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The Department of Transport has declined to confirm when it will begin producing new driving licence cards through its agreement with Home Affairs’ card printing division. However, transport minister Barbara Creecy has previously indicated that the process was at an advanced stage and was being treated with urgency. The department signed a Memorandum of Agreement …
Pretoria-based commercial law firm releases comprehensive guide addressing new governance requirements affecting all organisations PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – OAK Law has published detailed guidance on King V, the latest iteration of South Africa’s corporate governance framework that replaces King IV and applies to all organisations regardless of size or structure. The new framework consolidates 17 …
Applied Machine Learning Days (AMLD) Africa (https://MLAfrica.org) returns with its most ambitious edition yet at Witwatersrand University (Wits) in Johannesburg.
The continent's AI community will gather in Johannesburg for four days, bringing together top minds in AI from across the continent and the globe. From global researchers and emerging youth talent to industry pioneers, AMLD Africa will showcase the spectrum of Africa's AI ecosystem.
This edition continues a legacy of excellence, built by previous speakers including Yoshua Bengio (Godfather of AI), Karim Beguir (InstaDeep, co-founder); as well as senior leaders from Oracle, IBM, OCP, Novartis, EUCO, etc. The 2024 edition in USIU Africa, Nairobi, drew 1'600+ participants with high-caliber speakers, including Prof. Annie Hartley, MD, Darlington Akogo, and Vukosi Marivate.
Confirmed Keynotes for this edition include:
Joining the lineup of distinguished speakers are Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of the United Nations University and UN Under-Secretary-General; Prof. Benjamin Rosman, featured in TIME's AI 100 list; Dr. Lily Paemka, Deputy Director of WAGMC; and Dr. Mihir Patel, MD, Chief Visionary Officer at Ospitek Inc.
The 2026 edition will feature thematic tracks across Healthcare, Sustainability, Economic Empowerment, Cultural Preservation, Ethics, and Governance, with keynotes, workshops, and exhibitions to spotlight local innovation. View the AMLD Africa 2026 trailer here (https://apo-opa.co/4sI8hKv).
This year's program kicks off with a dedicated ‘Day 0 - Startups and Communities', spotlighting local innovators and grassroots AI communities across the continent.
AMLD Africa celebrates the continent's diversity not just in geography, but in ideas, voices, and vision. From North to South, East to West, it is where Ubuntu meets AI: a space where local realities inspire global solutions, and Africa's young talent leads the way in shaping a sovereign future, hand in hand.
A conference, a community, a pan-African movement
AMLD Africa is a yearly gathering. It is a platform to build Africa's AI future, grounded in the belief that AI should be free, inclusive, and community-led.
Rooted in the spirit of “Think globally, act locally”, the AMLD Africa Ambassador Program now spans over 20 African countries. This year, it will power live broadcasts of the conference across 20+ universities, engaging 500+ participants in local hubs. Led by Students and Professors, these satellite events extend AMLD Africa's reach beyond South Africa.
AMLD Africa recently launched ‘Node by AMLD', a new initiative establishing student-led AI clubs across African Universities. With chapters already active in Zimbabwe, Benin, Nigeria, and Madagascar, the network is rapidly expanding, creating local spaces for innovation, collaboration, and community building.
Partners & supporters
AMLD Africa proudly announces support from:
AMLD Africa is also supported by Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) through the Excellence in Africa (EXAF) lab.
Join the Movement
AMLD Africa is for you if you're a company looking to connect with AI talent, a policymaker shaping the digital future, or a student passionate about machine learning.
Join us and let us shape the future of AI in Africa together.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of AMLD Africa.
The GOOD Party has once again submitted formal written questions to the Council following the continued failure of the DA/FF+/ACDP-led Executive in the George Municipality to act on urgent relief for backyard dwellers.
The post GOOD CALLS ON EXECUTIVE MAYOR TO ACT WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY ON BACKYARD DWELLER RELIEF appeared first on For Good.
A man walks on the beach while three Iranian naval ships – the IRIS Makran, a corvette named Naghdi, and the IRIS Shahid Mahdavi – cruise in False Bay on the morning of 13 January. Photos: Brenton Geach The Will for Peace 2026 joint naval exercise between South Africa, China, Russia, and Iran, which started …
Window Art, a leading vinyl frosting and window treatment specialist in South Africa, has published a series of comprehensive guides addressing common challenges faced by commercial property stakeholders. The resources focus on practical solutions for improving energy efficiency, creating professional meeting spaces, and maximising storefront marketing potential. Property Managers Gain Energy Efficiency Strategies The company’s …
The GOOD Party has raised serious concerns about recent decisions by the Department of Education that are negatively affecting learners and their families. The party warns that failures in lawful and fair administration place children’s constitutional rights at risk.
The post GOOD CALLS FOR LAWFUL, CONSTITUTIONAL ACTION TO PROTECT LEARNERS’ RIGHTS appeared first on For Good.
This places it alongside a small group of international education tools that have been independently assessed for safety and scalability for real learning impact. Tangible was developed by the Department of Computing Sciences in the Faculty of Science at Nelson Mandela University and is being implemented globally by the not-for-profit Leva Foundation. https://tangible.levafoundation.org/ In …
A photography tour is a guided trip built around taking great images. Instead of just sightseeing, the itinerary, timing, and guiding are designed to put you in the right place at the right time with expert support. What are typical features of a photography tour? You’ll be guided by an expert, usually a professional photographer, …
Luke Fraser ·15 Jan 2026 There are fears that Eskom’s continuation of a High Court review application over the granting of new electricity trading licences could halt the transition to a more competitive market for years. The background for the case revolves around the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) granting electricity trading licences …
South Africa is clearing regulatory hurdles, but foreign investors are still deciding what that is worth. From 29 January, the country will be removed from the European Union’s list of “high-risk third-country jurisdictions”, a move that marks a decisive step out of the greylisting era and lifts one of the most intrusive constraints on cross-border …
British American Tobacco (BAT) is closing its only manufacturing plant in South Africa in a move that will shed thousands of jobs, with the group overwhelmed by the proliferation of illegal cigarettes. The decision by the London- and Johannesburg-listed company will see the group not manufacturing cigarettes locally for the first time in more than …
The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) is working on a new payments standard to drastically improve scan-to-pay transactions in South Africa. The development and implementation of the QR+ Standard forms part of the SARB’s Payments Ecosystem Modernisation (PEM) Programme. Quick Response (QR) codes have become a popular way to direct smartphone users to a website, …
Malcolm Libera ·15 Jan 2026 South Africans can travel to 101 countries without needing a visa in 2026, marking a decline in global mobility compared to the previous year. In 2025, South African passport holders enjoyed visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 106 destinations, meaning access to five countries has been lost over the past year. …
It would not be unwarranted, for this year’s Hot Stocks edition, to look back in anger at 2025. It’s not that the markets were a particular pain point … far from it. But the overriding question is: how did most investors get it so wrong? In short, last year investment professionals were wary of a …
The Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) says it has been inundated with concerns from vehicle owners with poor Global New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) safety ratings. In a statement, the AA acknowledged that the Hyundai Grand i10, a popular vehicle among e-hailing drivers in South Africa, had received a zero-star safety rating for adult …
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on Iran to allow its citizens to exercise their right to protest in peace. “South Africa firmly believes that the right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and freedom of association are universal human rights that must be upheld without exception,” said Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya. This comes in the …
Last year, Mahindra cemented itself as one of the best-loved brands in South Africa, achieving its best-ever sales year as a result. The Indian carmaker sold 18,097 vehicles in 2025, which represents a 40% year-on-year improvement and marks a record-breaking year for the brand. Overall, the total new vehicle sales industry grew by around 15% …
Some areas have improved, but the overall picture is grim
Located in Heidelberg, in the Gauteng province, the facility currently operates at just 35% of total capacity due to severe volume losses, directly attributable to the exponential growth of the illicit tobacco trade in South Africa, the unit of British American Tobacco said. Renewable Resources: The country is investing in renewable energy sources, such as solar …
Staff Writer ·15 Jan 2026 Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, announced that he will table a declaration of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak as a state of disaster at the next Cabinet meeting. On Wednesday, 25 January 2026, Steenhuisen outlined the national strategy for containing foot-and-mouth disease in South Africa. “I have a clear roadmap for …
Luke Fraser ·15 Jan 2026 British American Tobacco (BAT) is closing its sole manufacturing plant in South Africa, as the company struggles due to the rise of illicit cigarettes. BAT South Africa said that it will cease all local production of factory-manufactured cigarettes (FMC) and close its only South African manufacturing facility by the end …
British American Tobacco South Africa (Batsa) announced on Thursday, 15 January that it would lose its Heidelberg manufacturing facility in Gauteng and cease local production of factory-manufactured cigarettes by the end of 2026. The decision brings the curtain down on a facility that has been operating in the Heidelberg community since 1975. Batsa said the …
In a break from tradition, Ramaphosa was forced to bypass the traditional handover ceremony, leaving it to be handled behind closed doors. Tensions resurfaced when South Africa learned it had been excluded from this year’s G20 forum in Miami. The latest flashpoint involves South Africa’s naval drills with warships from U.S. adversaries China, Russia, and Iran, a …