Singularity Summit South Africa 2026 is bringing its boldest line-up yet to Johannesburg this October, and the theme could hardly feel more of the moment. Think of a humanoid robot that can hold a conversation, an algorithm that helps a doctor catch disease early, or intelligent machines quietly changing how a company works from the inside out. Not so long ago, all of that lived in science fiction. Now it is simply the world we wake up in.
A fresh wave of voices joins the bill
This is the shift Singularity South Africa wants delegates to feel first-hand. The organisation has just revealed another group of world-leading speakers for its 2026 Summit, staged with Old Mutual and metaverse partner UBU at the Sandton Convention Centre on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 October.
These new names join an already impressive cast of global futurists, scientists and innovators. Between them, they will dig into how robotics and artificial intelligence are reshaping industry after industry, from healthcare and finance to entrepreneurship, investment and cybersecurity, and what all of it means for the way we live, work and build.
The age of intelligent machines
Robotics sits at the heart of this year’s programme, which imagines a near future where people and intelligent machines increasingly work shoulder to shoulder.
The faster we adopt AI, of course, the more we have to protect. Dr Melanie Rieback will tackle that head on, showing how organisations can build real resilience in a world powered by AI and making sense of the shifting relationship between artificial intelligence, cyber threats and digital trust
When medicine meets music
Perhaps the programme’s most surprising voice belongs to Dr Martin Zschornak, a name music fans may know better as producer Seth Schwarz. He is an internationally recognised oncologist and musician, and his session, The Frequency of Life: How Sound is Rewriting the Future of Cancer Medicine, lives exactly where those two worlds meet. Expect a fresh, unexpected look at how therapies built on sound are opening new doors in cancer treatment.
Governing the AI era
Then there is the question of who keeps pace with all this. Phokeng Mogase, Chief Digital Officer at the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), will moderate a discussion on navigating the AI era, asking how governments, regulators and business leaders can meet both the promise and the pressure of technology that refuses to slow down.
From the policy room to the shop floor, Dario Fanucchi, one of the founders of Isazi Consulting and its chief technology officer, will bring things down to earth. He plans to walk delegates through real applications of artificial intelligence already humming away inside organisations, proof that AI has long since left the whiteboard for everyday operations.
Innovation, investment and the next generation
The Summit also turns a spotlight on entrepreneurship and investment at a time when the ground keeps moving beneath everyone’s feet.
International entrepreneur and author Christina Gerakiteys knows that terrain well. Her book, Celebrating Success, One Failure at a Time, has struck a chord with innovators around the world, and she will share the kind of lessons you earn the hard way: resilience, reinvention and building businesses that hold their nerve through uncertainty.
Alongside her is Dr Mark Nasila, a Singularity faculty member and one of South Africa’s sharpest voices in AI and data science. Dr Nasila will help delegates see past the noise around artificial intelligence to the real value underneath, while weighing up responsible AI, data strategy and the kind of leadership an economy shaped by AI actually rewards.
For the people running the Summit, robotics is simply the easiest way to show how fast things are changing.
“Robotics is one of the clearest ways for people to see how quickly technology is moving from concept into real life,” said Shayne Mann, one of Singularity South Africa’s two chief executives. “This year’s Summit will explore that shift from many different angles, from healthcare and finance to education, cybersecurity and entrepreneurship, while keeping the focus on what these changes mean for people, businesses and society.”
His fellow chief executive puts it just as plainly. “We’re reaching a point where almost every major conversation about the future includes robotics and artificial intelligence in some way,” said Mic Mann of Singularity South Africa. “Whether you’re a business leader, entrepreneur, educator, investor or student, understanding these technologies is becoming essential. This year’s programme brings together people who aren’t just talking about the future, they’re actively building it, and that’s exactly the perspective we want delegates to experience.”
A pioneer returns
One of the most eagerly awaited returns is Tilly Lockey, the internationally recognised robotics pioneer and disability advocate. Lockey will tell her own extraordinary story of living with advanced bionic arms powered by AI, a vivid and personal reminder of how far robotics can stretch what the human body is capable of.
For Old Mutual, the moment carries real weight for the whole continent. “We are living through the moment where technology stops being something that happens to Africa and starts being something Africa shapes,” said Celiwe Ross, Group Chief Human Capital and Corporate Affairs Officer at Old Mutual. “That shift carries real responsibility, for institutions like ours, and for every leader in this room. The question is no longer whether robotics and AI will transform how people work, earn and build wealth on this continent; it is how we shape that transformation to unlock greater opportunity and prosperity for all.”
Opening the doors to young innovators
Singularity South Africa is determined that the next generation gets a seat at the table too. The organisation is offering free student tickets to experience the Summit in the metaverse, and it is casting the net wide: schools, colleges, universities and individual students of any age can apply online through its website. Wherever a young person happens to be based, the idea is to put world class thinking within reach.
More speakers and programme details will follow in the months ahead.
For more information, regular updates or to book, visit the Singularity Summit website.
Booking and ticket prices
Early Adopter tickets were priced at R17,000 for in person attendance and R4,700 for metaverse access. Booking before 14 July secured the Early Adopter rate, an 18% saving on the standard price and subject to limited availability, after which the next pricing package took effect on 14 July 2026. All prices include VAT.
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