Over 400 delegates from the technology world are this week set to convene in Kigali for a three-day summit dubbed; Africa Tech Summit from February 13 - 15.

The summit will convene African corporates, start-ups, investors and creatives, sharing insights from industry leaders including such as Safaricom, Econet Media Group, SAP, Uber, Gearbox, Imisi 3D and Gebeya among others.

According to the founder of the summit, Andrew Fassnidge, the conversations and deliberations will be themed around popular tech trends such as fintech, Artificial Intelligence (AI), payments and credit, mobility, Cloud and Internet of things connectivity, investing, mobile and content, among others.

The summit comes at a time when the African continent is seeking to adopt and integrate technology into existing service delivery in the public and private sectors. This will, among other things, improve efficiency and reduce the cost of operations significantly.

Organisers say that they also aim at providing expert insights into emerging technologies, solutions and opportunities across the African mobile, digital and tech landscapes.

Investors and ventures will also be connected through curated sessions, pitching sessions and deal rooms.

To uncover ongoing relationship with media and entertainment and the rise of technology on the continent, industry leaders, platforms and musicians will share insights from across Africa at sessions themed around creativity.

Startups from the UAE and Africa will participate in the first-ever Chamberthon event that will be organised and hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry during the Africa Tech Summit in Kigali, on February 13-15.

At the summit, tech start-ups will collaborate and develop new innovative ideas at a mentorship programme facilitated by the Dubai Chambers Global Business Forum.

The initiative will provide a creative environment where UAE and African startups can collaborate and develop new innovative ideas that will be used to structure the Global Business Forum Mentorship Programme, a three-month programme that will pair startups with mentors who can provide them with valuable expertise, support and guidance.

Twenty UAE and African startups will be divided into mixed teams and develop and present their concepts for the mentorship programme.

Ten startups from the UAE and Africa that make the final cut will be selected to participate in the mentorship programme later this year, which will be joined by a pool of expert mentors.

The programme will provide benefits beyond mentorship, including access to networking and Dubai Startup Hub services and support, as well as speaking and exhibiting opportunities at the 5th Global Business Forum on Africa in Dubai, taking place in November 2019.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw