Top Industry Leaders Share Key Insights for Africa Tech Festival 2024: Expert Tips for Exhibitors and Attendees

Africa Tech Festival is honoured to have the backing of some of the continent’s most prominent business and technology thought leaders. The Leadership Council plays a crucial role in helping Africa Tech Festival reflect the diverse perspectives within African tech. They ensure that the Festival remains at the forefront of the continent’s digital evolution by providing innovative content and dynamic networking opportunities.

Here are some tips and advice they shared with us for exhibitors and newcomers to the event.

Nollie Maoto

Compliance Chief Data and Analytics Officer, FNB

According to Nollie, Africa Tech Festival brings together all the role players from endto-end in the Africa tech ecosystem in one place. People come together to share ideas, use cases, create a space for innovation, and share what’s working for them and what’s not. This way, you’re able to see the entire golden thread of the tech ecosystem value chain and how we as Africans can help drive it forward. “Go and immerse yourself in those 4 days. There’s so much to learn, so much to see and experience, and Network. Attend every subgroup, speaking engagement, that is happening in these for days. For me, it’s one of those Festivals that can open up other doors and opportunities for you as an individual if you put yourself out there. ”

Rachard Cazalet

Group Strategy, Telkom

“Technology is about partnerships and Africa Tech Festival creates a fantastic opportunity for all these different people to be brought together in a few square kilometers in Cape Town. You’ve got a range of supplies, vendors, the network, the apps side, everybody is there. So it’s a great opportunity to re-think how we do business. Put aside old ways of working, take on new thoughts and applications, and then have the conversation. Africa Tech Festival certainly facilitates that.”

Kuseni Dlamini

Chairman, Aspen Pharmacare

Africa Tech Festival has a massive impact on the tech continent's tech ecosystem. Kuseni believes that the impact can even be greater if we all join forces from the private sector, innovation sector, public sector, and even civil society. The key is to look at how to bring the combined expertise, energy and passion of all Africans to build sustainable and viable tech companies that will succeed beyond the African market landscape. “The future is tech. This has become almost a cliche but it’s real. We live in a world that is digitalizing. Tech is powering the future of work so everybody who runs a business, whether it’s in tech or not, has to be part of this Festival because tech plays a very important role in different aspects of any business.”

Velma Corcoran

Head of Strategy, EMEA Policy, Airbnb

Velma believes that Africa Tech Festival is an amazing opportunity for thought leadership. It puts Africa at the forefront of the conversation and also brings people together. It’s not just about the topics covered at the event but how you create and facilitate spaces for meaningful connections, ideas, and incubation. It’s an opportunity to come together to check and see if we’re bringing everybody along in this digital inclusion journey.

Prepare ahead of time because it’s big and can be overwhelming. Have a sense of the talks you’d like to be at, networking events, see who else is going, set some settings beforehand. Do some research rather than just rocking up.”

Discover More Insights and Opportunities

Africa Tech Festival continues to serve as a vital hub for bringing together key voices across the African tech ecosystem.

From thought leadership to transformative networking, the festival offers unparalleled opportunities to learn, collaborate, and drive meaningful change.

For more in-depth insights from our Leadership Council and a comprehensive look at Africa’s digital landscape, download the full report today.

And don’t miss the chance to be part of the conversation shaping Africa's tech future—register now for Africa Tech Festival 2024!