The 2021 IndabaX meetings will take place in 24 countries across our African continent, happening throughout this year. We are proud to enable these communities and future leaders. Even during this ongoing period of global pandemic, African machine learning is strong and thriving. deeplearningindaba.com/indabax
An IndabaX is a locally-organised Indaba (meeting) that helps spread knowledge and build capacity in machine learning, and which is held in countries across our African continent. The IndabaX is a means with which to experiment with the ways in which we strengthen African machine learning and its local communities, allowing more people to contribute to the conversation around machine learning and artificial intelligence. IndabaX communities are convened by emerging leaders, and importantly, building partnerships and expertise with an understanding of their own needs, development and aspirations.
The IndabaX programme, having grown from 18 countries in 2018, to 26 countries in 2019, to 24 countries this year in 2021; due to the coronavirus pandemic there were only 2 IndabaX events in 2020. It is significant that IndabaX communities are thriving in many countries now after all this time. And equally important that there are now new groups and countries hosting their IndabaX for the first time. We congratulate all the organisers, and especially to the new communities of IndabaX Mali, IndabaX Cote d’Ivoire, and IndabaX Mozambique.
Each of these IndabaX events is partnered with a local university, and is now working to provide an exciting programme tailored to the needs of their local community. They have each committed to furthering the principles of the Indaba in spreading knowledge, growing communities, and championing equality and transformation. Each country will have their own application process; please see the website to find details of an IndabaX closest to you.
We have been able to provide each event with modest funding (with amounts of up to $3000). COVID regulations differ in different countries, and all organisers were asked to share contingency plans for changes and their approach to ensuring safety of participants. We hope that with additional support in the future we will be able to grow these communities, and extend the reach of the IndabaX programme to other countries.
The IndabaX 2021 host countries are (see website for detailed schedules):
🇩🇿 Algeria
🇨🇲 Cameroon
🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire
🇪🇬 Egypt
🇸🇿 Eswatini
🇪🇹 Ethiopia
🇬🇭 Ghana
🇰🇪 Kenya
🇱🇸 Lesotho
🇲🇼 Malawi
🇲🇱 Mali
🇲🇿 Mozambique
🇳🇦 Namibia
🇳🇬 Nigeria
🇸🇳 Senegal
🇿🇦 South Africa
🇸🇩 Sudan
🇹🇿 Tanzania
🇬🇲 The Gambia
🇹🇬 Togo
🇹🇳 Tunisia
🇺🇬 Uganda
🇿🇲 Zambia
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
We can’t wait to see what these 24 groups produce and to learn from their challenges, as we continue to deepen our programmes and efforts to Strengthening African machine learning — the mission of the Deep Learning Indaba.
If you are able to support the growth of African machine learning and the Indaba’s mission, through funding, your time, your networks, or in other ways, please get in touch.
