Africa: Building the Smart City – Promise, Pitfalls and the People At Its Heart

Africa: Building the Smart City – Promise, Pitfalls and the People At Its Heart

From AI-powered transit systems to digital twins and flood-proof parks, cities are embracing technology at an unprecedented scale. But as innovation accelerates, experts warn that inclusion, trust and security will determine who truly benefits. At a sprawling urban expo in Baku, visitors paused before giant digital screens flickering with flood simulations, subway control systems and…

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Why smart warehouses still need staff

Why smart warehouses still need staff

In a massive warehouse in Shanghai, dozens of humanoid robots are being trained to do simple, repetitive tasks. Controlled remotely, these robots work around 17 hours a day, folding T-shirts, making sandwiches, and opening and closing a door. The goal is to generate large amounts of data, use it to train machines, and eventually introduce…

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Reimagining TVET Colleges through digital transformation and smart learning infrastructure

Reimagining TVET Colleges through digital transformation and smart learning infrastructure

Sizwe Africa IT Group Hikvision Even Flow Team. This week’s official launch of the Gert Sibande TVET College 4IR Lab and Centre of Specialisation represents a major milestone in advancing the Department of Higher Education and Training’s (DHET) vision for modern, digitally enabled TVET institutions that respond to the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution…

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Africa: Building the Smart City – Promise, Pitfalls and the People At Its Heart

Africa: AI – ‘African Govts Are Using ‘Smart City’ Systems to Monitor Dissent and Consolidate State Control’

CIVICUS discusses the spread of AI-powered surveillance in Africa with Wairagala Wakabi, executive director of the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) and co-editor of Smart City Surveillance in Africa: Mapping Chinese AI Surveillance Across 11 Countries, the latest report by the African Digital Rights Network (ADRN) and the Institute…

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Smart solutions for safety in high-hazard critical industries

Smart solutions for safety in high-hazard critical industries

Quentin Daffarn, CEO at UC-Wireless. Safety remains a critical priority in sectors such as mining, oil and gas, nuclear and industrial manufacturers. Workers often operate in close proximity to heavy machinery across vast industrial sites and may be exposed to hazardous environments and conditions. Maintaining strict safety standards is therefore essential, not only to protect…

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