Afri-Tech announces Technology & Digital Summit

The Washington-based technology company says it is heading to South Africa as it seeks to inject the uptake of technology in Africa.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of Afritech, Bernard Sanganza, the South Africa Summit will be held in Johannesburg. “The conference held in June provided a fertile ground for Afri-Tech to further deepen such conferences in the continent. It is my strong belief that Africa will get out of the perennial poverty quagmire if modern technology is embraced in its activities,” Sanganza said.

Afri-Tech says one of the greatest minds of the 21st century, described by Ebony Magazine as a genius, Dr Thomas Mensah will spearhead the South Africa meeting. Dr Mensah holds more than seven pioneering inventions in Fibre Optics Technology all awarded in six years. His innovations were critical to the Broadband and Fibre Optics infrastructure deployment in the United States.

“He is one of the leaders in advanced materials that find applications in Aerospace, High Speed Rail, Windmill blade structures, and highly efficient cars. His current work in nano technology will revolutionise next generation batteries for electric vehicles and laptop computers,” said Sanganza.

IT experts say the inclusion of the inventor in the South Africa conference, set for November this year, is likely to shape the future of the continent, and firms stand to gain a lot from such an epic meeting. “Dr Mensah’s technical contribution has impacted several industries, namely energy, environment, defense, transportation, and electronics to name a few. He is a recipient of Turner’s Trumpet Awards for Fibre Optics Innovation, Golden Torch Award, the highest award by NSBE, and Eminent Engineers award by AIChE.”

In June, Afri-Tech held Africa’s inaugural Internet and Digital marketing forum. The event brought together world-class marketing gurus from the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Asia and Africa. The development saw firms learn from marketing experts around the globe.

“This has started impacting positively on companies’ output,” Mr Wairimu Waithera, one of the exhibiting firms in the Nairobi conference said.

Catherine Ngahu, the chairman of the Kenya ICT Board lauded the brains behind the June meeting, arguing that Africa can only come out of the perennial problems of poverty when the continent embraces modern technology. “This was a well thought-out meeting for digital marketing. Indeed through such a platform, firms can reach millions of clients within the touch of a computer button,” Ms Ngahu said.

The South Africa’s four-day exhibition and “highly engaging” conference is anticipated to provide the attendees with a mass of new knowledge and new contacts. It is projected to feature more than 150 leading minds from the local market, most of whom are brand advertisers, traditional and interactive agencies, portals, on-line publishers and technology providers.

According to Sanganza, marketing executives from brand organisations, agencies, publishers and solution providers “attend our events in order to stay on top of the most important content, network with industry leaders.” “The conference will also provide understanding on how firms can work with the latest technology and media. Our events truly answer the needs and wants of those passionate about digital media,” he said.

The South Africa meeting will be boosted by the attendance of the country’s leading brains such as Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, Science and Technology Minister Ms Naledi Pandor, and Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi.

Also in attendance of the grand technology meeting will be Dr Victor Lawrence, the pioneer of fibre optic connectivity in Africa. Dr Lawrence has over 20 patents, has written four books and published over 40 technical articles and had as well as lectured in several universities.  He is also a 1997 Emmy Award winner presented by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for his achievements, which led to the grand alliance digital television standard.