The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, in collaboration with the ICT Authority of Kenya, is gearing up for the Connected Africa Summit 2025 to be held in Diani later this month.

The four-day summit, scheduled for May 26 through 29 will bring together over 2,000 delegates from across Africa and beyond, providing a platform for high-level conversations on digital transformation, emerging technologies, and public-private partnerships shaping the continent's future.

Speaking on Monday during a media briefing at the Serena Hotel in Nairobi, ICT Principal Secretary John Tanui underscored the importance of collaboration in unlocking Africa’s digital potential.

“As the government, we are keen to build bridges with the private sector to collectively develop Africa’s digital transformation agenda. We have this event to cultivate the collaboration between ourselves and the private sector and also provide a platform for conversations around technology and its importance in forging Africa’s digital future,” said Tanui.

Being in its 13th edition since inception in 2012, the summit has evolved from a local ICT event to a continental powerhouse where it now attracts international tech giants such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE), Cisco, Fortinet, and Safaricom PLC.

Stanley Kamanguya, CEO of the ICT Authority, emphasised the need for partnerships between the government and private players in a bid to address dynamic technological shifts.

“Even in this digital age, the best technology we have remains each other. We must continue collaborating and supporting each other, and create an environment that enables us to all thrive,” Kamanguya noted.

Led by Cisco Country Manager Shain Rahi, private sector partners committed to supporting the partnership saying their participation in the summit reflects their joint efforts in digital innovation.

“This is our third year participating in the Connected Africa Summit. Our partnership is inspired by the collaboration between the public and private sectors. A union that is crucial owing to the emerging technologies in play. We all know that AI is a buzzword and we look forward to sharing how Cisco is modernising security in the AI world,” Rahim stated.

The summit’s agenda is expected to feature plenaries, executive roundtables, sector-specific breakout sessions, and policy dialogues with themes of focus being artificial intelligence (AI), cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, Big Data, fintech, healthtech, assistive technologies, and digital public services.

Additionally, the event will showcase local innovation through an Innovation Village and a Smart Government Zone to give start-ups and public agencies across Africa a chance to present solutions and digital projects driving change.