A residential, three-day gathering for the people building Africa's AI: researchers, founders, engineers, policy thinkers, and students. Quiet rooms, hard conversations, hands-on craft.
AI for African systemsLeadership · Trust · ScaleResearch · Builders · PolicyPan-African collaboration
About the conference
A working gathering for African AI.
Since 2022, EnhanceMind AI (EMAI) has been the annual meeting place for the people moving Africa's AI ecosystem forward — practitioners and researchers, public-sector leaders and student communities.
EMAICON 2026 is the fifth edition, and the first to be fully residential. Three days, one venue, deep work. Around 300 delegates split across students (40%), professionals (40%) and corporate delegates (20%).
Tanzania positioned as a leading AI hub in Africa. African-built AI systems on stage. Governance and trust frameworks at the centre.
From the EMAI 2025 floor · 250 delegates, three packed days.
Past editions
Four years of growing together.
From our first 80-person gathering in 2022 to last year's 250-strong conference in Dar es Salaam, EMAI has grown alongside Africa's AI ecosystem. A glimpse of what each room felt like.
2025Builders & Researchers · Dar es Salaam250+ delegates · 14 speakers · 18 demos
2024AI & the Future of Work2023From Foundations to Frontier2022First Edition · Dar es Salaam2025Workshops & Hackathon
What to expect
Three days, six rooms, one continent.
From keynote stages to hackathon corners, the programme is designed for delegates who want to leave with skills, connections, and a clear next step.
Keynotes & fireside chats
Hear from African and global AI leaders, celebrity practitioners, and researchers exploring AI systems, governance, and Africa's intelligent future.
Hands-on demos & hackathon
Level up with practical workshops on agents, edge AI, RAG, and multimodal systems — and ship something real before the lights go down.
Booths & startup showcase
AI4SDGs projects, corporate innovations, and startup demos. African-built AI systems in action — not behind glass.
Ethics & governance debates
Critical conversations on responsible AI, governance frameworks, trust, and sovereignty in African contexts.
Long-table dinners
Connect with peers, speakers, and sponsors over slow dinners and quiet evenings. The deals happen at the long table.
Community spaces
Chill zones, AI art, prayer rooms, student lounges, and community-led side events. Conferences are also a place to be human.
Keynote speakers
Lineup landing soon.
We're curating a roster that reflects Africa's AI moment — researchers, builders, regulators, and operators. Names drop from June 2026.
Speakers to be announced
Want to share work on stage, run a workshop, or moderate a panel? Write to speakers@emaiconference.com with a short pitch.
Conference schedule
Three full days. One arc.
All times in EAT. Detailed session schedule with speakers will be published once the lineup is locked.
Day 01 · 29 Oct
Foundations, research & systems thinking
Open the conference with a survey of where African AI sits today: foundational research, breakthrough papers, and systems thinking for our own contexts.
KeynotesResearchWelcome dinner
Day 02 · 30 Oct
Builders, agents & edge deployment
A builder's day. Deep workshops on agents, edge AI, multimodal systems, and the engineering tradecraft of shipping models that actually work in the field.
WorkshopsHackathonDemos
Day 03 · 31 Oct
Governance, policy, SDGs & the pan-African table
Close the loop. AI governance, public-sector use, AI4SDGs showcases, and a pan-African working session on what we build together next.
PolicySDGsClosing dinner
Detailed schedule with session times and speakers will be announced soon.
Registration
Pick the way you'll join.
Three tiers, designed around how you participate. All prices in Tanzanian Shillings (TZS). International delegates can request invoiced bank or card payment.
Student
Student
For full-time learners and academy members. Light verification required.
How student verification works. Student tickets ask for your institution name and student/registration ID at sign-up. Organisers may follow up confidentially with your institution before badging. If you can't provide a number, write to organizers@emaiconference.com and we'll find a path.
Showcase
AI4SDGs Competition & Expo.
Two stages for African-built AI: a juried competition for SDG-aligned solutions, and an open expo floor for demos, prototypes, and live conversations.
AI4SDGs Competition
Showcase innovative AI solutions aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Open to individuals, teams, and organisations from academia, industry, and startups.
