A six-day annual gathering in Lagos bringing together African AI researchers, engineers, and practitioners to strengthen machine learning research across the continent through tutorials, workshops, and community-led knowledge exchange.
The Deep Learning Indaba is an annual six-day event dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence and machine learning research in Africa. It gathers researchers, engineers, students, and practitioners from across the continent and beyond for a programme combining academic sessions, skills workshops, and community-building activities. The 2026 edition, hosted at Pan-Atlantic University in Lagos, marks the tenth edition of the gathering.
The tenth edition takes place at Pan-Atlantic University in Lagos, Nigeria, from 2 to 7 August 2026. As of the verification date, the programme is still under development. All keynote speaker slots listed on the official programme page carry "Speaker TBC" placeholders, and calls for proposals for tutorials, workshops, and practical sessions remain open. No confirmed keynote speakers had been announced at the time of verification.
The Indaba occupies a distinctive position as one of the few recurring, large-scale events dedicated specifically to AI research capacity on the African continent. Timed in early August, it sits outside the principal Northern Hemisphere conference season, which concentrates major AI events between May and July and again in November and December. This placement reflects the event's identity as an Africa-centred gathering rather than a satellite of the global conference circuit.
The specific session names, stage count, and confirmed speakers for the 2026 edition are not yet publicly available as of the verification date. The programme page confirms that content is still being assembled and that calls for tutorial and workshop proposals are ongoing.
The event operates an application-based access model, meaning participants are reviewed before a place is confirmed. Advance scheduling is part of the process: applications are assessed by the organiser, creating a curated attendee base before the event begins. No dedicated B2B matchmaking platform or official networking app is publicly documented for the 2026 edition. Networking at the Indaba is primarily structured around the programme itself, with community discussions and shared sessions serving as the principal points of contact between participants.
The thematic focus of the Indaba centres on four areas: artificial intelligence as a discipline, deep learning methods specifically, research practice and methodology, and the African context for AI development. The event's academic orientation distinguishes it from applied industry conferences: the curriculum is directed at building research capacity and sharing knowledge across a continent where machine learning infrastructure remains uneven. No edition theme has been announced for 2026 as of the verification date.
Deep Learning Indaba is an annual event designed for the African AI research and practitioner community. Its core audience is researchers, students, and engineers based in Africa, along with international participants attending in an academic or non-African industry capacity. The event's explicit goal is to strengthen machine learning research and knowledge-sharing across the continent.
Several profiles are a poor fit for this event. Practitioners seeking commercial deal flow, vendor showcases, or procurement meetings will find little of that here: the format is academic and community-driven, not transactional. Senior executives from large technology firms looking for high-level strategic networking will encounter an event oriented around technical education rather than executive exchange. Participants based outside Africa with no interest in the continent's AI research context are unlikely to find the programme relevant. Those requiring confirmed programme details before committing travel will face uncertainty, as the 2026 agenda is still being assembled at the time of verification. Finally, the application and lottery-based access model means that individuals expecting open registration on demand may not secure a place.
The 2026 edition is confirmed as the tenth in the series, hosted at Pan-Atlantic University in Lagos. Specific changes to format or scope relative to prior editions have not been publicly announced as of the verification date.
Yes. Pricing tiers distinguish between African and non-African industry participants, and the non-African industry category carries a higher registration cost (approximately 761 EUR at the current rate). Researchers and students from outside the continent can apply, though the event's focus and community are centred on African AI development.
Pan-Atlantic University is a private university located in Lagos, Nigeria. It hosts faculties across business, humanities, and professional studies and has the physical infrastructure to accommodate a gathering of around 1,000 participants across lecture halls, seminar rooms, and open campus spaces. Lagos is Nigeria's largest city and its primary commercial and technological hub, home to a growing cluster of technology companies and startup activity. The campus setting is consistent with the Indaba's academic orientation and provides the kind of multi-room environment that a programme with concurrent tutorials and workshops requires.
The organiser behind Deep Learning Indaba is not publicly identified by name in available documentation. The event's website (deeplearningindaba.com) serves as the primary public-facing channel, and the organiser's registered location is listed as Nigeria. The organiser's founding year, portfolio size, and organisational type have not been confirmed through publicly available sources as of the verification date. The raw description categorises the organiser as a commercial publisher, but this classification has not been independently verified.
The Deep Learning Indaba is a structurally unusual event in the AI calendar: a six-day, academically framed gathering explicitly built around a regional research deficit, anchored in Africa, and accessible through a competitive application process that prioritises community fit over purchasing power.
Registration for Deep Learning Indaba follows an application and lottery model rather than open ticketing. Places are not available on demand. Prospective participants submit an application that is reviewed by the organiser, and access to the lottery is subject to approval. Pricing for the 2026 edition, expressed in approximate EUR equivalents at current rates, is as follows: students accepted via the lottery pay approximately 150 USD (around 326 EUR); faculty members and African industry participants pay approximately 200 USD (around 435 EUR); non-African industry participants pay approximately 350 USD (around 761 EUR). A financial aid route offers free registration through a separate competitive process. All registration is handled via the official website at deeplearningindaba.com.
Applicants submit a registration request that is reviewed by the organiser. Those who pass the review are entered into a lottery for available places. The financial aid route bypasses the fee tiers but involves its own competitive selection process. The organiser does not operate open, first-come-first-served ticketing.
Three fee tiers apply, all contingent on successful lottery entry: approximately 150 USD for students, approximately 200 USD for faculty members and African industry participants, and approximately 350 USD for non-African industry participants. Financial aid applicants who are selected attend at no cost. All figures are as stated on the official website and are subject to currency fluctuation when converted to EUR.
As of 11 May 2026, the official programme page states that content is still under development. All keynote speaker listings carry "Speaker TBC" placeholders, and calls for proposals for tutorials and workshops remain open. Prospective participants should monitor deeplearningindaba.com directly for updates.
No. The access model requires an application that is reviewed by the organiser before any registration can be completed. Walk-in or on-site registration is not described in publicly available materials.
| Official website | https://deeplearningindaba.com |
| Register | https://deeplearningindaba.com |
| Programme | https://deeplearningindaba.com/2026/programme/ |