Changemakers Driving Innovation to Feature at Singularity Summit South Africa 2026

New speaker line-up brings together leading voices in AI, robotics, digital transformation and African innovation, with women playing a prominent role in shaping the future of technology.

The future of innovation will not be shaped by technology alone. It will depend on the people developing new ideas, challenging conventional thinking and finding practical ways to use emerging technologies to solve real-world problems.

That conversation will take centre stage at the Singularity Summit South Africa 2026, where a new group of international and African speakers will join an already diverse programme exploring artificial intelligence, digital transformation, smart cities, robotics and the future of leadership.

Taking place in Johannesburg on 21 and 22 October at the Sandton Convention Centre, the Summit is being hosted in collaboration with Old Mutual, with metaverse partner UBU. The latest speaker announcement also places a spotlight on women working at the forefront of innovation, reflecting the growing influence of women in shaping how technology is developed and applied.

Exploring what comes next in AI

Among the latest additions to the programme is Amanda Manna, one of Singularity's leading artificial intelligence specialists. Her session, What's Next in AI, will examine the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence and what organisations, leaders and individuals should be preparing for as the technology becomes increasingly embedded across industries.

The programme will also feature Tilly Lockey, an internationally recognised robotics pioneer whose experience with AI-powered bionic arms offers a personal perspective on how technology can extend human capability and transform lives.

Poet, author and broadcaster Lebo Mashile will return to the Summit as its Poet and MC. Her role will bring a creative and human dimension to conversations around exponential technology, connecting discussions about innovation with wider questions of culture, imagination and society.

Together, these voices highlight an increasingly important aspect of the technology conversation: innovation is not simply about what machines can do, but about how people choose to use them.

From AI experiments to Real-World Impact

While artificial intelligence continues to attract enormous investment and attention, the challenge for many organisations is moving beyond experimentation and into practical implementation.

That will be the focus of Barak Kaufman, a global enterprise AI leader from Wonderful.ai, who will present Moving From Pilots to Production: Closing the Execution Gap in Enterprise AI. His session will explore why many corporate AI initiatives struggle to scale and what organisations need to do to translate experimentation into measurable business results.

Valter Adão, a prominent African voice in digital transformation, will examine how organisations can modernise at scale through exponential technologies, offering insights for leaders navigating increasingly complex digital environments.

The Summit will also look beyond individual organisations to the transformation of entire cities.

Hamed Kazim will present The Future of Cities and Exponential Leadership, exploring how technology, infrastructure and long-term planning are being used to shape urban development and create more ambitious models for the cities of tomorrow.

African Innovation Takes Centre Stage

The programme will also showcase innovation emerging from Africa, including the work of inventor Fana Shabane, who designs and builds robots using recycled materials.

His session, Inventing Robots: One Man's Trash is Another's Treasure, demonstrates how technological innovation can emerge from resourcefulness as much as from sophisticated laboratories and large research budgets.

Shabane's work also speaks to a broader African innovation story, where constraints can encourage unconventional approaches to solving problems and creating new technologies.

For Old Mutual, supporting innovation is closely connected to creating opportunities for people to build more secure futures.

Celiwe Ross, Group Chief Human Capital and Corporate Affairs Officer at Old Mutual, says innovation needs to be viewed as a tool for unlocking human potential rather than simply advancing technology.

“Innovation is not only about advancing technology. It is about unlocking human potential and creating opportunities for people to thrive. As emerging technologies reshape our world, it is encouraging to see more changemakers leading these conversations, challenging established thinking and helping to build solutions that are more inclusive, relevant and impactful.”

Different Perspectives, One conversation

The breadth of the speaker line-up reflects the increasingly interconnected nature of technological change. Artificial intelligence, robotics, urban development, digital transformation and creative industries are no longer isolated conversations, with developments in one field increasingly influencing the others.

Shayne Mann

Shayne Mann, co-CEO of Singularity South Africa, says bringing different disciplines and experiences into the same conversation is essential to meaningful innovation.

“Innovation is strongest when it brings together different experiences, disciplines and ways of thinking. These speakers demonstrate that the future of technology is not only about breakthrough ideas, but also about the people translating those ideas into meaningful impact.”

Mic Mann, co-CEO of Singularity South Africa, says the Summit will also focus on the practical realities of implementing new technologies.

“The pace of technological change means organisations need both vision and practical execution. This group of speakers reflects exactly that balance. From artificial intelligence and smart cities to digital transformation and home-grown innovation, delegates will gain practical insights from leaders who are actively building the future rather than simply predicting it.”

Further speakers and programme announcements are expected to be revealed ahead of the Summit.

Singularity Summit South Africa 2026 takes place on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 October 2026 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, in collaboration with Old Mutual and metaverse partner UBU.