Cape Town is set to become the epicentre of digital identity innovation in the SADC region this September, as it hosts a pivotal event focused on advancing digital identity initiatives.
Local digital identity start-up DIDx, in collaboration with the prestigious Internet Identity Workshop (IIW), is proud to present DID:UNCONF AFRICA—a ground-breaking event poised to reshape the digital identity landscape across Southern Africa.
DID:UNCONF AFRICA, a two-day open space “unconference,” will take place on September 25th and 26th at the Hasso Plattner Design School at the University of Cape Town (UCT). The event draws inspiration from the Internet Identity Workshop, an influential gathering held twice annually in Silicon Valley since 2005.
Unlike traditional conferences, an unconference is a participant-driven event that eschews hierarchical structures, sponsored presentations, and rigid agendas. Instead, it fosters a more organic, dynamic environment where attendees co-create the agenda in real-time, ensuring discussions remain relevant and reflective of the latest trends in digital identity.
In today’s increasingly digital world, the ability to verify one’s identity online is crucial for accessing services, conducting business, and participating fully in society. Digital identity—a set of attributes that uniquely describe an individual or organization in the digital realm—underpins many of our interactions online, from mobile connectivity and online banking to e-health services and government platforms.
“We are thrilled to bring the first IIW-inspired event to Africa. DID:UNCONF AFRICA offers a unique platform for innovation and collaboration in digital identity, allowing participants to actively shape the future of this vital field,” said Gideon Lombard, COO of DIDx.
As digital identity initiatives continue to emerge across South Africa and the broader African continent, DID:UNCONF AFRICA provides an ideal forum for industry stakeholders to converge, share best practices, and align on a unified path forward. The event aims to bridge the digital identity gap in the SADC region, fostering greater inclusivity within the digital economy.
Focusing on topics such as self-sovereign identity and trust-based ecosystems, the event aspires to lay the foundation for a more secure, user-centric digital future in South Africa and beyond. Attendees will include digital innovators, researchers, technologists, government representatives, entrepreneurs, tech start-up founders, NGOs, banking professionals, and digital inclusion advocates.
Guided by experienced facilitators Kaliya Young and Heidi Nobantu Saul, along with local experts from DIDx, DID:UNCONF AFRICA promises a rich and collaborative experience. Young, a Canadian-born expert on decentralized and self-sovereign identity technologies, is the author of a seminal work on the topic and currently serves as an adjunct professor at Merritt College in California. Saul, a specialist in open space meetings and unconferences, is the primary producer of the Internet Identity Workshop.
The event will tackle critical issues such as assessing Africa’s readiness for digital identity at scale, developing protective identity systems against surveillance, and creating economically sustainable digital ID models for citizen services. Participants will also explore global digital identity standards within the African context and discuss how digital identity can drive financial inclusion. Key themes will include self-sovereign identity, blockchain-based identity, user-centric identity, and digital identity for inclusive development.
More than just an event, DID:UNCONF AFRICA represents a movement towards a more inclusive, secure, and innovative digital future. The unconference format offers attendees a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions, share knowledge, and collaborate on projects that could shape the future of digital identity in the SADC region and beyond.
National and international organizations have already joined as sponsors for this landmark event, and there are still opportunities for others to get involved. Interested parties can contact the organizers at sponsor@didunconf.africa or visit https://didunconf.africa/sponsorships for more information on sponsorship opportunities.
