Business leaders, academics and tech experts met in Umhlanga on Thursday, 22 October 2026, for the KwaZulu-Natal Artificial Intelligence Summit.
The event took place at the Alpvest Conference Centre at the Royal Palm Hotel. Speakers looked at the risks and chances that AI brings to the province, the country and Africa, The Bulrushes reported.
“AI’s potential is real, but so are the risks,” said Jay Ramrundlall, Group CEO of the Alpvest Institute for FutureTech (AIFT). He said governance and human oversight were central to the programme.
“We need to move beyond the extremes of hype and fear and have practical conversations about what guardrails are needed and who is accountable for the decisions made,” Ramrundlall said.
The summit was organised by the KZN AI Foundation NPC. AIFT hosted the event and was its main sponsor. The theme was Connecting the Brightest Minds of AI in KZN.
The day was split into four parts. Each part had talks, panel discussions and live demonstrations, with people from government, universities and business.
The first part looked at the skills and safety measures needed to use AI responsibly. Topics included data sovereignty, cybersecurity and ethical AI.
Professor Louis Fourie, AIFT Senate Chairperson, led this part. Andiswa Khumalo of the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) took part in its panel.
The second part focused on AI data centres in KZN, digital twins and mapping technology. Speakers also discussed the digital links needed between government, industry and AI startups.
Prof Mugisha Stephen Akandwanaho of North-West University and AIFT Chief Strategy Officer Elisha Ramnundall led that discussion.
The third part looked at how companies can move from testing AI to using it in daily work. Speakers talked about business plans, automation of jobs and generative AI in training health workers.
Dr Ashna Sivai, AIFT Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and Digital Technology, moderated this part.
The last part was about getting more young people, women and startups into the AI economy. It covered ICT startups and AI business chances linked to special economic zones.
Representatives from ScienceCEO Academy and Canva Africa were on the panel for this part.
The event also had a showcase of AI startups. Projects on show included business software agents and tools for schools.
“We need to keep building the skills and developing responsible practices that allow AI to serve society,” Ramrundlall said. He said the summit was only a starting point.
AIFT started in Tongaat in 1990 as PC Training and Business College. It now offers 22 higher education qualifications in fields such as AI, robotics, data science and business.
The summit ended with reports from each group. Dr Vusi Mvelase, a strategic AI adviser and researcher, gave the closing talk on the future of AI over the next ten years.
Source: this article is based on reporting by The Bulrushes. Image: The Bulrushes. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Technology desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Werner Jacobs covers technology for Tzaneen Voice. Werner reports on mobile networks, data prices, internet access, smartphones, apps, AI, cybersecurity and South African tech companies. Each story explains what a new product, price change or policy means for ordinary users in South Africa.