Innovators, industry leaders, and seasoned professionals gathered to discuss AI’s purpose in Africa’s key sectors.
Experts agreed that AI is a powerful tool, particularly in the health sector.
From a legal perspective, the greatest threat from AI is its potential to concentrate wealth and power in the hands of a few corporations.
With AI as a resource in Africa, there is a clear call for models and frameworks that are designed to serve African-based principles and values.
Delegates explored AI’s transformative impact across various sectors whilst delivering important critiques about ethical applications and regulations of artificial intelligence (AI).
Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, highlighted its potential to revolutionise Africa’s future, which was the central theme at the CNBC Africa’s inaugural AI Summit at Indaba Hotel in Fourways.
Minister of Communication and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, giving his keynote address Photo: Katlego Makhutle
The inaugural summit sponsored by Telkom in partnership with Forbes Africa and VISA, launched on Thursday, August 14, with important panel discussions moderated by CNBC Africa anchors.
Medical practitioner and CEO of Alpha and Omega MedTech, Dr. Brett Lyndell-Singh highlighted AI’s applications in healthcare, explaining how it is already being used to improve diagnostics in radiology, pathology, and dermatology.
Lyndell-Singh said, “I think it can be used for education [and] health awareness, but it cannot replace a doctor, especially [in] surgery. It’s not going to replace surgery, especially in Africa, any time soon…but you can actually have homoeopathic remedies that you can get from AI and ask it to give you some common remedies for flu, for example.”
Associate Lawyer at The Digital Law Company, Rorke Wilson, offered a legal perspective on the technology. Wilson acknowledged that AI introduces new digital security threats, such as a personal assistant AI that could compromise a user’s entire data ecosystem.
He argued that the primary threat is not the potential of a sentient AI, but rather AI being used to consolidate power and wealth to a few corporations. In the panel session, he noted that South Africa has its own commission in the works and later told Wits Vuvuzela, that perhaps the EU-AI Act-the first major legislation of artificial intelligence in the world, can be used as a “great framework” for creating a new regulation in South Africa.
The summit’s panel on education argued that it should be embraced for disruption. Professor Kat Yassim, Associate Professor at the University of Johannesburg’s Department of Education Leadership and Management, highlighted that young people are “digital natives”. She emphasised that universities must adapt their teaching and assessment methods alike.
Yassim challenged the traditional academic view that students have a propensity to cheat. “Should our measurements not be different? Should it always be about a mark? And that is what AI is forcing us to do. It’s forcing us to question. It’s forcing us to evolve,” she said.
She advocated for a collaborative learning environment where professors and students co-create knowledge and experiment with AI as a tool. Yassim provided a striking example from her own class, where 35% of students went on to become digital leaders in their schools after designing their own learning platforms using an AI-assisted process.
She asserted that this success is the true measure of learning and impact, demonstrating that when AI is used as a tool to enhance personal abilities, it can help students make a real difference in their communities and careers.
Overall, the summit painted two sides of the AI debate in Africa. One focused on the immense potential for innovation and the other on the critical need for ethical oversight and equitable development.
FEATURED IMAGE: From Left to Right: Founder of World Wide Worx, Arthur Goldstuck; Old Mutual Group Chief Technology and Data Officer, Dhesen Ramsamy & Openserve Chief Information Officer, Reubin Layman Photo: Katlego Makhutle
The Wits Digital Dome is not just a tool for astronomy, but it is a technological hub that bridges different disciplines through immersive education.
Walking into the Digital Dome, you are immersed in lights from the astronomical projection covering the dome’s ceiling. Its cutting-edge technology brings an out-of-world experience which blends research and education seamlessly.
A New Era
The Wits Anglo American Digital Dome was originally known as the Johannesburg Planetarium and has been around since 1960. It was a platform for astronomy that allowed visitors to view stars, planets, and constellations through its then state of the art technology. Some decades later, a much-needed upgrade was needed. Under the leadership of Dr Moutima Aich, the planetarium stepped into the 21st century and stands as the largest digital dome in South Africa and the second largest in Africa.
Wits Anglo American Digital Dome. Photo: Siyanda Mthethwa.
“Most of the planetariums have gone digital around the world. So, we also wanted to do that and not just that. We wanted to expand the space, so we’ve expanded the office space and the event space,” said Aich. She added that the expansion was also for them to “make our own content” and for homegrown stories to be told.
Beyond Astronomy
Although the Digital Dome remains a hub for astronomy education, its new facilities allow for different faculties to use it. One of them includes people from Digital Arts who have been “involved heavily in creating content for the dome,” says Aich. “People who have come here, they’re from medical science background. They also want to do some visualizations on the Dome. And again, they talk to the digital arts for that. So that’s how we are bringing in the different disciplines together,” she said.
The Digital Dome will also enhance student learning and education. It continues to host immersive and entertaining astronomy shows for children. “It’s an animated show, but it is about rockets and propulsion and things like that. So, you still come and learn while you enjoy. So, it does help students in general,” said Dr Aich.
The dome is not limited to children as university students can also use it as a tool for learning, particularly postgraduate students. This includes Honours, Msc or PHD projects on the Dome’s software or data visualization.
What’s Next
The Dome officially opened its doors to the public on 1 February 2025 where it continues to host immersive shows that can bring people together for an unforgettable experience. People can book shows online on Webtickets.
FEATURED IMAGE: Projection of the periodic table in the Digital Dome. Photo: Siyanda Mthethwa.
For final-year medical students, the covid-19 pandemic has been the start of their future as doctors, physicians, nurses and surgeons. It has been a dive into the deep end of healthcare and was truly a case of sink or swim.
Members of the Wits Students’ Surgical Society will once again be participating in the Kilimanjaro Challenge for the Smile Foundation to give children with facial abnormalities corrective facial surgery.(more…)
My name is Thabiso Modiba and I grew up with my two sisters, mother and father in rural Limpopo, Mabopane district. And I’m the only guy, the first-born. It was tough, with no electricity and running water, life is tough. The only truck that brings water is the one from the municipality that comes once a week. You have to take a bucket and go queue for water.
Since I was young, I have always wanted to be a doctor. When I was young, my mother got sick. We were living in a rural village and whenever we’d go to the clinic they’d say, “The doctors not here”, sometimes for days. I would get angry because my mom would be very sick and there was no doctor to help her. But when you come here, to the city, there are many. But that side where I’m living they are scarce.
HIGH HOPES: If he can find the money to pay for his tuition Thabiso Modiba hopes to become a medical doctor one day. Photo: Michelle Gumede
My father earns about R5900 and sometimes is working at a construction company that deals with tenders. They build schools and those sort of things.
I don’t wanna lie, I never slept that day before matric results came out. I was watching TV on the fifth and they were announcing the results officially. There’s no electricity in the area but we take chances and connect cables, just so we can get an update on what’s happening with the matric results.
Through the post office, I applied in 2015 to five universities UP, UL, UJ, SMU and Wits. I got the application form to come to Wits from my father. He knows one of the security guards from Wits. I posted applications and the money required for each too. Costs differ from tertiary to tertiary, at Wits it was about the R100 and other universities it was R200 or R300. It’s like betting for the lotto, you don’t know when or where you’re going to win.
I was stressed on January 6 because Wits had said they’d send me an sms as soon as the matric results came out. I was anxious about how my results were gonna be. I was praying the whole day and night.
In the morning I got my results from my school, but still no sms from Wits. I preferred Wits because the communication was good. They communicated with me throughout the year through email. The other universities just sent me sms’s saying they acknowledge my application and will await my matric results. They also said that I have to submit my results face to face, whereas Wits just got them through the system.
So I was panicking. It was only on January 7 when I received an email from Wits with an offer to study chemical engineering and medicine. I accepted medicine so they said I must come and pay the registration fees of about R9340 before the day of enrolment.
Immediately, I called some of my relatives, for money. They were happy because my matric results were good, so they managed to put the money together for registration plus R400 for a bus.
I arrived in Johannesburg for the very first time in my life on Thursday January 8. My father who was in Soweto at the time had no idea where Wits was, so I had to ask people for directions at Park Station. They told me to walk to Bree then I would find the campus after crossing Nelson Mandela Bridge. I walked this by foot with my R9340 registration fee in my bag. That’s when I found myself in Wits. The big buildings were intimidating, I was afraid. I’m a rural boy and it’s the first time that I saw so many different people in such a busy place.
HALF WAY THERE: Modiba has registered at Wits but is yet to come up with the money for tuition. Photo: Michelle Gumede
When I got here I was directed to the enrolment center where I was shown to the financial office. I paid registration and made my four-hour trip home. When I left Wits I was a little bit happy because it was promising that I’m in. I got home and my parents were panicking that I’d just paid and only been told to come back to Wits on Monday. You know when parents pay money they want to see proof that something is happening. R9340 is a lot of money, they’ve never had that kind of money in their hands before.
On Monday I had to wake up early in the morning to catch the 4am bus so I could be here by seven. When I got to Hall 29, students had blocked the way saying #FeesMustFall. We were told to go back home or do it online. Eish, I felt like the world was turning against me because I came from so far. I didn’t understand what was going on and neither did my parents when I called them to tell them. I went back home again coz there was no place to stay so I had to spend more money.
At home my parents didn’t trust what I said about the strike, they thought I was deliberately wasting money.
MONEY WOES: His parents didn’t trust what he said about the #FMF2016 strike, they thought he was deliberately wasting money. Photo: Michelle Gumede
On Tuesday, January 12, I got an email saying I could come and fetch my student card anytime and I heard from the news that registration was happening on Wednesday. I was there preparing money to travel again. It was only because I did so well at school that even my high school teachers and neighbors helped to put together money. They just want to see me at Wits doing medicine.
I arrived in Joburg at 8am on January 14, collected my student card and registration bag. I’m happy but worried at the same time.
Although I applied for funding from NSFAS they said I don’t qualify. I also applied for funds at the Limpopo Department of Health last year and the Motsepe Foundation this year but I still don’t have funds for my tuition and accommodation. I’m gonna be contacting the department telling them that I got accepted at Wits, maybe they can help me and speed up my application. I have until February 8. If fees had fallen maybe it would be better.
HEALTHY ART: Victoria Hume explains to Drama for Life about how to integrate music and art into medicine. Photo: Ilanit Chernick
Art and medicine combined can be used as a tool to heal people, Victoria Hume told members of Drama for Life (DFL) recently.
DFL is trying to close the gaps between these two fields by incorporating art into medicine and bringing this into South Africa’s public health system. They are currently working on a project about using drama and its techniques to educate the public about diabetes.
Musician and artist Victoria Hume spoke to DFL on Monday about using music, singing and breathing techniques to help patients who are dealing with “complex conditions” such as diabetes and those who have been through “traumatic healthcare experiences”.
She also focused on how to “make hospitals a centre of community”.
“It’s about building relationships between South African institutes like Drama for Life and Baragwanath.”
DFL and Hume have collaborated on this project to educate the public about “drawing attention” to things that are “little known” about medical conditions like diabetes.
Hume also told Wits Vuvuzela that despite the economic problems in South Africa’s public health system, it is still possible to implement drama and music techniques into our hospitals without just “sticking pictures over cracked walls”.
“It’s about building relationships between South African institutes like Drama for Life and Baragwanath [Hospital] for example” she said.
DFL are currently training students in drama therapy and techniques and Hume said it is “important to train them in this type of context as well”.
The university is considering changing the admission criteria for medicine by doubling the percentage accepted on achievement alone, regardless of race.
Currently, 25% of top achievers are accepted regardless of race but recommendations would see that doubled. The remainder is presently allocated in favour of redressing racial disparities.
This is just one of a number of big changes presented at a public meeting to discuss the current and future admissions criteria to medicine on Tuesday night. The other two big changes are that 20% of places would be assigned to students who come from rural environments and applicants with undergraduate degrees would be considered equally regardless of what they previously graduated in.
“What am I doing here, then? I’ve wasted two years of my life,” one student complained. She is currently doing her undergraduate in health sciences. Many of the students there felt they had been encouraged to do these types of degrees in the hope that they would get preference to be accepted to medicine and were now being told this might change.
“A bachelor in health sciences is not a pre-med degree,” Vice Chancellor Prof Adam Habib said.
“If you take students from here [rural areas] they are more likely to return, unlike urban students who end up leaving the country,” according to Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof Andrew Crouch. He heads up the task team with Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof Zeblon Vilakazi.
According to the university, about 8 000 people apply for the degree each year but only 230 receive firm offers, the majority coming from urban environments and middle class families. This excludes many applicants from rural areas, previously disadvantaged backgrounds and poor schools.
Habib said they are trying to maximise the production of doctors but are limited by infrastructure and resources. He advised that students apply for alternative degrees as “some very good people will not get placed”.
The task team is deciding if they will be able to implement the recommended criteria next year or wait until 2016. They will release their findings in a report at the end of this month.
Cool Kid Caryn Upton is a 6th year Medical student who has been running a successful business for 4 years
Story and Caption by Jay Caboz
Cool Kid
Caryn Upton spent four years of her varsity career tutoring and trying to make a little cash. She would earn, on average, R100 per hour and at the time she thought she was lucky to be paid that. Then she says she had a brainwave and “Study Doctor” tutoring was born.
What makes you a cool kid?
Well I am a sixth year med student who has been running a successful business for four years. I work hard and I play hard.
Why study medicine?
Initially, I was studying another degree, but then I found it was too easy and I wanted a challenge. I found working with people rewarding and then I knew that medicine was the right place for me.
Why open your own tutoring company?
One day, I was talking with my friend Claire Keene (now her business partner) who had also been a tutor and we said: “Hey, how come we work so hard and yet the company’s take a R300 profit? We could do a better job of this and make sure students get paid properly.” We were both med students and wanted to help people. We knew what it was like to be a tutor and were tired of getting screwed over by tutoring companies. So we thought “why not?”.
What makes your business cool?
It was started by two students who created something from nothing. We wanted to pay people for what they were worth.
How many tutors are you involved with?
At the moment we have about 70 to 80 tutors in our company.
How do you study and run a business?
Initially we were a lot smaller and I managed to fit it all in. But now we have grown so large, we have been able to hire someone and are currently looking to expand even further.
What achievements has Study Doctor made?
In 2012 we were voted as 94.7 FM’s business of the week. This year we are looking to pay back even further to the community and are trying to organise a charity that will give free tutoring for matrics.
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