26-29 january 2026

Benjamin Rosman

Benjamin Rosman is a Professor in the School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, where he runs the Robotics, Autonomous Intelligence and Learning (RAIL) Laboratory. In 2024, he became the founding Director of the Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery (MIND) Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand, focused on the fundamental science of intelligence in machines, humans, and animals. He is also a founder of Lelapa AI, building AI for Africans, by Africans. In 2025, he was made a Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, in Learning in Machines and Brains. He was named one of the TIME 100 Most Influential People in AI in 2025.

He received his Ph.D. in Informatics in 2014, and previously obtained his M.Sc. in Artificial Intelligence, both from the University of Edinburgh. He also has a B.Sc. (Hons) in Computer Science and a B.Sc. (Hons) in Applied Mathematics, both from the University of the Witwatersrand. His research interests focus primarily on reinforcement learning and decision making in autonomous systems, specifically on how learning can be accelerated through abstracting and generalising knowledge gained from solving related problems. He is a founder and organiser of the Deep Learning Indaba machine learning summer school, with a focus on strengthening African machine learning, which now has satellite events in 47 African countries. He was made a 2024 National Geographic Explorer, 2022 CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, was a 2017 recipient of a Google Faculty Research Award in machine learning, and a 2021 recipient of a Google Africa Research Award. In 2020, he was made a Senior Member of the IEEE.

Priya L. Donti

Priya Donti is an Assistant Professor and the Silverman (1968) Family Career Development Professor at MIT EECS and LIDS. Her research focuses on safe and robust machine learning for high-renewables power grids. Priya is also a co-founder and Chair of Climate Change AI, a global nonprofit initiative to catalyze impactful work at the intersection of climate change and machine learning. Priya received her Ph.D. in Computer Science and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University. She was recognized as part of the MIT Technology Review’s 2021 list of 35 Innovators Under 35, Vox’s 2023 Future Perfect 50, and the 2025 TIME100 AI list, and is a recipient of the Schmidt Sciences AI2050 Early Career Fellowship, the ACM SIGEnergy Doctoral Dissertation Award, the Siebel Scholarship, the U.S. Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship, and best paper honorable mentions at ICML and ACM e-Energy.

Jean-Claude Baraka Munyaka

Jean-Claude Baraka Munyaka is an urban resilience researcher and practitioner working at the intersection of data science, climate risk, and public policy in the Global South. He holds a PhD in Industrial and Systems Engeneering from the University of Pretoria and focuses on urban flood risk governance, early warning–early action systems, and digital decision-support tools. His work bridges hydrometeorological data, spatial analytics, and governance frameworks to support more effective, evidence-based decision-making under climate stress.

Tapiwa Chiwewe

Dr. Tapiwa Chiwewe is a distinguished technologist and thought leader with over 15 years of experience in the information technology industry, specializing in software development, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. He is a passionate advocate for using technology to solve real-world problems, and he is always looking for new ways to innovate. Tapiwa is also a gifted speaker, and he has given keynote presentations at industry conferences and events. He earned his PhD in Computer Engineering from the University of Pretoria and holds the title of Senior Member within the IEEE. Tapiwa is the founder and managing director of Omnien, a technology company that he founded from the ground up. Prior to founding Omnien, Tapiwa worked at IBM for 7 years, where he held several leadership positions. He was the co-lead of IBM’s Global Technology Outlook, program director for ecosystems, senior manager at the Africa Research Lab, leading the AI and quantum computing teams, and leader of the Advanced and Applied Artificial Intelligence group. Tapiwa received IBM’s Outstanding Technical Accomplishment award, and his teams received “A-level” awards. Before IBM, Tapiwa was a senior engineer at the CSIR in the Mechatronics and Micromanufacturing group. He also worked as a full-stack software developer at 5DT, where he created commercial products that were shipped globally. Tapiwa is a TED speaker and has authored over 15 articles and delivered over 40 invited talks. He was recognized as a top global thought leader and influencer on climate change. His work has been featured by BBC, CNN, IEEE Spectrum, and Popular Mechanics, among others.

Emile Jordaan

Bruce D Walker

Dr. Walker is a professor at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology; director of the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard; and an adjunct professor of medicine at University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Bruce Walker’s research is focused on learning from patients to define mechanisms of immune system control of chronic viral infections, with an emphasis on those who control HIV infection in the absence of antiviral therapy. Through an international collaboration, Walker and his team are investigating the immunologic, virologic, and host genetic mechanisms that account for this phenotype. They are applying their discoveries to prophylactic and therapeutic vaccine development, and to define specific antiviral responses of various subsets of immune cells. Walker also directs population-based research studies on HIV infection at South Africa’s Nelson Mandela School of Medicine.

Tom Lawry

Tom Lawry is a leading voice in the global conversation on artificial intelligence and its role in transforming healthcare. As a keynote speaker, advisor, and thought leader, he brings a wealth of expertise drawn from years of working at the intersection of medicine, technology, and digital transformation. With a career that includes senior leadership positions at Microsoft—where he served as National Director for AI for Health and Life Sciences, Director of Worldwide Health, and Director of Organizational Performance in the company’s first health incubator—Tom has developed a unique perspective on how AI is reshaping the future of healthcare. He has spent more than a decade advising medical and health leaders worldwide, guiding them through the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation. His insights stem not only from successes but also from understanding the common missteps organizations make when first embarking on their AI journey. Tom emphasizes the importance of planning, prioritization, and strategic alignment to ensure AI investments deliver meaningful results. Through his work as an author, advisor, and speaker, his mission is clear: to help leaders harness AI effectively, shorten learning curves, and accelerate progress toward more efficient, impactful, and human-centered healthcare systems.

Mary-Anne "Annie" Hartley

Mary-Anne “Annie” Hartley is an Assistant Professor in Biomedical Informatics and Data Science. Her research is focused on developing and validating novel data-driven tools designed to improve healthcare in low-resource settings, with a special interest in Africa.

She completed her undergraduate degrees at the Universities of Pretoria and Cape Town before moving to Switzerland, where she completed a PhD and MD at the University of Lausanne, with an MPH at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

In 2019, she started the research group, “Intelligent Global Health” in the School of Computer Science at the Swiss Institute of Technology (EPFL) and continues this work in LiGHT (Laboratory for intelligent Global Health Technologies).

Through these groups, she maintains a strong presence and partnership between EPFL and Yale through student exchange, research collaboration, and a visiting professorship.

The groups collaborate with international NGOs and clinical partners to create and validate needs-based digital global health technology using novel approaches in data science and informatics.

Gregg Barett

Gregg Barrett is the CEO of Cirrus, Africa’s AI initiative. Gregg is a technology executive who builds and scales innovative operations at large private and public sector organisations, non-profits, and start-ups globally. He co-founded an organisation that became the market leader in contract management systems in Africa and was selected to provide the E-commerce platform for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) common market. He also led the International Association for Contract and Commercial Management (IACCM) in Southern Africa to develop and advance contract and commercial management in the region.

He is a seasoned executive with extensive and diverse experience in strategy, building and managing relationships, deal making, communication, developing high performance teams, organisational leadership, and problem solving across a range of areas. Over the last decade Gregg has led work in data science, machine learning, corporate research, and corporate venture capital. This includes the establishment and management of data science, machine learning, corporate research, and corporate venture capital operations, working across people, process, and technology, integrating structured and unstructured data to direct research, business, and investment strategy. He is a supporter of ELLIS and CLAIRE, and a participant in MLCommons, the Energy Efficient High Performance Computing Working Group (EE HPC WG), TinyMLedu, and the OECD.AI Compute task force.

He holds an undergraduate degree from Oxford Brookes University in Marketing and Business Management, a Masters in Data Science from Northwestern University, and has completed the Professional Risk Manager (PRM) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) programmes. Gregg serves as the Alumni Admission Council Director and the Global Ambassador for Northwestern University in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Abdulganiyu Jimoh

Abdulganiyu Jimoh is an internationally recognized expert in artificial intelligence, environmental intelligence, and sustainable development. He is the founder of HydroFutures / AquaWise.ai, an innovative platform leveraging AI, open data, and collective intelligence to transform water management, climate adaptation, and environmental monitoring. Through HydroFutures, Abdulganiyu has pioneered novel approaches to integrate real-time environmental data with predictive AI models, enabling evidence-based solutions for critical water and climate challenges.
He contributes to a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER-funded research project investigating the impacts of dust deposition on vegetation health in the Great Salt Lake in the Western United States. By combining hyperspectral imaging, advanced AI, and environmental modeling, his work has delivered novel insights into ecosystem dynamics and resilience, reflecting a unique blend of technical innovation and environmental impact.
Abdulganiyu has also served as a formal AI policy contributor to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), providing expert recommendations that informed the U.S. National Artificial Intelligence Action Plan. His contributions addressed cross-sector regulatory barriers in AI adoption, including healthcare, water systems, transportation, smart grids, and climate resilience. Recognized for his expertise, he was invited for follow-up consultations to help identify and reform federal statutes that hinder AI innovation in the United States.
Through his pioneering research, technological innovation, and AI policy leadership, Abdulganiyu has demonstrated sustained national and international impact. His work exemplifies extraordinary ability in applying AI to solve critical environmental and societal challenges, advancing both scientific knowledge and practical solutions with broad relevance and recognition in his field.

Yanet Niguse Tesfay

Yanet Niguse Tesfay is an AI/ML researcher, software engineer, and innovator passionate about harnessing artificial intelligence and machine learning to drive sustainable social impact. She is the creator of FarmBuddy, an AI-driven decision support tool that helps African smallholder farmers improve productivity through localized, data-driven insights. Yanet is also a Harvard WECode Fellow, Generation Google Scholar (EMEA), and Mastercard Foundation Scholar. Her work focuses on sustainable agriculture and food security, climate change, and empowering underserved communities through ethical, inclusive, and human-centered AI.

Tara Southey

Dr Tara Southey is the Founder and CEO of TerraClim (Pty) Ltd, a Stellenbosch University spin-out at the forefront of climate-smart agriculture. With a PhD in Viticulture and Climate Science, her career has focused on understanding the impacts of climate variability and change on South Africa’s wine and agricultural industries. Dr Southey has led flagship projects on climate risk, water use, and digital decision support, translating cutting edge research into practical tools for producers.

Her work has been instrumental in building high-resolution climate databases, mapping terroir and crop suitability, and advancing the use of geospatial intelligence for agriculture. Through TerraClim, she is pioneering integrated climate data platforms that support industry resilience, sustainability, and ESG compliance.

Passionate about bridging science, industry, and policy, Dr Southey brings both technical expertise and vision for how climate intelligence can secure South Africa’s agricultural future in a changing world.

Mihir Patel

Rose Nakasi

Nasreen Mahomed

Prof Nasreen Mahomed is a Specialist Radiologist, Associate Professor of Radiology and the Academic Head of Radiology at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa. She holds 4 degrees MBBCH(Wits), FC Rad (SA), MMED (Wits), PhD (Wits). In 2013 she was awarded the prestigious Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Derek Harwood Nash international fellowship awarded to 3 global recipients annually, where she did paediatric Neuroradiology and Chest at Boston Childrens, Harvard University. She has been awarded a number of national and international award’s most recently South Health Excellence Awards 2025, Excellence in Leadership winner and Certificate of Recognition Rahima Moosa Mother and Child hospital Clinical service delivery 2025.

Prof N Mahomed is highly skilled in Paediatric radiology, has 76 peer reviewed publications and supervised 16 masters students to completion. She has been an invited speaker at many international medical conferences, most recently the European Society of Paediatric Radiology ESPR in Romania June 2025, the Asianic Society of Paediatric Radiology AOSPR in Qatar, October 2025 invited speaker on AI in Peadiatric Radiology in the opening plenary, and the AI in Paedatric Radiology summit, ML Africa AI in Health care summit 2025 and South African Clinician Scientist Society Conference 2025, Harnessing a Culture of Generating New Knowledge.

Prof N Mahomed successfully chaired the inaugural Wits Radiology Breast Imaging Symposium 17 October 2025. The speakers and moderators were from different universities and both private and public sector in South Africa. As Academic Head of Wits Radiology Nasreen believes private public partnership is key to sustaining academic medicine in South Africa.

She also chaired the Wits School of Clinical Medicine Comprehensive Women’s Health 18 October 2025, supported by various individual South African Muslims women’s forums Salaam media this event was attended by 200 in person delegates, supported by Salaam media live streamed by over 500 delegates. Prof N Mahomed received an overwhelming positive response and a request for an event in 2026.

Prof Nasreen Mahomed hold executive positions on the WHO childhood pneumonia committee, World Federation of Paediatric Imaging as the TB Chair, College of Medicine South Africa Council, the Radiological Society of South Africa (RSSA) and is the immediate past president of the South African Society of Paediatric Radiology (SASPI).

Prof N Mahomed other awards include the Carnegie Corporation USA fellowship, the SAMRC research grant, the Robert Austrian International Fellowship, Best Oral presentation Wits Faculty of Health Sciences for Doctoral Research, the Robert Austrian fellowship, the Gauteng Health Excellence Awards for service delivery and the ASNR Ann Osborn visiting Professorship 2024.

Her current and research is innovative and is based on artificial intelligence in medicine Radiology and the impact it has on lower income countries that do not have sufficient specialist’s radiologists and will impact medical care of patients. She is passionate about radiology in the public service. Nasreen is also a philanthropist and is actively involved in several medical outreach programs including the South African National Woman’s Forum (SANWF) and has spoken at many forums. She hopes her efforts have a global impact on health.

Elias W. Ba

Elias W. Ba is a Senior Software Engineer at Open Function Group (OpenFn) and the Project Lead for the AI Triage initiative at Haskè Health+. With over 10 years of experience bridging data systems, machine learning, and public health, he designs open-source infrastructures that automate and scale health data workflows across Africa. He founded GalsenAI, West Africa’s largest AI community, and has led national-scale innovation projects in health, aviation, and digital transformation. Passionate about responsible AI, Elias advocates for practical applications of AI that strengthen healthcare delivery, empower local talent, and democratize access to data-driven tools.

Gilles Q. Hacheme

Gilles Quentin Hacheme is a Senior Research Scientist at Microsoft AI for Good Lab, where he uses computer vision, remote sensing, and statistics to address societal challenges such as food security, climate change and disaster response. As member of the Masakhane NLP research community, he has worked on breaking language barriers in Africa. He also co-founded Ai4Innov and GeoAI-Africa, non-profit organizations where he works on adapting and building AI technologies to tackle societal challenges in Africa. Finally, he has been listed among the top 30 AI pioneers in Africa by Empower Africa.

Bravian Nyatoro

Bravian Nyatoro is an environmental scientist turned software developer specializing in AI-driven systems. Working in Rust, Go, and Python, he creates tools that use machine intelligence to empower communities and solve everyday challenges. He currently works at Zone01 Kisumu, where he continues to build scalable, accessible tech. His upcoming project, FloodWatch Africa, uses AI to offer simple, reliable early-warning alerts in areas often overlooked by traditional systems. Driven by a belief in accessible, low-cost tech, Bravian is committed to making powerful AI tools, like WeatherNext2, available to people and places that need them most.

Nadine van de Walt

Nadine is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and earned her PhD in Actuarial Science from the University of Pretoria. She heads the Technical Development at Riskscape, a geospatial and actuarial solutions firm specializing in risk assessment, climate modelling, and financial analytics powered by high-definition spatial data. With over more than a decade of actuarial research experience and extensive practical experience in risk and finance, she has developed industry-leading tools, including Riskscape’s climate risk products for evaluating physical risks on property level. She is co-developer of the Actuarial Society of South Africa’s official Climate Index, a groundbreaking industry initiative that allows practitioners to assess the effect of climate anomalies on their businesses.

Abdoulaye Baniré Diallo

Abdoulaye Baniré Diallo is a Full Professor of Bioinformatics and Artificial Intelligence in the Department of Computer Science at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM) and a leading international expert at the intersection of AI, data science, and life sciences. He is the founder and director of the Montreal Bioinformatics Laboratory (LaBiM) and co-leads the WELL-E Research and Innovation Chair on Artificial Intelligence and Well-Being, which initiated Canada’s first digital living lab. His research focuses on developing advanced algorithms for the integration and analysis of large-scale, heterogeneous biological and health data, with applications spanning precision medicine, reproductive health, and rare diseases. A former associate researcher at the Broad Institute and postdoctoral fellow at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Prof. Diallo also brings strong translational and entrepreneurial experience as co-founder of My Intelligent Machines (MIMs), an AI-for-biotechnology company. Beyond academia, he is a trusted advisor to international organizations including the UN, UNESCO, OECD, and the World Economic Forum, and is deeply committed to building sustainable AI and research ecosystems across Africa, notably as General Coordinator of Guinea’s City of Science and Innovation. (Fell free to remove extra details )

Lily Pameka

Dr. Lily Paemka is a molecular geneticist, Principal Investigator, and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, and is the Deputy Director of the West African Genetic Medicine Centre (WAGMC), both at the University of Ghana, Legon. She serves on the executive committee of the GhGenome Project as Cancer Genetics Coordinator and is Head of Genetics at Yemaachi Biotechnology Ltd.
Dr. Paemka earned her BSc and MPhil degrees from the University of Ghana and her PhD in Genetics from the University of Iowa, USA. Her earlier research includes work on autism, epilepsy, cystic fibrosis, and cancer genetics.
In 2017, she was awarded a DELTAS Africa postdoctoral research grant, which enabled her to return to Ghana to lead research on breast cancer genetic risk in Ghanaian women. Her research interests center on elucidating the genetic underpinnings of Mendelian and complex traits and diseases in African populations.
Her current work focuses on the genomics, epigenetics, and cytogenetics of breast cancer, prostate cancer, and multiple myeloma in Ghanaians. She is also involved in drug discovery and the development of cell lines of African origin. In 2021, she received the prestigious UNESCO–OWSD Early Career Fellowship.
Dr. Paemka is passionate about genomics capacity-building in Africa and actively mentors undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Ghana.

Tariq Daouda

Dr. Tariq Daouda specializes in applications at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and
Biomedical sciences. He holds a bachelor’s in mathematics and Computer Science from the
Université de Lorraine, a Master’s in Machine Learning from Université de Montréal, and a
PhD in Bioinformatics also from the Université de Montréal. Dr. Daouda then moved to
Boston to pursue postdoctoral training, where he was affiliated to the Broad Institute,
Harvard Medical School, and the Massachusetts General Hospital. He recently joined the
University Mohammed VI Polytechnic to become head of AI for biomedical applications at
the Faculty of Medicine. His research focuses on the development of novel artificial
intelligence methods to improve our understanding of biology and accelerate the
development of clinical applications. Over the years he has worked on the identifications of
markers of cancer and infection at the surface of cells, the integration of different types of
single cell sequencing to create accurate maps of individual cell biology, and the analysis of
viral sequences to identify strains likely to transition between species.

Kamil Seghrouchni

Kamil Seghrouchni, a Machine Learning Engineer with a Life Sciences Engineering background from EPFL and a Data Science minor, specializes in AI solutions for healthcare at Visium SA . His work includes applied research and the deployment of ML models, notably achieving significant advancements with pharma clients. He has managed a large portfolio of ML projects in production and contributed to over 10 AI strategy developments for industry leaders. Kamil’s role in moderating a panel on AI and healthcare, coupled with his experience in animating tracks, highlights his ability to bridge technical expertise with practical healthcare applications. His volunteer work and leadership in organizations, such as the Applied Machine Learning Days in Africa, underscore his dedication to the AI community and healthcare innovations.

Ahsan Mahboob

Dr. Ahsan Mahboob is Head of the Sibanye-Stillwater Digital Mining Laboratory (DigiMine)
at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, one of the world’s leading testbeds
for underground digital mining. Since 2019 he has led partnerships between Wits,
Sibanye-Stillwater and more than 30 technology and industry partners to translate Fourth
Industrial Revolution technologies such as automation, data analytics, real-time
monitoring and intelligent systems into safer, smarter and more energy-efficient African
mines.
Reflecting the broader continental focus on progress through partnerships, Dr. Mahboob’s
work emphasises collaborative digital solutions for critical minerals, ESG performance
and social licence. He leads several high-impact digital mining and geospatial innovation
projects, including the EU Horizon funded Intelligent Community Dialogue Agent (ICDA),
alongside multiple fast-track programmes in underground communication systems, IoTbased safety monitoring, digital sensing, renewable energy modelling and mine
electrification. He drives international collaborations with leading universities and
research organisations across Africa, Asia and Europe.
With a strong background in geospatial science, data analytics and digital systems, and
a PhD from Wits in data-driven mineral exploration, he has published over 50 papers on
geospatial data science, mining digitalisation, IoT-based safety systems and cyberphysical mining operations. Widely regarded as an academic intrapreneur, he leads
multidisciplinary teams and collaborative programmes that position DigiMine as a
strategic partner for investors seeking scalable, future-ready digital mining solutions in
Africa

Dhruti Dheda

Dhruti Dheda received the B.Sc. (Eng.) and M.Sc. (Eng.) degrees in chemical and metallurgical engineering and the M.Sc. (Eng.) degree (cum laude) in electrical and information engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, where she is currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree with the School of Electrical and Information Engineering. Her doctoral research explores the multiple objective optimization of hybrid renewable energy systems using metaheuristic algorithms. Her research particularly emphasises environmental and social aspects of the implementation of technology and innovation. Her research interests include deep learning algorithms and their application to the environmental conservation, water quality monitoring and wastewater analysis, water footprinting, and carbon nanotubes.

Khungeka Njobe

Ms. Khungeka Njobe is a distinguished sustainability, science, and innovation leader with more than 25 years of executive and board‑level experience across environmental governance, climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and technology‑driven sustainable development. Her career uniquely integrates scientific research leadership, policy implementation, and sustainable finance, positioning her at the forefront of Africa’s transition toward climate‑aligned, nature‑positive, and technology‑enabled growth. Her extensive experience in science and technology innovation includes serving in senior executive roles at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), where she advanced national R&D strategy, innovation governance, IP commercialisation, and multidisciplinary research partnerships. She also led the establishment of the World Economic Forum–affiliated Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR South Africa), strengthening the country’s capacity to shape global governance of emerging technologies such as AI and digital infrastructure. As former Chairperson of the Technology Innovation Agency, she oversaw the development of the innovation ecosystem and technology commercialisation in support of South Africa’s knowledge economy.

She holds advanced degrees in biology, zoology, and finance and investment, complemented by executive education in ESG, sustainability, innovation, and climate change from leading global institutions. Msi Njobe is a respected sustainability strategist, having led large‑scale climate and biodiversity programmes, mobilised funding for transformative environmental initiatives, and supported public‑ and private‑sector leaders to integrate ESG and climate priorities into decision‑making. Her multidisciplinary experience positions her as a leading African voice on how AI can accelerate sustainability, climate adaptation, and inclusive development across the continent.

Dino Rech

Gina Itzikowitz

Gina is a medical doctor (MBBCH, Cum Laude) with a Masters in Biostatistics and Epidemiology (University of Oxford) and additional training in AI in Healthcare from MIT. She has extensive experience in clinical research, digital health innovation, and healthcare data analytics, including leading projects in AI implementation at Audere Africa and developing novel health data solutions. She has presented her work on digital health and AI at international conferences, including MedTech Malta and HIMSS Las Vegas. She recently joined Netcare as Clinical Data Analytics Manager, where she focuses on leveraging advanced analytics and AI to generate actionable insights that enhance quality of care, strengthen health system performance, and drive innovation across clinical services.

Youssef Bouyakhf

Beldine Moturi

Beldine Moturi is a Software Engineer at IBM Research – Africa, Nairobi, Kenya, where she is part of the Accelerated Discovery team – Climate and Sustainability. Her current work focuses on building tools and software for accessing, processing, and onboarding geospatial datasets, fine-tuning pre-trained geospatial foundation models, and running inference on these models. Through this work, she aims to empower developers and researchers to seamlessly derive insights without engineering complexity by abstracting technical processes into intuitive, end-to-end platform experiences.

Previously, Beldine contributed to a healthcare project, collaborating with a multidisciplinary team to design and build a user-friendly, web-based interface that integrates Biomedical Foundation Models (BMFM) for accelerated drug discovery workflows. This work was presented at IJCAI 2024 in the paper SPARK: Harnessing Human-Centered Workflows with Biomedical Foundation Models for Drug Discovery.

Beldine holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Statistics from University of Nairobi, Kenya. She is passionate about advancing AI and software solutions for climate resilience and sustainability and actively engages in the tech ecosystem by contributing to community and knowledge-sharing initiatives, including presenting at PyCon Kenya 2025, mentoring participants during the UNEP Hack4Env 2025 hackathon.

Jan Blomerus

Jan Blomerus is an experienced actuary and academic leader specialising in actuarial science, financial modelling, and machine learning. He became a Fellow of the Actuarial Society of South Africa and of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries in 2007 and earned an MSc in Actuarial Science in 2015. His research focuses on the application of deep neural networks to life insurance valuations, with a PhD thesis submitted in 2025. Before entering academia in 2014, he held senior actuarial roles, including leadership in valuations at major South African insurers and consulting positions. Jan combines hands-on technical expertise (including Julia, Prophet, Risk Agility, SQL, and many others) with a passion for building transparent and efficient automation frameworks for improving actuarial valuation workflows.

Kabelo Makwane

Kabelo Makwane is the Country Director for Google South Africa, a role he assumed on 6 January 2025, where he leads the company’s strategy, operations, and partnerships to accelerate digital transformation and inclusive growth across the country. [T](https://technext24.com/2024/12/05/makwane-appointed-google-south-africa/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

With more than two decades of experience in the ICT and technology sector, he is known for building high-performing teams and scaling businesses at the intersection of cloud, data, AI, and enterprise transformation.

Before joining Google, Kabelo was Managing Executive for Cloud, Hosting and Security at Vodacom Business Africa. He previously held senior leadership roles at Accenture, including Managing Director for the Africa Global Unit within Accenture Operations and Managing Director for Cloud and Technology Consulting, where he built and expanded the cloud practice. Earlier in his career, he spent eight years at Microsoft, serving as Nigeria Country Managing Director and Public Sector Director for Microsoft South Africa. He also led Cisco’s Public Sector business in South Africa as Regional Manager, following earlier roles in managed services and consulting.

Jonathan Shock

Prof. Jonathan Shock is an associate professor in the Department of Maths and Applied Maths, Interim Director of the UCT AI Initiative at the University of Cape Town and an adjunct professor at the INRS Montreal. Originally from Oxford, England, he completed his PhD at the University of Southampton in 2005, in applications of string theory to understanding quantum chromodynamics. He then had postdoctoral research positions in Beijing, Santiago de Compostela and Munich before becoming a lecturer at the University of Cape Town in the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics in 2013. Prof. Shock has a wide array of research interests and spends a lot of his time supervising students. His research interests cover machine learning (in particular reinforcement learning), theoretical physics, and neuroscience.

Jade Abott

Jade Abbott (Lelapa AI, Co-founder & CTO) has over a decade of experience spanning the banking sector, non-governmental organisations, and startups. She is the co-founder of Masakhane, a grassroots initiative focused on advancing Natural Language Processing (NLP) research for African languages.
Jade holds an MSc from the University of Pretoria and has received numerous accolades for her work, including being recognised by InspiringFifty, which highlights exceptional women in tech, and Mail & Guardian’s ‘200 Young South Africans’ list, which honours trailblazing young professionals. In 2024, she was named to MIT Technology Review’s prestigious Innovators Under 35 list, a global recognition celebrating the most promising young minds driving the future of technology.

George Jojo Boateng

Montassar Ben Messaoud

Montassar Ben Messaoud is a tenure-track assistant professor in the IT Department at Tunis Business School. He received his Ph.D. from ISG de Tunis and Ecole Polytechnique de Nantes, in 2012. His research explores the intersection of software engineering, quality assurance, and license compliance. In recognition of his research contributions, he was awarded the National Young Researchers’ Encouragement Grant by the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in its 5th edition.
Montassar Ben Messaoud is a leading member of the AISE initiative, which focuses on scaling Artificial Intelligence for Software Engineering (AI4SE) across the industry.
Dedicated to cultivating this ecosystem across Africa, he secured competitive funding from IEEE and ACM SIGSOFT to deliver high-impact educational programs, seminars and global conferences.

Tebogo G. Tlhopane

Tebogo G. Tlhopane is a South African entrepreneur and innovation leader working at the intersection of financial systems, regulated manufacturing, and technology-enabled compliance. His work spans fintech, health innovation, and sustainable industrial development, with a strong focus on traceability, transparency, and inclusion within emerging markets.

He is the founder of Zaka, a transaction and enablement platform designed to formalise informal trade by creating verifiable transaction histories, digital identities, and data trails for cash-based businesses — particularly within fresh produce and township economies. The platform supports financial inclusion by enabling compliance-ready participation in formal credit and payment systems, while strengthening AML visibility through structured transaction data.

Tebogo is also the CEO of BioMuti, a health and biotechnology company advancing botanical extraction, indigenous knowledge systems, and product innovation across nutraceuticals, medical applications, and bioplastics. Through BioMuti, he has led the development of traceable production models and data-driven innovation pipelines that integrate regulatory compliance, sustainability, and advanced manufacturing.

Across his ventures, Tebogo applies AI-enabled tools to support transaction monitoring, product traceability, risk analysis, and operational decision-making — not as standalone technologies, but as practical enablers of compliance, accountability, and scale.

His work reflects a broader commitment to building trusted systems that connect informal economies, regulated industries, and emerging technologies into transparent, inclusive, and compliant value chains.

Praise Amonye

Praise Amonye is an emerging thought leader at the intersection of mathematics, artificial intelligence, and financial engineering, applying advanced quantitative methods to address complex global challenges. He is the Founder of Deep Afrika, a research and innovation initiative focused on developing data-driven solutions for Africa’s most pressing development and health needs. With a strong academic foundation in pure and applied mathematics and advanced training in financial engineering, he has led high-impact projects in financial risk modeling, machine learning, and healthcare innovation. His work explores how optimization techniques and predictive analytics can strengthen financial systems and improve public health outcomes. Praise has co-organized and spoken at international conferences and is widely recognized for his ability to bridge deep technical expertise with strategic insight. Driven by a passion for innovation for development, he is committed to advancing the future of technology, project management, and health through research-led practice.

Mickey Moyo

Kato Steven Mubiru

Kato Steven Mubiru is CEO and Co-Founder of Crane AI Labs, building sovereign AI infrastructure for the 3.8 billion people in the Global South. Following his Gold Prize win in Cohere’s 2025 Expedition Aya, Steven co-founded Crane AI Labs and achieved international recognition when their Swahili-Gemma model was featured on Google DeepMind’s official website in the “Gemmaverse” showcase alongside projects from Ukraine’s government, SK Telecom, and other global leaders. Under Steven’s leadership, Crane AI Labs has developed the Crane-Gemma model family achieving remarkable efficiency breakthroughs: their Swahili-Gemma-1B model scored 27.6 BLEU (153% improvement over Gemma 3 4B) while achieving the highest BLEU-to-parameter ratio at 27.6 per billion parameters. The models run entirely offline on basic smartphones and are deployed across multiple formats including Hugging Face (204+ downloads monthly), Ollama, and mobile-optimized LiteRT versions. Steven’s work spans both the Afri-Aya project (advancing vision-language models for 15+ African languages) and Crane AI Labs (building full-stack sovereign AI infrastructure). Crane AI Labs represents a new paradigm for African AI entrepreneurship – building globally recognized technology while serving local needs and maintaining cultural sovereignty. The rest of the application remains the same, with these corrections applied consistently throughout where those figures and partnerships were mentioned.

Michael Mollel

Isheanesu Misi

Chris Emezue

Chris Emezue is a seasoned researcher committed to developing intelligent systems that can learn even in low-resource scenarios, and are reliable. His research areas are natural language processing, causality, and reinforcement learning. As a dedicated contributor to the field of AfricaNLP, he has worked on several key projects to improve the representation of low-resource African language technologies and datasets. Furthermore, as an entrepreneur, Chris is building Lanfrica, a startup that aims to accelerate the development of AI applications in under-represented regions.

Robert Basmadjian

Alex Pryor

Alex Pryor is a veteran technology executive who has worked with top tier companies around the world for more than 20 years.
Alex is a globally recognised speaker and author, sharing her broad knowledge of innovation, leadership, and emerging technology on stages and in boardrooms. She is committed tohelping companies leverage technology to maximise value and impact.
Alex is a also founding member of the World Metaverse Council and her must-read emerging technology book, Risking Irrelevance, was released in 2023.

Jacques Ludik

Dr. Jacques Ludik is a smart technology entrepreneur, AI expert, and award-winning AI leader with over 25 years of experience in AI and data science. He is the Founder & President of the Machine Intelligence Institute of Africa (MIIA), and Founder & CEO of Cortex AI Group, driving cutting-edge AI innovation and societal impact. Previously, he founded CSense Systems, Africa’s first AI company acquired by General Electric, and has held executive roles at Jumo and GE. Through ventures like Sustainable Technology Ventures Capital (STVC) and Bluefin Group, he is advancing AI-driven solutions and infrastructure across Africa. Dr. Ludik is also the author of “Democratizing Artificial Intelligence to Benefit Everyone” and a global voice on human-centric AI, digital transformation, and Africa’s smart technology future.

Bonaventure F. P. Dossou

Bonaventure F. P. Dossou is a 3rd-year PhD candidate, AI researcher, author, and technology pioneer with a robust background in mathematics, healthcare, and language technology. He is renowned for integrating Fon, a traditionally underrepresented African language, into Google Translate and for championing the inclusion of marginalized languages on global digital platforms. Recognized by peers worldwide as a rising star in machine learning research, he has a proven track record of delivering impactful talks at top AI conferences spanning both academic and business spheres. He is deeply committed to bridging the gap between advanced technology and practical applications to address global challenges, advance healthcare, and break communication barriers across linguistic and cultural divides.

Amos Chege Kirongo

Dr. Amos Chege Kirongo, PhD, is a distinguished academic and innovator with over 15 years in Information Technology. A dedicated Lecturer in Computer Science at Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST), he specializes in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing. His PhD research developed a “Digital Imaging Model for Plant Stress Detection,” forming the foundation for his impactful work applying AI and IoT to solve challenges in agriculture, healthcare, and accessibility. A proven leader in securing funding, Dr. Kirongo has won over KES 25 million in grants from the National Research Fund, Mozilla Foundation, and others for projects like assistive technologies for disabilities and AI-driven crop pest surveillance. An accomplished academic leader, he has served as MUST’s Deputy Director of Innovation and Postgraduate Coordinator. He is also a certified startup coach and external examiner. His practical innovations include the AI-powered Tunza Leaf app for plant disease detection, a digital pathology system, and a “Camera Mouse” assistive input device. Bridging academia and industry, Dr. Kirongo is a respected consultant, certified trainer (Microsoft, Huawei, NVIDIA), and an active member of IEEE and ACM. He holds a PhD in IT, an MSc in Data Communication, and a BSc in Computer Information Systems.

Nirel Kadzo

Nirel Kadzo, an AI Engineer and Consultant based in Nairobi. She is dedicated to the application of AI in the arts and cultural preservation. Her work specifically explores how technology can address challenges in African cultural heritage, shifting the narrative from cultural extraction to service. As an East African native, she uniquely bridges the gap between advanced technical knowledge and authentic cultural insight. Nirel’s presentation will illuminate practical ways to use AI to preserve cultural value within local communities.

Marie Didier

Marie Didier is a scientist and entrepreneur with a Ph.D. in Nonlinear Optics from EPFL and advanced degrees in physics and conservation science. Her career bridges research, innovation, and cultural diplomacy, from developing cutting-edge imaging technologies to building initiatives that connect local expertise with global impact.
As the founder and CEO of MATIS, a Swiss deep-tech startup, Marie leads the development of portable multispectral imaging and AI-based solutions for art assessment, security, and material identification. Her work merges machine learning, optics, and cultural heritage science, transforming traditional methods of preservation and authentication into scalable and secure digital tools.
Before founding MATIS, Marie worked as a Kress-Mellon Fellow at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and as a PostDoc for industry at CSEM, where she specialized in advanced microscopy and algorithmic imaging.
Deeply committed to bridging culture, society, and knowledge, Marie co-founded and directs RestArt Beirut, a philanthropic and cultural diplomacy initiative dedicated to connecting education and academic expertise with traditional craftsmanship, fostering local talent, and empowering communities through cultural heritage preservation.
In parallel, she is dedicated to connecting tradition and innovation by bringing technology where it can generate tangible societal impact. A field she is deeply engaged in is the preservation of cultural heritage, where she contributes to the development of advanced tools for assessment, conservation, and the fight against art trafficking helping nations protect the invaluable cultural assets that define their history and identity. Her work bridges science, technology, and culture, fostering collaboration between researchers, institutions, and local communities worldwide.
Rooted in both science diplomacy and cultural diplomacy, Marie’s mission is to create meaningful connections between deep-tech innovation and societal impact, ensuring that technology serves not only progress but also the preservation and transmission of cultural and scientific heritage.

Samuel Segun

Dr. Samuel Segun is a Senior Researcher at the Global Center on AI Governance and a Research Fellow at the African Observatory on Responsible AI and the AI Ethics Group at the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research, University of Pretoria. He is also a Research Fellow with the Research Group on Africa, Philosophy, and Digital Technologies (APDiT) at the Institute of Intelligent Systems, University of Johannesburg.

He previously served as AI Innovation & Technology Consultant for the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, leading the development of a Toolkit on Responsible AI Innovation in Law Enforcement, an INTERPOL-led project. Additionally, he is the Lead Consultant for Arkenstone Advisory and a technical reviewer for the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), contributing to the Guidelines for the Development of a National Strategy on AI in Security and Defence.

Dr. Segun is an Instructor in the Artificial Intelligence (AI), Ethics, and Policy in Africa Certificate Program at the University of Cape Town. He has published over 15 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals and has delivered keynote talks, speeches and lectures at major conferences on AI safety, data and computational ethics, algorithmic audit, and responsible AI practice. He is also the editor of several works, including: AI Ethics & Governance in Africa, Selected Issues in the Ethics of AI, Conversations on African Philosophy of Mind, Consciousness and AI.

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Dr. Segun has received several prestigious fellowships, including: UNDP West African Youth Integrity Fellowship (2013), Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI) Fellowship (2016), Global Excellence Stature Fellowship for Doctoral Research, University of Johannesburg (2018). In 2021, he was appointed as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Stellenbosch University School for Data Science and Computational Thinking, where he led research on computational and data ethics.

Edmund Ugar

Dr Edmund Ugar is a philosopher specialising in AI ethics, bioethics, philosophy of science and medicine, and African philosophy. He holds a PhD (by publication) from the University of Johannesburg.

His research critically examines medical machine learning technologies, with a particular focus on algorithmic bias, discrimination, and patient moral agency. His work advances Afro-relational ethics as a human-centred alternative to dominant Western ethical frameworks for addressing ethical challenges in the application of AI and machine learning systems in healthcare, both in African and global contexts.

His research also engages with issues of value colonialism in technology transfer, the necessity of value-sensitive design, data ethics, and the sociotechnical impacts of AI in African healthcare settings. Dr Ugar has published peer-reviewed journal articles and policy papers, received multiple competitive scholarships, and presented his research at local and international conferences and symposia.

In addition, he has teaching experience at several South African universities and actively contributes to global discussions on responsible, context-sensitive AI and emerging technologies, as well as medical and healthcare ethics and digital mental health interventions.

Paige Benton

Tshilidzi Marwala

As the Rector of the United Nations University and Under-Secretary-General of the UN, Professor Marwala leads global initiatives integrating research, artificial intelligence, and sustainable development. His leadership is shaping how technology can drive inclusive growth and address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Before joining the United Nations, he served as Vice Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg, where he championed multidisciplinary innovation and technology-driven education strategies that transformed the institution into a hub for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Africa. At AMLDAfrica26, he will share visionary insights on how AI and human ingenuity can together create a more equitable and sustainable future. Join us as we explore the intersection of AI, leadership, and development across the African continent.

Bienvenu Agbokponto Soglo

Dr. Bienvenu Agbokponto Soglo is the Vice President for Technology, Policy & Innovation at Blacklin Associates. A seasoned technology executive and policy strategist with over two decades of international experience, he focuses on leveraging AI-driven innovation to advance inclusive growth across emerging markets. He also serves as a Research & Innovation Associate in the Department of Electrical Engineering, at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). As Founder & CEO of BICAS, a deep tech advisory and innovation
firm, Dr. Soglo aims to help governments, companies, and institutions design future ready digital ecosystems that balance technological advancement with societal impact.

Previously, Dr. Soglo held senior roles at Intel, Qualcomm, and Huawei, leading policy engagement on AI, 5G/6G, broadband, spectrum, data governance, and digital inclusion. He spearheaded the Intel Community Reach Program, dedicated to bridging Africa’s digital divide and enabling local AI innovation; and chaired the GSA ATU Spectrum team for nearly four years. A recognized thought leader in deep tech ecosystems, he has
contributed to major continental and international policy dialogues through the ITU, WTO, AU, ATU, Smart Africa, and B20; and serves as Thematic Lead for Entrepreneurship & SME Growth at the ITU Innovation & Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development and was a member of the South Africa’s National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) Working Group on AI. Fluent in English, French, and Chinese, he holds a Ph.D. from Tsinghua University and executive certification in Corporate Governance from Wharton.

Martin Bekker

Dr. Martin Bekker is an AI ethics researcher and computational social scientist at the University of the Witwatersrand. He holds a PhD and degrees in Philosophy, Peace Studies, and Development from the LSE, Bradford, The univeristy of Johannesburg and Stellenbosch. Currently a fellow at the MIND Institute, he previously led research for the Royal Bafokeng Administration and served on a World Economic Forum advisory panel.

Adekemi Omotubora

Joseph JTR Mugauri

Joseph JTR Mugauri is an Intellectual Property Consultant and a Doctor of Laws candidate at the University of Pretoria, focusing on AI governance, data regulation, and intellectual property (IP) law. His current doctoral research explores the standardisation of AI explainability and alignment through legal frameworks, with a sector-specific lens on South African industries. He holds a Master of Laws from the University of Cape Town, where he examined the intersection of blockchain, AI, and copyright enforcement, earning distinction and scholarships for academic excellence. Joseph has contributed to key research initiatives, including the Open AIR project under the SARChI Chair in IP, Innovation, and Development. He also completed an AI Safety Governance Fellowship at the Equiano Institute of Research. His practical experience spans legal research, compliance analysis, and digital learning development, having led course design and migration projects at UCT’s Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching. With a strong legal practice and digital innovation foundation, Joseph brings a transdisciplinary perspective to the challenges and opportunities of AI in Africa. His work aims to shape policy and legal standards that promote responsible innovation, ensure human rights compliance, and build resilient IP ecosystems for Africa’s digital future.

Sipho Mtombeni

Sipho Mtombeni is the Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager at Google South Africa. In this role, he engages with the South African government on policy and legislative matters concerning artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, copyright, privacy, and online safety. Prior to joining Google he held a regulatory position at the Competition Commission of South Africa. Mr. Mtombeni holds an LLB (Law) Degree from the University of Pretoria and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS).

Anriette Esterhuysen

Safiia Mohamed

Safiia Mohammed is a PhD candidate and Responsible AI researcher at the University of Windsor (Canada), where her work focuses on AI/ML privacy, security, accountability, and digital forensics. She leads workshops on core AI safety topics, such as responsible AI principles and federated learning, helping bridge academic research and practical education. Safiia holds two Master’s degrees: one in machine intelligence from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (where she earned Google and Facebook scholarships) and another in information security and digital forensics from Ireland’s Institute of Technology Blanchardstown. At Windsor, ON, Safiia is president of the Women in Cyber Security (WiCyS) student chapter, mentoring students and advocating for greater diversity in tech. She is also an academic mentor and life coach, empowering students professionally and personally. Beyond academia, she is active as a tech entrepreneur, Safiia Tech founder, and mentor, sharing insights on AI ethics and accountability through talks and platforms like LinkedIn, where she highlights the need for trustworthy AI systems.

Chijioke Okorie

Bunmi Akinremi

Bunmi Akinremi is a machine learning engineer and researcher with a background in computer science and mathematics, working at the intersection of AI systems and real-world impact. Her work spans reinforcement learning, large-scale ML pipelines, anomaly detection, and responsible data use, with experience across industry and research. She has spoken at international conferences and leads community initiatives focused on ethical, inclusive, and practical applications of AI.

Miriam Nkomalago

Miriam Nkomalago is the Founder and Content Writer of AI Frontier Africa, a specialised newsletter dedicated to advancing conversations on artificial intelligence governance, policy, and innovation across the African continent.

Her work focuses on the importance of inclusion through collaborative infrastructure in AI governance in order to ensure that Africa builds relatable AI solutions that align with the realities of the continent.

Through research, writing, and advocacy, Miriam highlights the risks posed by a lagging regulatory environment and the opportunities for Africa to shape inclusive and responsible AI ecosystems.

Nazareen Ebrahim

Nazareen Ebrahim is a South African communications and technology expert, AI ethics practitioner, and international conference speaker with over 20 years of experience. She is the Founder of Naz Consulting International, a communications technology advisory business that integrates Socially Acceptable, her dedicated research group on the social impact of artificial intelligence, and her personal brand.

Her work focuses on building a responsible digital citizenry across the African continent and globally. Nazareen blends policy insight, public engagement, and executive-level training to advance ethical AI development and governance.