Cape Town: Member of the Mayoral Committee for Corporate Services – Alderman Theresa Uys officially opened the inaugural Africa Automation Indaba on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at the Waterfront in Cape Town.
It was a two-day Indaba welcomed Professor Thuli Madonsela, Technology Analyst Arthur Goldstuck, CEO of Astrofica Technologies Jessie Ndaba and several prominent tech and industry leaders from across Africa and abroad.
The Indaba is clearly focused on how Automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can drive industrial growth of Africa. Also, considering its policies, innovation and economic transformation while addressing challenges such as inequality, ethics and sustainability.
Uys noted that across Africa, cities are under pressure to deliver more services to more people with fewer resources. For them, automation is not about removing the human element. It is more about removing friction.
It also helps residents access services faster, by helping employees to work smarter and help the government in making better decisions through data and technology. “As a city, we are investing heavily in a 10-year digital transformation programme to modernise ageing systems, by improving operational efficiency and prepare Cape Town for the digital age,” said Alderman Uys.
Over the course of the two-day indaba, organised by RX Africa, the delegates engaged with the latest technologies, strategies and real-world case studies shaping Africa’s automation landscape. While exploring opportunities to accelerate industrial growth, sustainability and smart manufacturing across the continent.
Furthermore, the speakers highlighted specific need for responsible leadership, inclusive policies and stronger collaboration between government, industry and academia to ensure technology benefits for all communities. Discussions at the event also explored Africa’s manufacturing potential, investment readiness and the role of automation in improving governance, reducing corruption and accelerating digital transformation across the continent.
The 2026 event attracted leading sponsors and exhibitors from the automation, industrial networking, instrumentation and Industrial IoT sectors. This also included Interlynx-SA, Allpronix, RJ Connect and LAPP, alongside the global and local engineering and technology companies driving the Industry 4.0 innovation in Africa.
MMC for Corporate Services Theresa Uys concluded this by saying that as they look towards the future, one thing is very clear: African cities have an opportunity to adopt technology, and to lead in responsible, practical, people-centred innovation.
According to Uys, Automation and AI should never be considered as technology, for technology’s sake. Their purpose has always been to improve lives, strengthen trust and deliver better outcomes for residents. She added that at the City of Cape Town they remained committed to build a smarter, safer, more sustainable and more inclusive digital city.