The Hub Unconference is set to return for its 12th edition in Harare next week, bringing together young Africans to debate the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies on society.
The two-day event, scheduled for 24 and 25 September at Harare Gardens, will run under the theme “Unruly Algorithms” and bring together students, creatives, journalists, policymakers, technologists and other digital enthusiasts.
Organisers said the gathering would examine how digital systems are influencing information, education, creativity and civic participation across Africa.
Rather than focusing solely on explaining artificial intelligence, this year’s edition aims to explore how young Africans can influence and shape the technologies increasingly affecting their lives.
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Hub Unconference Coordinator Takudzwa Musakasa said the organisers wanted to shift the conversation towards action and participation.
“We didn’t want this year’s edition to be just about what AI is doing to us, we wanted it to be about what we are going to do about it,” Musakasa said.
He said the “Unruly Algorithms” theme would encourage young Africans to understand the systems influencing their lives, question how they were developed and take part in shaping their future.
The programme will feature panel discussions, masterclasses, debates, live podcasts, creative pop-ups and interactive showcases, with speakers from several African countries.
Among the speakers are Angela Kilisungu and Nkumi Mtingwa from Tanzania, Uganda’s Antonio Kisembo and Samuel Eibu, Malawi’s Willson Chivhanga, and Zimbabweans Darlington Chugumbu, Linda Mujuru and Joice Svotwa.
The programme will also feature a Canva masterclass led by Nicole Njanjari, as well as pop-up sessions involving organisations including Friendship Bench, Magitare Trust and Defend Defenders.
Participants from Uganda, Malawi, Tanzania, South Africa and Zimbabwe are expected to discuss ways African countries can strengthen control over their data and use it to promote transparency, civic advocacy and locally driven innovation.
Musakasa said bringing people from different sectors into the same space was central to the event’s approach.
“We’re bringing students, creatives, journalists, technologists and policymakers into the same space to question these systems, learn practical skills and imagine what a digital future shaped by us could look like,” Musakasa said.
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The organisers said the conference would provide an opportunity for participants to explore practical ways of engaging with emerging technologies while considering their wider social and civic implications.
The Hub Unconference is free to attend, although participants are required to register through the Shoko Festival website.
The event will take place alongside the country’s annual urban culture festival, the Shoko Festival.