The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) held its 10th Africa Unity for Renaissance Conference (AURC) on 24 February 2026 in Emperors Palace, Kempton Park, Johannesburg, South Africa. The theme of this year’s conference was ‘Harnessing Digital Technology and Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development in Africa’. The conference brought together academics, policymakers, and implementers across the continent.
In her opening remarks, HSRC CEO, Prof Sarah Mosoetsa, lamented on the historical significance of Emperors Palace – having hosted CODESA I & CODESA II, important dialogues that led to a new South Africa in 1994. She invoked the spirit of CODESA to guide the conference’s deliberations and the continent’s future. The CEO noted that this year’s conference is a prelude to others that will include conversations with business and civil society. She further noted the importance of the theme of the conference and insisted that, as a continent, we should harness the transformative technological advancements experienced in Africa over the past decade for the benefit of African societies. Prof Mosoetsa shared that the fundamental concern should not be how to deploy digital technology and artificial intelligence, but rather the importance of its ethical use.
Mr Daan Du Toit, the Deputy Director General in the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation, echoed the CEO’s concerns and noted that South Africa has been at the forefront of championing the course of digital technology and artificial intelligence on the continent. He noted South Africa’s contribution to the Africa-wide science, technology, and innovation framework document, STISA 2034, and insisted that the government of South Africa will continue to support conversations that drive positive change in the field of technology and innovation in South Africa and across the continent.
In his keynote address, H.E. Wamkele Mene, the Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area, expressed gratitude to the HSRC for convening such an important gathering. He elaborated on the strides the continent has taken to ensure that technology and artificial intelligence drive trade and commerce on the continent. Mene also noted the critical role technological infrastructure should play in advancing and formalising informal trade on the continent, and implored the HSRC to continue such conversations as we perfect the art of trade on the continent.
Prof Hillary Inyang of the Global Institute for Sustainable Development, Advanced Analyses and Design (GISDAAD), Concord, NC, USA, urged participants not to fall into the pitfalls of artificial intelligence and technological transformation. He detailed the policy direction we should take and insisted that technological transformation is like water: it can sustain life, and it can also take it, depending on its use. The rest of the presentations were focused on the infrastructure of digital technology and artificial intelligence in Africa, detailing policy formation and direction, discussing specific applications, challenges (including the talent gap, infrastructure deficit, and linguistic divide), ethical considerations, and future trends related to harnessing digital technology and Artificial Intelligence for sustainable development in Africa.
Watch the conference proceedings here:
