The 28th edition of Telkom's Satnac conference in Kleinmond, Western Cape, featured optimistic talks on Africa's place in AI development, but raised questions about whether students are mere props in the tech dialogue. Speakers highlighted imagination and inclusion as key to leapfrogging challenges, while a futurist warned against reinforcing existing inefficiencies with new technologies. The event underscored tensions between hype and practical innovation in bridging the digital divide.
Held at the Arabella Hotel in Kleinmond, Western Cape, the 28th Southern Africa Telecommunication Networks and Applications Conference (Satnac), organized by Telkom, gathered industry leaders to discuss the continent's tech trajectory. Telkom Group CEO Serame Taukobong opened with an upbeat vision, stating, “For the first time in modern history, Africa is standing at the starting point in the starting line of technological evolution at the same moment as the rest of the world.” He emphasized Africa's alignment with artificial intelligence, adding, “Africa’s greatest resource is not mineral or mental. It is our imagination, our creativity, our resilience and our people.”
Idit Duvdevany Aronsohn from Amdocs echoed this, asserting, “Africa doesn’t need to catch up. It can leap ahead if inclusion is designed from day one.” However, futurist Graeme Codrington offered a counterpoint, critiquing the focus on hype: “We are not using the technologies that we have got to change the world. We are using it to reinforce the world as it already exists.” He predicted that true innovation would not stem from faster APIs or GPT models but from addressing core issues.
Students showcased projects on topics like proactive customer support and fraud detection, yet the main sessions sometimes overshadowed their role. Raymond Crown, ICT director at the University of the Western Cape, stressed, “The retention of graduates, keeping our best minds working on South African and African problems, is now a national priority.” Conference chair Dr Mmaki Jantjies urged faster adaptation: “Countries and companies don’t fall behind because they move too fast. They fall behind because they adapt too slowly.”
Telkom's chief marketing officer Gugu Mthembu grounded the discussions, noting, “Every tower, every submarine cable, every cloud node is a job, a learner, a clinic and a business enabled.” She questioned whether AI and cloud technologies would ultimately enhance safety, fairness, and dignity on the continent. Taukobong concluded optimistically: “The future is not being built in Silicon Valley. It is being built wherever people refuse to be left behind.” The event revealed a paradox: bold narratives of progress clashing with persistent realities like power shortages and skills retention challenges.