Africa Tech Festival 2025 to Focus on Cybersecurity and Cloud Resilience Across the Continent
The Africa Tech Festival (ATF), the continent’s premier platform for digital innovation, will take place next month in Cape Town, with a strong emphasis on cybersecurity and cloud resilience, two critical priorities for governments and businesses navigating Africa’s rapidly expanding digital economy.
This year’s festival will also explore responsible innovation, inclusive investment, connectivity for development, and policy harmonisation. The programme aims to guide tech experts, policymakers, and analysts in shaping informed strategies and decisions for Africa’s digital transformation.
Africa faces rising cybercrime amid rapid digital adoption and widespread mobile internet use. Reports indicate that 90% of African countries require significant improvements in law enforcement capabilities to respond effectively to cyber threats. Many countries still lack essential IT infrastructure, with only 30% maintaining incident reporting systems, 29% hosting digital evidence repositories, and 19% operating cyberthreat intelligence databases.
Kadi Diallo, Portfolio Manager for Africa Tech Festival, highlighted the urgency of the issue, stating, “Cybersecurity is no longer an individual concern for organisations; it is a shared responsibility across all sectors. ATF brings Africa’s digital leaders together to tackle these challenges and shape a secure, inclusive future.”
Key sessions at the festival include a keynote fireside chat, “State of Cybersecurity in Africa: Threats, Gaps and Opportunities”, on 11 November, which will explore the continent’s most pressing cyber threats and assess regional preparedness. Another notable panel, “The Quantum Threat Is Now: Rethinking Encryption Before It’s Too Late”, will examine emerging risks from quantum computing and the need for post-quantum security strategies.
On 12 November, the session “Empowering Women in Cybersecurity: Breaking Barriers and Building Leadership” will spotlight female leaders in technical, operational, and policy roles. It will discuss mentorship, sponsorship, and structural reforms needed to improve inclusion in Africa’s cybersecurity and cloud sectors.
Recognised as a leading forum for knowledge-sharing, ATF provides cybersecurity professionals, including Chief Information Security Officers, with opportunities to learn from case studies across industries and regions, fostering collaboration and the exchange of strategies to tackle evolving threats.
Africa Tech Festival 2025 promises a comprehensive programme covering infrastructure, investment, regulation, and workforce development, providing actionable insights to advance Africa’s digital economy.
For the full cybersecurity programme, visit the Africa Tech Festival 2025 Agenda here.
