearer picture of the choices, collaborations and funding priorities that will influence the forthcoming stage of Africa’s digital evolution.
Artificial intelligence and infrastructure
Artificial intelligence features prominently throughout the festival. A session titled “Beyond Adoption: What Will Make Africa an AI Producer, Not Just a Consumer?” will explore the prerequisites for establishing world-class AI capabilities on the continent. Sessions will explore the emergence of agentic AI in enterprise decision-making and how companies should prioritise investment across AI, cloud, data platforms and core systems as they modernise for growth.
This emphasis on capability extends to the underlying infrastructure. The expansion of AI is tightly linked to considerations around data centres, cloud networks and localised compute capacity. The panel “Next Wave of AI Infrastructure Growth” will discuss optimal locations for new capacity, the influence of hyperscaler alliances and the need for localised compute to meet data sovereignty requirements.
Additional sessions will assess which African markets are drawing investor interest, how electricity availability and hyperscaler presence affect that interest, and how factors such as sovereignty, performance and cost are reshaping cloud-architecture strategies.
Connectivity and security
Africa’s subsequent digital surge also hinges on broadening dependable connectivity while safeguarding online enterprises and services. The Telecoms & Connectivity track will review fibre-optic investments, the rollout of 4G and 5G networks, and the expanding role of satellite solutions in reaching remote populations.
Registration for Africa Tech Festival 2026 is now open.
