AFRICA Tech Festival 2024 wrapped up last week, marking the most successful edition in the event’s 27-year history. Organised by Informa Tech, the event is Africa’s most extensive showcase of enterprise tech innovation, bringing together influential founders, business leaders, policymakers, investors, and startups.
Building on the momentum of the event’s first two days, the final day kicked off with an opening address by Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, City of Cape Town. Commenting on the host city’s standing as a leading tech hub hosting 51 percent of South Africa’s startups, he emphasised Cape Town’s focus on skills development in AI and tech in particular, reiterating his excitement at “making Cape Town a focal point for African innovation and setting an example of how tech can empower communities and social change.”
Preceding the main event, the by-invitation Leaders In Africa Summit was an exclusive VIP series of executive discussions designed to facilitate actionable dialogue between 100 of the continent’s most influential tech players. Panel sessions, fireside chats, networking events, and roundtables provided a platform for sharing insights and collaborating on solutions to Africa’s tech challenges
Topics ranged from emerging technologies to AI for startups, ESG, regulatory frameworks, fundraising strategies and support for founders and investors
The final day of Africa Tech Festival 2024 also featured several keynote fireside discussions across the various event streams. Skills development was a theme of the day, including a masterclass session on AI content creation, a security fundamentals certification training session, and a technical workshop where participants worked in groups to develop scaling strategies for AI pilot projects.
The USAID Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) hosted the YALI Alumni Expo and Trade Show running alongside Africa Tech Festival.
The YALI Expo connected and celebrated YALI alumni making positive change in their communities by creating these networking opportunities and showcasing innovations for sustainable impact.
One of the key topics focused on the gender gap and a panel discussion on day 4 centred around Empowering Female Founders: Narrowing the Gender Gap in Venture Capital.