The summit promises to bring business leaders the latest innovations and bleeding-edge breakthroughs in exponential technologies. 

Continuing its strategic focus to future-proof Africa and leverage the latest innovations to solve global challenges, the first 10 international and local speakers have been announced. 

According to the summit, world-renowned cybersecurity expert Jaya Baloo will return to the stage to share insights on guarding the digital frontier. The genius behind Stable Diffusion, Emad Mostaque, Founder of Stability AI, will address the future of decentralised and democratised Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

The food scientist Arturo Elizondo who has made it his life's mission to improve the global nutrition system, will tackle the future of protein in a plant-based ecosystem. Cathy Hackl, founder of Spatial Dynamics (USA) will deliver a keynote on immersion in the spatial web, says the summit. 

The summit adds that tech venture capital (VC) investor Karine Arama will ignite conversations around the convergence of AI and Blockchain and the future of the VC investing landscape. Carlo van de Weijer, a smart mobility and AI visionary from Eindhoven University of Technology, will steer the narrative around the future of mobility while sharing the latest global innovations in mobility solutions. 

With AI currently supercharging every aspect of business and society, the summit will see the world's thought leaders on this topic congregate to equip delegates with the foresight needed to harness this phenomenon.

AI Ethics Sociologist Alix Rubsaam will address AI and ethics, exploring the societal impacts of bridging the human and digital realms. Adam Pantanowitz (PhD) will speak on the current shifts that are leading to the convergence between humans and machines, according to the summit. 

Professor of Machine Learning and Robotics Benjamin Rosman will dive into the algorithms that are reshaping how machines learn and interact. Data wizard Mark Nasila (PhD), who harnesses analytics to enhance banking security and customer insights, will address the African Artificial (AI) renaissance, the summit says. 

Now entering its sixth year and known for exceeding expectations at every event, the 2024 iteration of the Singularity Summit will feature a broad array of topics that also include:

  • energy
  • ESG (environmental, social, and governance)
  • food
  • leadership
  • medicine
  • robotics
  • technology
  • the future of work
  • virtual reality, and
  • water.

More speakers will be announced leading up to the event. 

In another first for South Africa, the Singularity South Africa Summit will be the first local event to feature a dedicated world-class metaverse track. People from all over the world will be able to access the summit's main stage and plenary sessions in an immersive, 3D format, via the Africarare metaverse.  

"As Old Mutual advances its digital transformation and prepares for the launch of a digital bank, the upcoming two-day SingularityU Summit, featuring top experts in AI, technology, science and futurism, offers a chance to glean invaluable insights from those shaping the future of tech and society," says Celiwe Ross, director of group strategy, sustainability, people and public affairs at Old Mutual.

"In a world where technology is rapidly reshaping the horizons of our possibilities, this year's SingularityU South Africa Summit is a beacon for innovation. Collaborating with Old Mutual enables us to enhance our platform, where global leaders in technology will illuminate the path toward a sustainable and prosperous future. Our commitment is stronger than ever to empower visionaries and leaders with the insights needed to harness exponential technologies for the greater good of Africa and the world," adds Mic Mann, co-CEO of SingularityU South Africa.

"We remain steadfast in our commitment to help empower Africa's business leaders with the knowledge and tools needed to shape an abundant future and know that the insights that will be shared from the stage will play a meaningful role in bringing this vision to reality. We are pleased to be collaborating with Old Mutual on this mission and know that their business dexterity will add tremendous value to this year's experience," concludes Shayne Mann, co-CEO of SingularityU South Africa. 

The summit concludes that plans regarding ancillary events, networking opportunities and the final programme for the SingularityU South Africa Summit will be announced in the coming months.

Ticket prices:

R 14 500 per person, book before midnight on Monday, 15 July and save 22%. (Next tier applies thereafter.) 

All prices include VAT.

For more information, visit www.singularitysouthafricasummit.org. You can also follow SingularityU South African Summit on Facebook, LinkedIn, X or Instagram. 

*Image courtesy of contributor