The use and impact of AI in the telecommunications sector will be among the key topics under discussion at the upcoming Southern Africa Telecommunication Networks and Applications Conference (SATNAC) in Hermanus in the Western Cape later this month.
SATNAC is the official industry-academia innovation platform of Telkom’s Centres of Excellence (COE) postgraduate programme, which has advanced the development of thousands of postgraduate students since its inception in 1997.
SATNAC is considered the continent’s premier event for telecoms research, digital technology dialogue and applied innovation. This prestigious event brings together the IT and telecoms industry, academia and government, and has addressed emerging technologies, research and new developments in the sector for nearly 30 years.
Mmaki Jantjies, Group Executive Innovation and Transformation and Chairperson of SATNAC, says: “SATNAC is a highly anticipated annual event where researchers, students, industry experts and government come together to share ideas, present research and discuss the future of ICT. It's a space where academic thinking meets industry practice, making it an important event for anyone interested in how technology is shaping the future in Africa and beyond. This event is where academia and operators publish progress achieved in applied research in the ICT sector and where industry leaders share their views on latest trends and developments.”
Building on SATNAC 2024’s focus on the transformative impact of AI, this year’s event will focus on Africa’s Ascent: Towards a Sustainable and Resilient Future Enabled by Secure Next-Generation Infrastructure, Digital Technology and Artificial Intelligence, with scaling AI and harnessing AI in the telecoms sector to be topics under discussion. Digital sustainability and diversity will also be key issues under discussion.
Presented by Telkom SA in partnership with leading ICT industry sponsors, the four-day event will include a keynote by South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Mondli Gungubele, and presentations by well-known author and futurist Graeme Codrington, Dr Mmaki Jantjies, Group Executive: Innovation and Transformation at Telkom SA, Serame Taukobong, Group Chief Executive Officer at Telkom SA, and Raymond Crown, Director: Information and Communication Services at the University of the Western Cape.
In presentations and panel discussions, industry experts will delve into topics such as digital sustainability in Africa, building diversity into Africa’s digital future, humanising technology, enabling AI and autonomous networking, unlocking scalable AI, scaling open-access fibre, shaping AI-driven networks and merging digital innovation and e-mobility. Breakaway sessions will feature full research paper presentations, and a dedicated showcase area will highlight the winners of the SATNAC Industry Solutions Challenge for postgraduate and undergraduate students.
SATNAC 2025 will take place at the Arabella Hotel, Golf & Spa in Hermanus, Western Cape, from Sunday, 30 November to Wednesday, 3 December. The four-day event will also include executive dinners and a golf day.
SATNAC is presented in partnership with Prestige Sponsors Amdocs, BCX and Cisco, Huawei, Nokia, Openserve and Telkom Consumer & Small Business; Executive Sponsors Falcorp and IHS Towers; Elite Sponsor Accenture; and Ignite Sponsors CSG and SGT Solutions.
To register for SATNAC 2025, go to: https://satnac.org.za/registration.
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