Nadya Eka Lestari
17 Top African Tech Conferences, Summits Startups Need to Attend This Year
TechInAfrica — Mark these dates for the top tech conferences, expos, and summits that will be held in Africa in 2020.
Africa Tech Summit Kigali 2020 edition will include three summits: the Money & Blockchain Summit, Startup Summit, and Future Summit. Organizers expect over 150 speakers and 350 companies to attend the three-day event.
Attendees can expect to gain insights from among others, Safaricom, IFC, CocaCola, Partech Africa Fund, Bolt, Asante Financial, Decred, TLcom, Alitheia Capital, 4DiCapital, GSMA, Uprise Africa, Impact Hub, KeshoLabs, Antler and Oui Capital.
Date: 4 to 6 February
Location: Kigali, Rwanda
Delegates at the 12th Africa Energy Indaba Conference are expected to discuss energy generation solutions in Africa. A diverse group of luminaries and high-profile speakers is expected to share their real-world insights about the changing energy landscape in Africa.
The Africa Energy Indaba will comprise a two-day exhibition where world-class industry organizations will be able to demonstrate their commitment to provide the solutions Africa needs to meet its growing energy demands.
Meanwhile, the event’s MarketPlace Business Matchmaking Programme will provide exhibitors and conference delegates with the opportunity to meet with other high-level attendees, speakers, sponsors, and investors at the event.
Date: 3 and 4 March
Location: Cape Town International Convention Centre, South Africa
Blockchain Africa Conference 2020
Claimed as Africa’s leading blockchain and cryptocurrency conference, the 2020 edition is expected to see delegates cut through the hype and showcase the potential of these disruptive and innovative technologies.
The conference will also explore how blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies are providing opportunities for individuals, governments, startups, companies, and institutions, by removing and improving inefficient systems and processes within and across organizations.
Date: 11 and 12 March
Location: Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa
More than 1,200 tech leaders and professionals from across Africa will gather in Women in Tech Africa 2020, the most progressive conference for women in technology on the continent, with game-changing sessions, inspiring speakers and cutting-edge technology.
The keynotes from industry heavyweights and interactive technical workshops or practical career-development advice, organizers claim the event will leave participants better prepared to take their place as a leading participant in Africa’s Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Date: 18 and 19 March
Location: Century City Conference Centre, Cape Town, SA
Internet of Things (IoT) Forum Africa is one of Africa’s leading IoT events. This year’s edition topics will include topics on IoT security, platforms, and devices, industrial (IIoT), 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), smart cities, and the future of IoT.
Date: 25 and 26 March
Location: Johannesburg, SA
The sixth edition of the Transform Africa Summit, bringing the theme “Integrating Africa”, is expected to attract over 4,000 participants.
Heads of state and government, regulators, representatives of international organizations, industry leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, young innovators, civil society, and academia are expected to attend this year’s edition.
Date: 20 to 23 April
Location: Conakry, Guinea
This summit claims to be East Africa’s premier strategic event for telecoms, media, broadcasting and technology leaders.
East Africa Com will comprise awards, The Ahub East startup space and a digital broadcasting breakout.
Date: 12 and 13 May
Location: Radisson Blu, Nairobi Upper Hill, Nairobi, Kenya
A tech conference, exhibition, and technology awards ceremony will be included in this year’s edition of Africa Tech Week. The event will focus on educating South Africa and other African countries on the challenges and opportunities to be gained by drafting appropriate plans and policies for The Fourth Industrial Revolution.
African Tech Week will also recognize and reward companies on the continent that have demonstrated excellence in the area of innovative product development.
Date: 13 and 14 May
Location: Cape Town, SA
West Africa Com aims to unite the West African francophone and anglophone technology, media, and telecoms markets.
At the event, speakers will cover the topic of how the telco value chain can leverage its assets to deliver low-cost broadband connectivity and digital services to the consumers and enterprises in West Africa.
Date: 8 and 9 July
Location: Radisson Blu Hotel, Dakar Sea Plaza, Senegal
Entering its third year, AI Expo Africa is the largest business-focused Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Data Science B2B trade event and conference in Africa.
2020 edition builds upon the success of the 2018 and 2019 events that were held in Cape Town, that cemented it as the largest gathering of its kind, with over 1000 registered decision-makers, investors, buyers, and suppliers focusing on real-world AI and data science business applications.
Date: 3 and 4 September
Location: Cape Town, SA
Nigeria Com is one of the most influential places for technology, media and telecoms leaders and the best opportunity to network with like-minded individuals.
Date: 9 and 10 September
Location: Lagos Oriental Hotel, Lagos
The SA Innovation Summit claims itself as Africa’s biggest startup event. Last year’s edition attracted 600 companies, 1,340 entrepreneurs, and 150 investors. The summit’s program comprises pitching competitions, ecosystem tours, and exhibitions.
Date: 16 to 18 September
Location: Cape Town, SA
Healthcare Innovation Summit Africa
This conference will cover the latest topics such as robotics, electronic health records, delivering personalized healthcare, AI, IoT in healthcare, the future of healthcare and much, much more.
The summit, which is now in its fourth year, will bring together heads of technology, policymakers and key stakeholders from public and private hospitals, clinics, hospices, technology solution providers, as well as healthtech entrepreneurs and academics.
Date: 17 and 18 October
Location: Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg, SA
In its sixth annual year, Edutech Africa is intentionally designed to inspire and encourage knowledge exchange and to showcase disruptors who are having a transformative impact on every aspect of education.
Date: 19 and 20 October
Location: Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, SA
AfricArena aims to accelerate the growth of tech startups and the ecosystems in which they operate by providing a platform where they can share their business model, gain valuable networks, and attain funding.
The two-day conference targets to create links and opportunities not only between startups, investors, and established companies, but also between the African continent and the world.
Date: 9 and 10 October
Location: Cape Town, SA
According to its organizers, whatever your focus within connectivity or enterprise digital transformation, AfricaCom is the place to meet everybody who’s anybody in African telecoms and technology.
Date: 10 to 12 November
Location: Cape Town International Convention Centre, SA
Africa Early Stage Investor Summit
This year, Africa’s early-stage investor community will once again gather in Cape Town for the seventh annual Africa Early Stage Investor Summit.
Jointly hosted by VC4A and African Business Angel Network (ABAN), this exclusive investor-only event, brings together Africa’s early-stage funding community, thought leaders, and industry experts from across the continent and beyond.
Date: TBA, November
Location: Cape Town, SA
Source: ventureburn.com
