Data Tamasha Africa 2026 Concludes in Zanzibar
The highly anticipated Data Tamasha Africa 2026 officially concluded at Hotel Verde Zanzibar, marking a major milestone in Africa’s digital transformation ecosystem. Co-hosted by the Tanzania Data Lab (dLab) and Pollicy Uganda, in close partnership with the Zanzibar Ministry of Communication, Information Technology, and Innovation, the three-day continental data festival brought together over 300 delegates, 100+ organizations, and digital experts representing 30 countries.
Born from the historic union of Data Tamasha and Data Fest Africa, this year’s convention operated under the unified Swahili banner, “Kujenga na Data / Building with Data” taking place from 19th-21st August 2026.
The event signaled an intentional paradigm shift across the continent moving definitively away from high level theoretical deliberations toward concrete, community-centered digital demonstrations.
The event was formally inaugurated by Hon. Mudrik Ramadhan Soraga, Zanzibar’s Minister for Communication, Information Technology, and Innovation. In his opening address, Minister Soraga emphasized that hosting Data Tamasha Africa 2026 serves as a foundational pillar in the government’s strategic push to position the Isles as a premier regional hub for digital innovation, cross-border data frameworks, and a sustainable digital economy.
Speaking on behalf of the organizers, Dr. Mahadia Tunga, Executive Director of dLab Tanzania, highlighted the critical role data plays in localized decision making. “Africa is no longer waiting to be handed a prepackaged digital future,” Dr. Mahadia stated. “Through collaborative efforts like Data Tamasha, we are designing practical governance structures and deploying indigenous artificial intelligence (AI) tools tailored directly to resolve our own regional development priorities”.
“We had great conversations, built new networks, so much has been achieved in three days” Neema Lyer, Pollicy’s Executive Director
Closing Data Tamasha Africa 2026, Tanzania Data Lab is now set for the upcoming Data Tamasha, one that will be exiting. Stay tuned!