There is no stopping an idea whose time has come – or if you prefer an even more apt cliché, there is no keeping a good event down. That was certainly the case for the SingularityU South Africa launch of its forthcoming Summit on the 14th and 15th October. Rather than taking place at a top tier restaurant as it did last year, the launch took place floating above the earth – in virtual reality of course.

At the launch, SingularityU South Africa announced the first 40 speakers that will address its audience at the summit next month. As anticipated, lhe line-up includes thought leaders from across the globe, some as far as USA, Denmark, Netherlands and Australia, and includes sought after South African captains of industry.

Naturally, exponential technologies will be a highlight of the summit, with some of the world’s top innovators sharing their insights. Or example, take a look at this lineup:

Vivienne Ming

·        American neuroscientist Vivienne Ming and founder of Socos Labs will address how artificial intelligence can make us better humans.

·        Australian AI expert Kellie Nuttall will speak about artificial intelligence and the future of work while South African technology pioneer Andile Ngcaba will share how artificial intelligence can effectively be used by governments.

·        LinkedIn’s Top Voice in Tech Cathy Hackl will explain the impact of emerging technologies on business.

·        World renowned leadership, disruption and innovation expert David Roberts will discuss how to be a strategic, empathetic leader in the new world.

In a year where we have seen female leaders truly rise to the global challenge brought by the pandemic, and excel (New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern for example),  this year’s summit boasts several female headline speakers.

·        Physician and futurist Dr Divya Chander will address human brain interfaces. Journalist and educator Esther Wojcicki will talk to after-school learning.

·        South African healthcare entrepreneur Kim Hulett who enthralled audiences at the 2019 summit with her talk on designer babies will return this year to tackle the future of healthcare, while American Tiffany Vora will present an international perspective on this topic.

·        Leading Johannesburg blogger Angie Dauberman will discuss abundance in food.

·        New perspectives on cybersecurity in a digitised world will be addressed by Dutch cybersecurity specialist Jaya Baloo.

·        And, at the forefront of innovation in governance, Danish Carin Ism will speak on the future of governance in a post-Covid world.

Jaya Baloo

If that was all that was on the menu, it would be enough impetus to log on. Turns out, SingularityU was just getting started with detailing its lineup.

As part of its bid to inspire and empower businesses and entrepreneurs to think bigger and have a positive impact on the world, leading entrepreneurs will take to the stage to share their expertise in an actionable way. MTN executive David Gilarranz will address frictionless payments. American entrepreneur David Hite will speak about investing in a new world, while Catherine Wood will be returning (read our interview with her here) will share her billion dollar expertise on investing in disruptive innovation. A session on wealth management and transparency will be presented wealth management tycoon Paul Pagnato. The World Bank’s lead economist Waolfgang Fengler and Fred Swaniker, founder of the African Leadership Group will share their unique perspectives on education and business.

The first five interactive workshops have also been announced:

·  Moonshot Thinking: by Lisa Andrews and Christina Gerakiteys

·  Smarten up your home with Internet of Things - by Phathizwe Malinga​

·  The Stress code – by author Richard Sutton

·  Business Rescue – by Maurice Crespi

·  Getting off the grid or whichever plain you’re on - by Adriana Marais

·   

“We are thrilled to have assembled a stellar line up of trailblazers from around the world to headline the fourth annual SingularityU South Africa Summit, showcasing the ground-breaking technologies and innovations that are available to take the continent forward, enthused” said Mic Mann, Co-CEO of SingularityU South Africa. “This year’s summit will make a meaningful contribution to developing human capital in Africa, and work to enhance the quality of life through education, networking and an exponential mindset” added Shayne Mann, Co-CEO of SingularityU South Africa. 

Now in its fourth year, the 2020 event will take place in a custom built online environment. The presentation format has been revised for the 2020 summit, with shorter talks making way for deeper engagement online with less screen fatigue and a greater variety of topics to be covered. The summit will also feature an online expo area, where delegates can engage with the latest products and developments from exhibitors and make business happen.

The SingularityU South Africa Summit 2020 will be hosted in collaboration with The Development Bank of Southern Africa, global partner Deloitte, and strategic partner MTN. To join the SingularityU community of changemakers, or to book, visit https://singularityusouthafricasummit.org/.

Ticket prices:

Early Bird: R5 000 incl vat. Book before 11th September 2020 and save R 5 000 off your ticket. 

Early Adopter: R6 250 incl vat. Book before 24th September 2020 and save R 3 750 off your ticket 

Standard Ticket:- R8 000 incl vat. Book before 2nd October 2020 and save R2 000 off your ticket price

Late Mover Ticket - R10 000 incl vat. 13th October 2020 Registration closes 16 October 2020

All prices include VAT.