My Journey to the Deep Learning Indaba 2025 in the “City of Hills”.

Walking into the Deep Learning Indaba 2025 in Kigali felt like stepping into a space where the future of AI in Africa was being imagined in real time.

My journey didn’t start perfectly: a bout of motion sickness, a sprinkle of social anxiety, and a heavy mix of excitement and anticipation. But the moment I arrived, the warm welcome from Samir, a conference volunteer, immediately settled my nerves. As we drove toward the University of Rwanda, Kigali revealed itself through breathtaking views, rolling hills, and a level of cleanliness that quietly impressed me. It already felt like I was somewhere intentional.

Finding My Voice.

On the first day, standing right by the registration tent, I met Amos (pronounced /A’mus/, not /A’mos/) from Kenya, an agritech entrepreneur, and Amon from Burkina Faso, an AI consultant transitioning into quantum technologies. Within minutes, we were already discussing data access across African regions. Then a fellow participant from Tunisia joined us and explained that researchers there often just email government institutions to request datasets, and actually receive them. This made us stunned.

That moment stayed with me. AI progress in Africa isn’t just about talent, it is also about access.

The Big Bank of Research Solutions

Entering the KIVU Hall, where research posters were displayed, felt like walking into a bank, not of money, but of solutions. Every corner revealed research tackling African problems with AI-driven solutions.

It was a reminder that innovation is not absent here; it is alive, contextual, and deeply relevant. Indaba didn’t just showcase research; it gave young African researchers a stage and showed me the endless research possibilities available even from a small place.

Mentorship: Tapping into “Crude Oil”

Indaba breakfast mentorship sessions are literally a goldmine. They felt like an open stream of crude oil; valuable, powerful, and available to those willing to draw from it.

Thanks to a nudge from my friend Faith, a software engineer from Cameroon, I pushed myself to engage.

My first mentorship session was with Dr. Muller, a researcher and technical lead for quantum applications at IBM. Listening to her journey expanded how I think about the future of AI beyond just machine learning and how it extends to pharmaceutical sciences and bioinformatics. In another session, I met a clinical researcher from The Gambia working at the intersection of health and data. Each conversation stretched my thinking about what is possible for African researchers.

I also had the privilege of connecting with Dion (a data scientist from Kenya), Dr. Nico Swadogo(an assistant professor who also gave me the French name, Benedicte), Dr. Lexy Andati(who won the Kambule Doctoral Award), Jeremiah (CEO of eTihuku); each providing a different lens on the African tech landscape. I got to meet my math and machine learning teacher in person! Luis Serrano breaks down relevant mathematical concepts and makes them easier to understand through his numerous YouTube videos and clearly taught courses on Coursera.

Also, I met a fellow “Man of Honour,” Mr. Ajala. We discussed his research on AI for Drug Discovery and the vital importance of staying focused on self-development, even when balancing the heavy commitments of being practicing pharmacists.

Few Truths Indaba 2025 Left Me With.

“Do it afraid.” These words from Prof. Vukosi, co-founder of Deep Learning Indaba, echoed throughout the conference. Growth rarely feels comfortable.

Domain knowledge matters. Amon showed me his patented IoT device that measures cardiovascular markers and alerts users to abnormalities. His success wasn’t just AI skill, it was applying AI to a real problem.

Research is a relay race. My solutions may be small, but they create the floor for the next researcher to build upon. The next technological revolution won’t just happen; it will be built, layer by layer, in Africa.

The Road Ahead

As a pharmacist and data scientist passionate about healthcare in Africa, Indaba did more than teach me technical ideas. It made me more certain that AI in Africa must be health-focused, context-driven, and collaborative.

I left Kigali inspired with a new feeling of responsibility: to build, to research, and to contribute to solutions that make sense for us. Indaba wasn’t just a conference. For me, it was a mirror and a map.