University of Cape Town. Source: Ian Barbour
https://www.flickr.com/photos/barbourians/5409559829/in/photostream/
DIGITAfrica Inaugural Workshop
The DIGITAfrica inaugural workshop marks the first step in co-developing a comprehensive strategy for a pan-African Research Infrastructure (RI) in Digital Sciences. Aligned with the African Union’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2024), this workshop will bring together representatives from African, European, and national institutions, as well as industry leaders, to foster dialogue and collaboration.
By leveraging the expertise of partners in Universities and Research Institutions from five African Union countries, seven European Union countries and one Swiss partner, the event will serve as a platform for exchanging experiences, consulting stakeholders, and shaping a strategic vision.
The event will count with three days of activities. The first is reserved to the partners of the project, and the second and third are workshops open to the public. Tickets are limited and confirmation will be made on first come basis
21.04.2025: Registration for in-person is finished. Only Online Tickets are available.
Programme
Internal Event (reserved)
The opening day is dedicated to bringing together the project partners and is reserved for members only. However, we invite you to explore the activities on the second and third days.
DIGITAfrica focused Workshop:
Foundation for the design a pan-African research infrastructure in digital sciences
Agenda in PDF Format: Agenda_Workshop
The agenda can also be accessed below
SLICES-RI Workshop:
Running 5G networks from your home with SLICES-RI: Hardware and software hands-on
Agenda in PDF Format: Agenda_Hands-on
The agenda can also be accessed below
Click for the Agenda of the 24 April (DIGITAfrica Workshop)
DIGITAfrica Inaugural Workshop Agenda
Date: 24 April 2025
Venue: Protea Hotel Cape Town Waterfront, Breakwater Lodge, Conference Centre (UCT GSB Campus)
Directions: https://g.co/kgs/B2rT7Nc
Time: 09:00 – 17:30
Online Access: Join here
Meeting ID: 327 174 938 076 8
Passcode: NE3dx7XM
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Time |
Session |
Details |
Speakers |
Session Moderator |
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09:00 – 09:30 |
Welcome and Opening Keynote |
– The strategic importance of DIGITAfrica in EU-Africa collaboration in Digital Sciences and Research Infrastructures (RI). – Overview of workshop objectives and expected outcomes for DigitAfrica. |
• Prof Serge Fdida (Sorbonne University, France) • Prof Joyce Mwangama (University of Cape Town, South Africa)
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– |
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09:30 – 10:45 |
Session 1: Research Agendas and Technical Frameworks |
Presentations Current landscape of African RIs (e.g., STISA-2024) – Local stakeholders speeches (Academia, Industry, Government): |
Keynote: Mandry Ntshani (Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, South Africa) Talk title: “The role of Investment in research infrastructures for the digital sciences in the context of AU-EU collaboration” • Dr Scott Timcke (Research ICT Africa, South Africa) • Dr Eliud Musotsi (Research Grants National Research Fund, Kenya) Talk Title: “TBC”
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Prof Joyce Mwangama (University of Cape Town, South Africa)
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10:45 – 11:00 |
Coffee Break |
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11:00 – 12:00 |
Session 2: Building the DIGITAfrica Network |
Presentations – expanding partnerships and establishing regional expertise communities – Mapping roles of academia, industry, and policymakers in the network |
• Dr Partson Chikudza (Research Council of Zimbabwe) Talk Title: “Mapping roles of academia, industry, and policymakers in the network” • Dr Michelle Smith (IRCAD Africa, Rwanda) • Mark Johnson (Square Kilometer Array, South Africa) Talk Title: “TBC”
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Dr Bessie Malila (University of Cape Town, South Africa) |
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12:00 – 13:00 |
Session 3: Identifying Common Research Priorities |
Panel Identifying common research priorities and technical specifications for a pan-African RI |
• Dr Mitch Cox (University of Witwatersrand, South Africa) • Prof Thomas Magedanz (Technische Universität Berlin, Germany) • Dr Cherif Ghazel (University of Manouba, Tunisia) • Mlamli Booi (University of Johannesburg, South Africa) • Prof Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Gueye (Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Senegal) • Dr Hlabishi Kobo (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, South Africa) • Prof Mthulisi Velempini (University of Limpopo, South Africa) |
Prof Serge Fdida (Sorbonne University, France) |
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13:00 – 14:00 |
Lunch |
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14:00 – 15:00 |
Session 4: Capacity Building in Digital Sciences |
Presentations Designing education and training pathways: SLICES-RI and SoBigData Academies – Presentations of the SLICES-RI Academy and SoBigData Academy Developing the DIGITAfrica Academy and tailoring capacity-building efforts to African needs – Local speakers about challenges in education in Africa (needs and gaps) |
• Prof Ahmed Biyabani (Carnegie Mellon University Africa, Rwanda) Talk title: “Building digital capacity in African higher education – a view from Rwanda” • Dr Winston Ojenge (Africa Centre for Technology Studies, Kenya) Talk title: “Embedded Challenges in Capacity Building of Digital Sciences and Technologies in Africa and How to Address them” • Emmanuel Rashayi (University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe) Talk title: Title: “Strengthening Digital Education Capacity in African Universities and TVETs: Gaps, Needs, and Opportunities” • Michela Natilli (National Research Council of Italy, Italy) Talk title: “A new generation of data scientists: the SoBigData Academy” • Stavroula Maglavera (University of Thessaly, Greece) Talk title: “SLICES Academy” |
Dr Vitalis Ozianyi (Strathmore University, Kenya) |
|
15:00 – 16:00 |
Session 5: Economic Dimensions and Sustainability |
Panel – Investment strategies, funding opportunities, and socio-economic impacts of a pan-African RI – Crafting a sustainable path for DIGITAfrica, including financial and governance models. (Panelists from partners + regional stakeholders) |
• Dr Charley Lewis (Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, South Africa) • Dr Mmaki Jantjies (Telkom Group, South Africa) • Sabelo Dlamini (South African National Research Network, South Africa) • Mark Johnson (Square Kilometre Array, South Africa) • Prof Vincent Omwenga (Strathmore University, Kenya) • Dumisa Ngwenya (SENTECH SOC, South Africa) • Phila Sithole (Association for Comms and Technology, South Africa) |
Prof Albert Lysko (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, South Africa) |
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16:00 – 16:15 |
Coffee Break |
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16:15 – 17:00 |
Session 6: Blueprint and Proof of Concept |
Presentations – Demonstration of potential technical tools and platforms: – Defining the Blueprint / collaborative platform for EU-Africa joint research and education activities) |
• Dr Damien Saucez (French Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation, France) • Dr Nikos Makris (University of Thessaly, Greece) Title: “Running 5G networks from your home with SLICES-RI: Hardware and software hands-on” |
– |
|
17:00 – 17:30 |
Finalization and Action Plan |
Closing – Summary of workshop discussions and key results |
• Prof Joyce Mwangama (University of Cape Town, South Africa) • Prof Serge Fdida (Sorbonne University, France)
|
– |
Click for the Agenda of the 25 April (SLICES-RI Workshop)
Running 5G networks from your home with SLICES-RI: Hardware and software hands-on
25 April 2025 at UCT Campus
Note: Names are placeholders, and the agenda may change.
Description:
Experimental research in Post-5G requires the seamless integration of software, hardware, and communication protocols. The EU SLICES Research Infrastructure (RI) provides a controlled and reproducible environment for conducting advanced experimentation. Unlike conventional testbeds that primarily offer resource access, SLICES-RI is structured around research blueprints. Each blueprint is designed for a specific research domain, with infrastructure implementation addressed in a subsequent phase.
SLICES-RI provides specialized blueprints for Post-5G experimentation, offering hardware, software, and methodologies for deploying custom 5G networks. These deployments can be executed and extended either on the SLICES-RI infrastructure or within an independent facility (e.g., your lab).
This session will cover the entire lifecycle of a Post-5G experiment, demonstrating orchestration through the tools and functionalities developed within SLICES-RI. In the hands-on, participants will deploy cloud-native 5G core networks and multiple 7.2-split radio access networks using open-source software. The process will be fully reproducible, with results automatically archived and published using the SLICES metadata model.
The workshop will begin with an introduction to 5G fundamentals, followed by best practices for ensuring reproducibility in experimental research. Participants will then collaboratively define experiments to be conducted, with the afternoon session dedicated to executing these experiments in groups.
Participants must bring a laptop with internet connectivity and an SSH client that supports key-based authentication.
| Time | Session |
| 09:00 – 09:15 | Introduction to SLICES-RI experimental resources and blueprints |
| 09:15 – 10:15 | Demonstrations of different experiments over SLICES-RI and familiarization with the provided tools |
| 10:15 – 10:45 | Formation of groups among the participants and initial ideas for implementation over SLICES-RI |
| 10:45 – 11:00 | Coffee Break |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Pitching of ideas by team leaders |
| 11:30 – 13:00 | Working in teams on the different projects |
| 13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch Break |
| 14:00 – 16:00 | Working in teams on the different projects |
| 16:00 – 16:15 | Coffee Break |
| 16:15 – 17:00 | Team presentation of key outcomes from their experiment & feedback on experimentation procedure |
Organizing committee
Venue & Accomodation
Protea Hotel Cape Town Waterfront Breakwater Lodge
Located at the University of Cape Town Business School Campus, Cape Town, South Africa.
How to arrive
To reach the Protea Hotel Cape Town Waterfront Breakwater Lodge from Cape Town International Airport, you have several transportation options:
1. Taxi/Uber: Taking a taxi is a convenient and direct method. The journey covers approximately 21 kilometers and typically takes around 20 to 30 minutes, depending on traffic conditions.
2. Private Shuttle Services: Several companies offer private shuttle services from the airport to the hotel. For instance, MyTransfers provides private sedan transfers starting at €33.69 (approximately 540 ZAR) for up to three passengers.
3. Hotel-Arranged Transportation: While the Protea Hotel Cape Town Waterfront Breakwater Lodge does not offer its own shuttle service, they can arrange transportation through MLT Vehicle Hire at a fee of 540 ZAR one-way or 1,080 ZAR round-trip. This service is available upon request.
4. Car Rental: If you prefer to drive yourself, car rental services are available at the airport. The hotel is located at Portswood Road, V & A Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa, 8001.
It’s advisable to arrange your transportation in advance to ensure a smooth journey to the hotel.
Suggested accomodation
We request participants to book accommodation directly.
To facilitate access, we suggest to stay in the same place as the venue:
Protea Hotel Cape Town Waterfront Breakwater Lodge (click here)
Alternative accomodation
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Region |
Hotel Name |
Website |
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WATERFRONT |
Portswood Hotel |
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Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront Cape Town |
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Southern Sun Waterfront |
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GREENPOINT / FORESHORE |
Winchester Mansions |
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Stay in Luxury with The Royale Collection |
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|
Sky Cape Town |
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RONDEBOSCH / PINELANDS |
City Lodge Pinelands |
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Little Scotia Guest House |
Conditions
Please note that this system only registers your interest. Participation confirmation is subject to the organizing committee’s approval and will be communicated at a later stage. For payments, if the case, you will also be communicated by e-mail.
Tickets are limited and confirmation will be made on first come basis.
