Africa Tech Festival Returns in 2026 to Drive Investment, Innovation, and Digital Transformation Across Africa
The Africa Tech Festival, Africa’s longest-running and most influential technology gathering, will return to the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 16 to 19 November 2026. The event will bring together key stakeholders shaping the continent’s next phase of digital growth.
Now in its 29th edition, the festival—originally launched as AfricaCom—has expanded in step with Africa’s digital transformation. It now covers the full spectrum of technology, investment, and policy issues driving economic development across the continent.
At a time when investments in connectivity, subsea cables, fibre networks, data centres, and cloud infrastructure are reshaping Africa’s digital landscape, Africa Tech Festival has become a key platform for dialogue, partnerships, and innovation. The South African Department of Communications and Digital Technologies is a strategic partner of the event, and Minister Solly Malatsi will deliver the opening address.
Minister Malatsi described the festival as a strategic platform for shaping Africa’s digital future, bringing together government and industry leaders to strengthen collaboration, attract investment, and promote innovation. He noted that South Africa is proud to host an event that advances a shared vision of an inclusive, connected, and globally competitive African digital economy.
Africa Tech Festival 2026 will be structured around six core pillars reflecting the technologies and priorities driving Africa’s digital transformation: Telecoms & Connectivity, Data Centres, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Startups, and Digital Transformation.
Together, these focus areas will address key continental priorities, including expanding digital infrastructure, improving connectivity and inclusion, promoting responsible AI adoption, strengthening data sovereignty and digital trust, and enabling partnerships and investment to unlock Africa’s next wave of growth.
The programme will feature conferences, executive forums, exhibitions, networking sessions, and investment-focused discussions designed to connect decision-makers from Africa and around the world.
According to David Monaghan, VP of Africa Tech Festival, the ICT sector is at a defining moment, with rapid AI adoption transforming business operations while raising critical questions around inclusion, infrastructure capacity, and data governance. He said the festival remains the only platform where telecom operators, hyperscalers, and enterprise users can come together to address these challenges collectively.
As Africa’s digital economy continues to attract global interest and investment, Africa Tech Festival highlights the continent’s growing leadership in technology. Beyond the annual gathering, it continues to serve as a year-round platform for thought leadership, ecosystem development, and collaboration, helping shape the policies and innovations driving Africa’s digital future.
