Day oneStrategy & Governance
Foundation & vision
- Official opening ceremony and keynotes
- Cyber sovereignty & AI governance panel
- Fireside chat with Seyoum Damtew, CBE
- Building secure digital nations
- Hackathon & CTF kick-off
2–3 July 2026AASTU Industrial Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub
Defending East Africa's Digital Sovereignty.
Advancing Cyber Resilience and AI Governance Across East Africa
Two days in Addis Ababa where CISOs, policymakers, and builders set the agenda for AI-era defense, digital trust, and cyber sovereignty across East Africa.
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- Summit days
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- Confirmed speakers
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- Partner organisations
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- Hackathon & CTF tracks
Convened with
About the summit
Built for East Africa's security leaders.
Policy, operations and innovation in one programme: executive briefings, technical deep dives, and hands-on workshops shaped for the region's threat landscape.
Regional focus
Frameworks, threats, and partnerships grounded in East African markets, examined by the people who live the threat landscape, not people writing about it from elsewhere.
Strategy to SOC
Board-level governance sits alongside practitioner tracks and live workshops, so the same two days serve the policymaker and the analyst on shift.
Growth enabler
Security treated as infrastructure for fintech, trade, digital ID and public services — plus a hackathon and CTF that hires.
Programme
Two days. One regional agenda.
Day one focuses on Foundations & Policy, while day two highlights Implementation & Innovation.
Day twoTech & Capacity
Implementation & innovation
- AI-powered threat detection in practice
- Zero Trust and cloud security
- Digital trust, fraud & mobile money security
- Building East Africa's cyber talent pipeline
- Hackathon & CTF demo day and closing awards
Speakers
The people defending East Africa's networks.
CISOs, regulators, founders and researchers from Ethiopia and the diaspora — chosen for what they can act on, not for their billing.
DiasporaDr. Tsige Tessema
Professor, Cybersecurity Expert & Founder
Bay Atlantic University | Raeye Children Aid (RCA)
InternationalDr. Alex V. Mbaziira
Associate Professor & CEO
Marymount University | RTS
DiasporaRebeka Asfaw
Co-Founder & Executive Director | Business Development Manager
KG Cyber | GetAS International
EthiopiaDr. Dereje Engida
President
Addis Ababa Science and Technology University
EthiopiaDr. Yelkal Mulualem Walle
Associate Professor of Digital Transformation and Cyber Security | Vice Dean, College of Informatics
University of Gondar
EthiopiaDr. Tilahun Ejigu
Cybersecurity Audit & Evaluation Director
Information Network Security Administration (INSA)
EthiopiaBerhanu Zergaw
Founder
Zergaw Cloud
DiasporaAbebe Feleke
Cybersecurity Governance | AI Governance | Professor | News Analyst
Bay Atlantic University | Deutsche Welle
Sponsorship
Reach the room where East Africa's security stack gets decided.
Four tiers, each with stage time, an expo presence and curated introductions to the public-sector and enterprise buyers you came for.
Platinum
2,000,000+ ETB
Premium branding, opening keynote association, and top-tier expo placement.
- Opening keynote association
- Top-tier expo placement
- Plenary speaking slot
- Curated introductions to public-sector and enterprise buyers
Gold
1,000,000–2,000,000 ETB
High visibility, keynote or major track ownership, multiple speaking slots, and demo theatre priority.
- Track ownership or keynote slot
- Multiple speaking slots
- Demo theatre priority
- Premium expo booth
Silver
500,000–1,000,000 ETB
Track session speaking, strong expo placement, and hosted meetings.
- Track session speaking slot
- Strong expo placement
- Hosted meeting slots
- Logo on the programme
Supporting Partner
250,000–500,000 ETB
Expo booth plus a targeted product briefing slot.
- Expo booth
- Product briefing slot
- Logo on the partner wall
Take part
Three ways in.
Attend
Free
Every plenary and track session, the expo floor, both networking receptions, and hackathon & CTF demo day access.
Register nowSponsor
From 250,000 ETB
Stage time, an expo presence, curated buyer introductions and lead reporting after the event.
See packagesExhibit or speak
By application
Take a booth on the concourse, propose a session, or bring a team to the hackathon and CTF.
Apply
Hackathon & CTF
Two days, five tracks, one demo day on the main stage.
AI security, fraud prevention, cloud & identity, critical infrastructure and SME toolkits — every submission judged on East Africa relevance and real-world deployability.
AI Security
Resilience against adversarial AI, deepfakes and prompt injection.
Fraud & Trust
SIM-swap, BEC and phishing defenses that build digital confidence.
Cloud & Identity
Zero Trust frameworks and IAM/PAM for East African enterprises.
News
From the summit team.
- Press release
EACA Summit partners with AASTU
The East Africa Cyber & AI Summit has signed an MOU with Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, confirming the 2026 host venue.
Read → - Announcement
2026 theme announced
This year's programme focuses on sovereign infrastructure, regional capacity, and practical defense.
Read → - Press release
African Union Commission joins as a collaborator
Dedicated sessions on continental cyber frameworks and cross-border cooperation anchor the policy track.
Read →
Venue
AASTU Industrial Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub
Addis Ababa Science and Technology University Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Open in Google Maps →- Plenary capacity
- Main hall seating
- Breakout rooms
- 2 rooms
- Hackathon & CTF
- 5 tracks
- Expo floor
- Open both days
FAQ
Questions we get asked.
Is the summit free to attend?
Delegate registration is free. Expo booths and sponsorship are paid, and the hackathon and CTF have a separate free application with limited team slots.
What does a delegate pass include?
All plenaries and track sessions, the expo floor, both networking receptions, and access to the hackathon and CTF demo day. Workshops are included but capacity-limited, so book them when you register.
Can I attend online?
Plenary sessions are streamed live and recorded. Track sessions are in-person only and are not streamed.
How do I propose a session?
Submit a proposal through the speakers page. We prioritise practitioners describing a real deployment, incident, or shipped defense over general commentary.
Do you help with visas?
Yes. After registration you can request an invitation letter for a visa application. We cannot influence the outcome, so apply early.
How does the hackathon and CTF work?
Teams of 3 to 5 build against one of five tracks over two days, with mentor office hours throughout. Judging happens on the main stage on day two, with prizes across six categories including People's Choice.
Still stuck? Contact the team.
Registration is open