Event Archive

Boards are significantly more worried about geopolitical risk in 2026 than they were a year ago. The World Economic Forum’s ‘Global Risks Report 2026’ shows geoeconomic confrontation and state-based armed conflict at the top of near-term global risks. Geopolitical tensions, says S&P Global, is a direct IT and data risk, with sanctions, export controls, and technology nationalism changing how vendors and regions are perceived. Data location and control are tied to service continuity, reputational risk and consumer trust. In South Africa, it’s become essential to establish how AI and data can be used for innovation and growth, while retaining local autonomy.

“Africans needs to make strategic choices, and the first is how to build a foundation of data that defines how it’s accessed and the digital infrastructures used to unlock its potential,” says Ravi Bhat, chief solutions and AI transformation officer at Microsoft Africa. He says bridging the Africa infrastructure gap introduces a number of sovereignty concerns, such as how an African country can build the digital infrastructure to ensure data stays within in its borders.