Africa Tech Festival 2025 Kicks Off in Cape Town, Urges Inclusive and Responsible Digital Innovation
The festival brought together key stakeholders from government, global tech firms, and the startup ecosystem, emphasizing that Africa’s digital transformation must be guided by ethical governance, equitable access, and meaningful social impact.
Africa’s technology leaders officially opened the 28th annual Africa Tech Festival 2025 in Cape Town with a strong call for responsible, inclusive, and people-centred innovation to drive the continent’s digital future. The festival brought together key stakeholders from government, global tech firms, and the startup ecosystem, emphasizing that Africa’s digital transformation must be guided by ethical governance, equitable access, and meaningful social impact.
South Africa’s Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Hon. Solly Malatsi, along with Deputy Minister Hon. Mondli Gungubele, reinforced the government’s commitment to inclusive digital development. Minister Malatsi highlighted the importance of three foundational pillars for the country to fully benefit from emerging technologies like AI: affordable connectivity and devices, reliable digital public infrastructure, and widespread digital literacy. These elements, he noted, are essential to accelerating digital transformation across South Africa and the continent.
Cassava Technologies announced during the festival that it has become Africa’s first NVIDIA Cloud Partner, deploying NVIDIA GPUs across five sites to power AI innovation. Strive Masiyiwa, Founder and Executive Chairman of Cassava Technologies, emphasized how strategic collaborations with Google, Anthropic, and other global tech leaders are enabling African industries to access world-class AI tools and solutions.
Deputy Minister Gungubele echoed this vision on the AfricaTech main stage, advocating for digital systems that support transparent, citizen-centric governance. He underscored Africa’s proactive approach to building a sovereign, interoperable, and human-centred digital future, using South Africa’s national AI policy as a model for safe and inclusive AI innovation.
The AI Summit Cape Town featured prominent discussions on open-source innovation and equitable AI access. Emmanuel Lubanzadio, Africa Lead at OpenAI, joined Akim Benamara of TechAfrica News and Thabo Makenete of Meta to explore how AI can be leveraged across the continent while respecting language diversity and inclusion. Another session, Unlocking Agentic AI – The Next Leap in African Innovation, examined the transformative potential of autonomous AI systems for industries and public service delivery, while upholding ethical design principles.
Kadi Diallo, Portfolio Manager for Africa Tech Festival, described the event as more than just a conference, but a movement showcasing Africa’s ingenuity and leadership in the digital age. She emphasized that this year’s festival focuses on responsible innovation, inclusive investment, and practical impact, highlighting the continent’s growing influence in the global digital economy.
The festival spans four flagship programmes—AfricaCom, AfricaTech, The AI Summit Cape Town, and AfricaIgnite—covering themes from AI and cloud computing to connectivity and digital policy harmonization. AfricaIgnite Founder Day on 10 November showcased African entrepreneurship, attracting founders, investors, and venture capitalists. The opening day concluded with AFest at Grand Africa Café & Beach, offering delegates an evening of networking and live entertainment.
The 28th Africa Tech Festival 2025 sets the stage for a week of innovation, collaboration, and dialogue, positioning Africa as a proactive and inclusive leader in the global digital landscape.
