DURBAN is gearing up for the first-ever KZN AI Summit 2025, hosted by the KZN AI Foundation at the Durban ICC on September 19, in a bold move to align the province with its counterparts in the AI world.

According to Sandile Ngema, deputy chairperson of the KZN AI Foundation, the summit aims to explore how AI is transforming industries, shaping smart cities, and creating new opportunities in agriculture, finance, education, gaming, retail, real estate, and beyond. The summit will be driven by the theme, Unlocking and Connecting the Brightest Minds in AI at the KZN AI Summit.

“This summit is going to be revolutionary, whose mission is to ensure that KwaZulu-Natal is not left behind in the AI race, alongside Gauteng and Cape Town. It’s a powerful initiative that has the potential to position KZN as the third major AI hub in South Africa,” shared Ngema.

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Delegates can expect keynote speakers, expert panels, live demonstrations and clarity sessions and networking with innovators from across the country. Topics to be covered include AI Policy and Governance, Regulating AI in South Africa, Smart Cities and Municipal AI, Academic Institutions’ AI Revolution, Start-Up Opportunities.

The summit will feature thought leaders and AI innovators, including Professor Tankiso Moloi, renowned for his research on digital transformation, AI strategy, and economic development; Professor Jobo Dubihlela – Academic leader in emerging markets, risk management, corporate governance, and AI ethics, with extensive experience advising government bodies across SADC; Raven Pillay – Risk management and ethics expert from the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation; Dr. Sandile Khoza – Head of AI Operations at Global AI Inst., specialising in machine learning for multi-media and public broadcasting applications; Professor Pfano Mashau, Head of Graduate School of Business at DUT; Professor Gabriel Kabanda, Head of Doctoral Programmes Graduate School of Business & Leadership at UKZN; Mlindi Mashologu, Deputy Director General: Digital Society & Economy at the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies; and Zamokwakhe Dlamini, Deputy Director: Foundational Digital Capabilities Research, Department of Science, Technology and Innovation.

For more information and registration contact info@kznaisummit.co.za or 071 591 6000 or visit www.kznaisummit.co.za
Tickets are available via Quicket.

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