The Hub UnConference will return to Harare on 24 and 25 September for its 12th edition, with this year’s programme focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), data, digital power and the role of young Africans in shaping technology.
The event will be held at Harare Gardens, on the sidelines of the Shoko Festival, under the theme “Unruly Algorithms.” Admission is free, although registration is required through the Shoko Festival website.
Hub UnConference coordinator Takudzwa Musakasa said the organisers wanted this year’s edition to move beyond discussions of what AI is doing, and instead focus on how young Africans can participate in shaping the systems behind emerging technologies.
“We didn’t want this year’s edition to be just about what AI is doing to us — we wanted it to be about what we are going to do about it,” he said.
“Unruly Algorithms is about young Africans claiming a seat at the table, learning the systems that shape our lives, questioning who built them and why, and having a real say in what comes next.”
The two-day programme will bring together students, creatives, journalists, technologists, policymakers and other technology enthusiasts for panel discussions, masterclasses, debates, live podcasts and interactive sessions.
According to the organisers, discussions will examine digital power dynamics in Africa, including the use of data for transparency, civic advocacy and locally driven innovation.
“We’re bringing students, creatives, journalists, technologists and policymakers into the same space to question these systems, learn practical skills and imagine what a digital future shaped by us could look like,” Musakasa said.
The event is expected to attract participants from Zimbabwe, Uganda, Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa.
Confirmed speakers include Angela Kilisungu, Nkumi Mtingwa and Antonio Kisembo from Tanzania; Samuel Eibu from Uganda; Willson Chivhanga from Malawi; and Zimbabweans Darlington Chugumbu, Linda Mujuru and Joice Svotwa.
The programme will also include practical skills sessions, among them a Canva masterclass led by Nicole Njanjari, alongside pop-up sessions hosted by organisations including Friendship Bench, Magitare Trust and Defend Defenders.
Previous editions of the Hub UnConference have featured journalists including Alice McCool of The Guardian, Robyn Kriel of CNN and Raheela Mohammed of Al Jazeera.
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