By Victor Fanuel
HARARE — Africa’s digital future will come under scrutiny next week as Zimbabwe’s Hub UnConference returns with a blunt question, “who really controls the algorithms shaping young people’s lives?”
Dubbed “Unruly Algorithms”, the 12th edition of the annual two-day digital media, civic technology and creative economy event will see techies, creatives, journalists and policymakers descend on Harare Gardens next week.
They will put Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital power under the microscope.
Hub Unconference Coordinator Takudzwa Musakasa said the event, slated for September 24 and 25, will move beyond the buzz surrounding AI to examine its real-world impact on how young Africans learn, create and consume information.
“We didn’t want this year´s edition to be just about what AI is doing to us, we wanted it to be about what we are going to do about it.
“Unruly Algorithms is about young Africans claiming a seat at the table, learning the systems that shape our lives, questioning who built them and why, and having a real say in what comes next,” Musakasa said.
Young people will be at the centre of discussions on the opportunities and challenges created by rapidly evolving digital technologies.
“We’re bringing students, creatives, journalists, technologists and policymakers into the same space to question these systems, learn practical skills and imagine what a digital future shaped by us could look like,” added Musakasa.
Across two days, the programme will feature panel discussions, masterclasses, debates, live podcasts, creative pop-ups and interactive showcases involving speakers from several African countries.
Among those scheduled to drive the conversations are Tanzanians Angela Kilisungu and Nkumi Mtingwa, Ugandan speakers Antonio Kisembo and Samuel Eibu, Malawi’s Willson Chivhanga, and Zimbabweans Darlington Chugumbu, Linda Mujuru and Joice Svotwa.
Zimbabwean parliamentarian Darlington Chugumbu is also expected to join discussions examining the relationship between technology, society and digital power.
A Canva masterclass led by Nicole Njanjari will form part of the practical skills programme, while pop-up sessions will be hosted by organisations including Friendship Bench, Magitare Trust and Defend Defenders.
Bloggers, academics, activists and developers from Zimbabwe, Uganda, Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa are expected to converge on the capital for the event.
Data ownership is another key issue on the agenda, with organisers seeking to explore how African countries can gain greater control over data and use it to support transparency, civic advocacy and homegrown innovation.
Previous editions have attracted prominent international and regional figures, including Alice McCool of The Guardian UK, Robyn Kriel of CNN, Raheela Mohammed of Al Jazeera and Lindiwe Zulu of the ANC.
Free entry is available, although attendees must register through Shoko Festival’s website.
The Hub UnConference will run alongside Zimbabwe’s longest-running annual urban culture festival, the Shoko Festival, placing digital innovation, civic debate and the creative industries at the heart of Harare’s cultural calendar.
