JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA/MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF., USA –October 29, 2018 – Singularity University (SU), a global community with a mission to educate, inspire, and empower leaders to apply exponential technologies to help solve humanity’s grand challenges, has announced SingularityU South Africa as its first African Country Partner. SingularityU South Africa will work with established businesses, entrepreneurs, and future innovators to create new opportunities for innovation and impact in South Africa, Africa, and around the world.“We’ve been working with a grassroots movement of distinguished alumni and a group of forward-thinking South African organizations to establish SingularityU South Africa,” said Rob Nail, CEO and associate founder of Singularity University. “South Africa is a recognized African leader in many areas of technology and innovation, including IoT, machine learning, big data, and energy. Our intent with the new Country Partnership is to build on these achievements and create new opportunities that can drive local and global impact.”South Africa is the fifth Country Partner for Singularity University. This adds to the organisation’s growing global network of business partners, which currently includes SingularityU Nordic, SingularityU The Netherlands, SingularityU Canada, and SingularityU Portugal. SU collaborates with in-country leaders to bring SU programming and perspectives to local executives, entrepreneurs, policymakers, thought leaders, and more.“Singularity University has changed the way that we as a company, Mann Made, and as the local organisers of SingularityU South Africa, think about our business and the future. We have fully immersed ourselves into the world of exponential technologies, purchased 3D printers, and invested in robots, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. This is because we understand that we live in extraordinary times, where progress is accelerating at an exponential rate,” said Shayne Mann, Co-CEO of SingularityU South Africa.Last August, the inaugural SingularityU South Africa Summit brought together local and Pan-African leaders in technology, business, and innovation to explore the impact of exponential technologies on the continent’s most pressing issues, including the future of work and employment, healthcare, privacy and security, good governance, and the environment. This year, the second annual Summit took place 15-16 October to a sold-out audience of 1,900 delegates. As a continuation of these events and by establishing SingularityU South Africa, organisers will further discussions and actionable steps to address these issues.“We have sourced the leading experts and futurists in their fields from across South Africa to help bring SingularityU material to the local business and corporate landscape so that we can learn how to navigate the future together. We are thrilled to extend Singularity University to South Africa, so that we may continue with our mission to #futureproofAfrica,” added Mic Mann, co-CEO of SingularityU South Africa.The SingularityU South Africa Executive Programme (EP), scheduled for 06-09 March 2019 in Johannesburg, will be SingularityU South Africa’s first EP event. The SingularityU South Africa Executive Programme is designed to focus on the exponential trends, topics, and challenges that are most important to Africans in a unique learning environment to help business leaders explore ethical leadership in a world of rapid change. Apply today to join the group.ABOUT SINGULARITYU SOUTH AFRICASingularityU South Africa is Singularity University’s fifth Country Partner of and the first in Africa. Our Massive Transformative Purpose is to build an empowered network of globally connected changemakers across Africa who are able to innovate and implement solutions that will solve some of the continent’s greatest challenges. We want to leapfrog Africa into the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We can do so by empowering its people to create abundant, sustainable, and holistic ways of living and working. In this way, we can #futureproofAfrica. SU’s approach to technology and exponential thinking can help to solve South Africa’s and the continent’s greatest challenges around unemployment, education, infrastructure, energy, and medicine, among others. As a catalyst for change, SingularityU South Africa runs custom education, innovation, and impact programmes that help others leverage rapidly accelerating technologies—including artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, blockchain, and digital biology—in innovative ways to unlock solutions that can positively impact billions of lives.
Singularity University (SU) is a global learning and innovation community using exponential technologies to tackle the world’s biggest challenges and build a better future for all. SU’s collaborative platform empowers individuals and organizations across the globe to learn, connect, and innovate breakthrough solutions using accelerating technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital biology. A certified benefit corporation headquartered at NASA Research Park in Silicon Valley, SU was founded in 2008 by renowned innovators Ray Kurzweil and Peter H. Diamandis with program funding from leading organizations including Google, Deloitte, and UNICEF.To learn more, visit SU.org, read the SU Blog, join us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @SingularityU, and download the SU App.MEDIA CONTACTS:SingularityU South Africa: Mic Mann (mic@susasummit.org)Singularity University: Jessica Kersey (pr@su.org)