Ummah Tech 2026

This year's theme is Growing Madinah. The Prophetic Madinah was more than a city. It was a working model for a thriving society, with institutions for economic growth, justice and leadership built on a foundation of faith. This year we're asking how we grow Madinah in South Africa today, through faith, technology and collective action.

The programme is built around five themes:

The Madinah Operating System. What infrastructure do our communities need for education, governance, welfare and arbitration? And which emerging technologies, from AI and Web3 to biotech and quantum, should we be shaping instead of just consuming?

AI and our role in it. How to build AI around justice, mercy and stewardship. What AI is doing to jobs, education, governance and the environment. How it can serve business, zakat and social good. And how we raise the next generation in an AI-driven world.

Building for South Africa. Technology that tackles inequality, unemployment and education gaps: tech rooted in justice, not just profit, and local solutions that can scale globally.

From consumers to creators. Entrepreneurship and creativity: the mentorship, capital and collaboration Muslim founders need, and why Muslim representation in tech and media matters.

Digital media for justice. Countering online censorship, building independent platforms, and helping activists, journalists and technologists get the truth heard.

Talks are short and focused, around 15 minutes each. Q&A is grouped by theme, so you can dig into the conversations that matter to you. Every year, our speakers bring frameworks, tools and real stories you can use.

Technology is shaping how we learn, trade, govern and believe, and much of what we use every day carries someone else's values. We've all been asking the same questions. How do we use technology on our own terms? What do we need to build? And what are we building it for?

We have the talent, the ideas and the intention. What's often missing is the space for them to come together and turn into real solutions. That's what this day is for.

Founders, engineers, product leaders, AI and data people, designers, digital media professionals, creatives, researchers, students, investors and community leaders.

Last year, one piece of feedback kept coming up: you wanted more time with each other. More room to talk, to question, and to go deeper than a coffee break allows.

So we built it. The Tech Halaqah is a set of small, facilitated discussion circles running during the morning session. Each circle takes one topic to explore at the intersection of technology, faith, purpose and responsibility.

Choose the circle that speaks to you and join the conversation.

Plus:

• Time to meet the people you were hoping to find: co-founders, collaborators, future hires and investors
• A separate Practical AI for Non-Profits stream, run in partnership with our lead partner, Ashraful Aid, find more information below.
• Light breakfast, lunch, sweet treats, refreshment breaks and a barista on site