Dear Indaba Community,

As I reflect on my journey, from a fresh engineering graduate with a new interest in machine learning, to my first exposure to research during my MPhil in Cambridge, and now as a Google DeepMind researcher with a PhD in machine learning, I’m struck by the large role that the Indaba has played. 

I truly believe that one of the biggest influences on my trajectory was engaging meaningfully with the Indaba and seizing the opportunities it presented. However, before I go any further I’d like to acknowledge the role that luck and privilege played. Through my undergraduate studies, I was fortunate to meet Benjamin Rosman (co-founder of the Deep Learning Indaba), who introduced me to the Indaba in the first place. And, on top of all my hard work, I was incredibly lucky to be accepted at Cambridge for my MPhil.

My first Indaba in 2017 was a turning point. Initially, I was ‘only’ going to be an attendee, but I found out that tutors were needed to beta-test and help run the practicals, and I volunteered. I spent hours meticulously going through the exercises, finding bugs, and suggesting improvements. During coffee breaks, conversations with the Indaba organisers were eye-opening. They pointed me towards Zoubin Ghahramani at Cambridge. Following their advice, I reached out to Zoubin and ended up working with him, which profoundly shaped my understanding of machine learning. As a result of my work with Zoubin, I was able to secure a fully-funded PhD position at Cambridge. 

In 2018 and 2019, I continued to engage. In 2018, my hard work on the practicals in 2017 was recognised, and I was asked to be a “head tutor”. In 2019, I was asked to co-develop all of the new practicals for that year. 

Avital Oliver from Depth First Learning (DFL) was also at the 2019 DLI. He was looking for folks to contribute to the website. I jumped at the chance to contribute. I volunteered to create a study guide on Wasserstein GANs, despite knowing very little about them. I spent countless hours researching, learning, and ultimately producing a resource that Avital and the DFL team were proud of. Avital’s recommendation for my first Google Brain internship was without a doubt the reason I was selected. And the success of that led to a second internship, which ultimately led to my job at Google DeepMind.

I am acutely aware that my story isn’t universally replicable. Luck played a significant role. And, as mentioned, my starting point was one of privilege. But I hope that my story also shows how communities like the Indaba can give us the chance to grow and succeed. 

So how can you make the most out of your next DLI? Here are my suggestions:

  • Connect Authentically: Don’t network for the sake of networking. Try to make a friend rather than a “connection”.
  • Contribute Actively: Take initiative. Volunteer to be a tutor and/or develop an Indaba practical. Pitch an idea at the next Ideathon or sign up to support a team’s vision. Help organise your local IndabaX to spread the Indaba mission. The more you give, the more you’ll receive.
  • Dive Deep: If a topic interests you, explore it thoroughly. Ask follow-up questions. Collaborate with others to understand complex concepts.
  • Seek Mentorship: Identify individuals whose work you admire and ask for specific guidance. Sending a polite email doesn’t cost you anything; the worst that can happen is you don’t get a reply. The Indaba mentorship programme is a great place to start and matches mentees to mentors based on specific goals and overlapping interests!
  • Create Something: Write a short blog post, or develop tutorials based on what you learn at the Indaba. Sharing your knowledge is one of the best ways to understand something deeply. Kale-ab Tessera shared some great advice for getting started as a creator, in the newsletter last year. Grassroots machine learning initiatives like Masakhane, Sisonke Biotik, AfriClimate AI, and Ro’ya-CV4Africa are also a great place to start.
  • Most importantly: have fun! The Indaba can be intense, so take breaks when you need to, explore the host city, and make new friends. 

The Indaba is more than a conference, a summer school, or a community; it’s a platform for positive change. By engaging actively and meaningfully, you can unlock opportunities you never thought possible.

– James Allingham. 2025 Programme Chair (Workshops), 2024 Programme Chair (Practicals), 2018 Indaba𝕏SA Organiser, and long time practicals contributor. March 2025.