Session Details

Date: Thursday 31 October 2024

Time: 09:00 – 12:00 (SAST)

Format: Plenary Panel

Venue: iClub, Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct

Host: Danga Mughogho, South African Cities Network, SA Cities Network; CTIN Reference Group (RG) Members

Speakers

Panel Speaker: Loise Mboo, Open Institute

Panel Speaker: Sheena Adams, Accountability Lab

Panel Speaker: Adeboye Adegoke, Paradigm Initiative

Interactive Activity: Ubuntu Lab (Mutsa Samuel and Thabani Mlilo)

Closing Message: Prof. Themba Maseko, Head of School, Wits School of Governance

Vote of Thanks: Prof. Geci Karuri-Sebina, Organiser, CTIN & Tayarisha Centre, Wits School of Governance

Session Blurb

The CTIF 2024 Closing Plenary will dive deep into this year’s theme, #UnderTheHood. This session will invite the African civic tech ecosystem and its supporters to reflect on the present moment and its opportunities. Our exploration during this plenary will uncover the layers beneath the surface of our work, examining the technologies we use, the communities we serve, and the untapped potential within ourselves. The session provides room for honest reflections and key action steps that can be taken, as we look beyond the different hoods to integrate our innate knowledge, expertise and collective experiences. Together, let’s close this conference with a vision of what’s possible when we fully engage with the layers beneath the surface.

Session Objectives:

The Closing Plenary will draw from panelists’ insights, in conversation with attendees. The discussions will foreground the interrelated aspects of tech, community and self. Some of the questions that we will unpack include:

• How can Africa build and innovate from within, ensuring that our technological future is one of empowerment and self-determination?
• From our communities, how can we better harness these resources to build the capacities we need, without waiting for external saviors? What is the role of local leadership and collaboration in driving sustainable change?
• Which roles do self-awareness and expression play in driving and shaping civic activism? We will challenge ourselves to uncover and embrace the surprises beneath our own ‘hoods, recognising that the true power of civic tech comes from the people behind it.