The 2024 Africa Tech Festival opened its doors in Cape Town, South Africa, bringing together a diverse mix of global technology leaders, entrepreneurs, and policy-makers.
As one of the continent’s largest and most influential gatherings in the tech and telecommunications sectors, the festival aims to drive Africa’s digital transformation and innovation.
Running from 12 to 14 November at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, the 27th edition of the Africa Tech Festival features four key events: AfricaCom, AfricaTech, AfricaIgnite, and the Cape Town AI Summit.
Organisers anticipate more than 15,000 attendees, with over 300 exhibitors and 450 speakers from across Africa and beyond.
Speaking at Tuesday’s opening ceremony, South Africa’s Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, highlighted the need for collective action to shape Africa’s digital future.
“Today, we stand on the brink of transformative opportunities.
The digital age has unlocked pathways to growth and inclusion across the continent, creating new routes towards economic and social progress,” Malatsi stated.
Citing various studies, Malatsi emphasized that achieving 100% internet penetration across sub-Saharan Africa could boost regional economic growth by an additional 1.5% annually, create millions of jobs, and enhance economic inclusion.
He noted that universal connectivity has the potential to lift over 44 million people out of extreme poverty.
In addition to the festival’s core events, the Africa Tech Festival 2024 will host the AfricaCom Ministerial Summit—a high-profile, invitation-only gathering of ministers and dignitaries from Africa and beyond.
This summit will focus on critical sectors such as information and communication technology, innovation, commerce, finance, education, and entrepreneurship.
