The 2019 Blockchain Africa Conference Programme is Live
The 2019 Blockchain Africa Conference Programme is Live!
Since 2014, the Blockchain Africa Conference brings together thought leaders, industry leaders, pioneers, entrepreneurs, decision-makers, and innovative thinkers, to unite and collectively shape and challenge the future of blockchain technology and crypto in Africa.
Blockchain technology is set to enter a new era in 2019, with many industry experts expecting the technology to be more widely adopted by mainstream companies, charities, and financial organisations. There are promising technological advances in other sectors that will allow blockchain to play a more prominent role in everyday life.
What to Expect in Johannesburg
This year the conference in Johannesburg will focus on blockchain enterprise development, blockchain use-cases in Self-Sovereign Identity, finance (cross-border payments, remittances, financial inclusion, interbank settlements) as well as challenges facing blockchain technology such as interoperability and scalability, on 28 February. The themes on 1 March will focus on tokenisation of assets, blockchain, and cybersecurity, blockchain in government, blockchain in health care, building a developer eco-system in Africa, smart contracts, the future of ICOs, regulation, and compliance.
The conference in Johannesburg boasts three panel discussions over the two-day conference on 28 February and 1 March 2019, which will include enterprise development, financial applications and use case of blockchain technology as well as regulation.
Panel: Enterprise Blockchain in Finance
This panel will explore, analyse and discuss various topics such as what kind of role blockchain technology plays on the future of banking, how blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies are reshaping payments, what some of the Blockchain Consortiums are (such as Hyperledger, R3, The Ethereum Enterprise Alliance and The South African Financial Blockchain Consortium), what the main differences between permissioned and permissionless blockchain technology are and when is each most beneficial, initiatives for blockchain based solutions in finance, what the real blockchain applications in finance are, are fintechs the enablers of change and how are incumbents partnering with them to innovate, and what the enablers and barriers for fintech collaboration with the finance industry are.
Our featured panelists include Kelly Parkhurst, Lead for New Digital Corporate and Investment Banking at Absa, and Tanya Knowles, Managing Executive of Fractal Solutions, a Division of Strate (Pty) Ltd and Chair of the South African Financial Blockchain Consortium.
Panel: Finding the Balance Between Regulation and Innovation
This panel will explore, analyse and discuss various topics such as what the balance is between regulation and innovation, how much regulation is necessary before it prevents innovation, especially in emerging countries, why regulators have struggled to respond to developments with blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies, what the recommendations are for a successful regulatory framework for blockchain to succeed, a comparison of various jurisdictions (such as Malta, US, China, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Mauritius and South Africa) and the results of over-regulation, self-regulation and lack of regulation.
Our featured panelists include Charlene Chen, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at BitPesa, Ashlin Perumall, Senior Associate at Baker McKenzie, and Prof. Angela Itzikowitz, Executive in ENSafrica’s Banking and Finance Department. For more information on the programme in Johannesburg, click here.
What to Expect in Cape Town
The conference in Cape Town will focus on how blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies can achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for economic growth and social inclusion by enabling and broadening access to a wide range of financial services, critical to the long-term reduction in poverty and achievement of economic growth in Africa. Speakers will explore how this technology can be used for innovative social projects in areas such as decentralised and cloud services for healthcare support, patient records, identity, renewable energy, remittances, community currencies, provision and distribution of aid and support, decentralised business models and a global cryptocurrency economy.
The conference in Cape Town boasts two panel discussions on 6 March 2019, which will address the current challenges with technology infrastructure and regulatory frameworks in order to achieve these goals.
Panel: Cryptocurrency Adoption in Africa
This panel will explore, analyse and discuss various topics such as whether Africa is fertile ground for the adoption of cryptocurrencies and why, what the obvious benefits of using cryptocurrencies in Africa are, which countries in Africa are adopting cryptocurrencies the fastest, and how mobile and cross-border payments are impacted by cryptocurrencies?
Our featured panelists include Farzam Ehsani (Master of Ceremonies), CEO and Co-Founder of VALR.com, Lorien Gamaroff, Founder and CEO of Bankymoon and Co-founder and CEO of Centbee.
Panel: How is Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrencies Enabling Social and Economic Impact and Inclusion in Africa?
This panel will explore, analyse and discuss various topics such as which industries in Africa stand to be disrupted by blockchain technology and cryptocurrencie, how Self-Sovereign Identity can enable financial and social inclusion, what some of the exciting projects in Africa addressing financial inclusion are, and what support can African governments provide to enable blockchain and cryptocurrency innovation.
Our featured panelists include Mamadou Kwidjim Toure, Founder and CEO of Ubuntu Group and Chairman of Africa 2.0, Michael Glaros, Principal Program Manager, Azure Blockchain at Microsoft, and Tomi Ayorinde, Founder and CEO of CrowdForce.
For more information on the programme in Cape Town, click here.
See you at the Blockchain Africa Conference 2019! Purchase your tickets for conference in Johannesburg here and for Cape Town here. Alternatively, please email us to info@blockchainafrica.co for any queries.