AfricaPress-Tanzania: IN response to the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19), a local firm, Sahara Ventures, has postponed the 2020 Sahara Sparks season and its events until further notice.
Sahara Ventures Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jumanne Mtambalike said yesterday that this year’s event with the theme “Future Reimagined” focuses on rethinking Africa’s future by imagining Africa in 2030 would be held at the end of July.
“Sahara Ventures and partners through its events wing, Sahara Sparks Events Limited, organises events on innovation and technology entrepreneurship with stakeholders in Africa.
The events explore possibilities of using innovation, technology and entrepreneurship as tools to foster Africa’s socioeconomic development,” he said.
However, he added, in response to and abiding by precautionary measures announced by President John Magufuli and the World Health Organisation (WHO) of prohibiting small and large public gatherings, the #FutureReimagined campaign would continue and the company was exploring possibilities of conducting virtual events.
“We will confirm this in the next 14 days. Alongside this, some of the events to the main SS20 as it has been our tradition will continue. This includes the Silicon Dar Startup School event expected to take place on April 1-3 to be hosted at the Data Lab University of Dar es Salaam College of ICT,” he said.
Sahara Sparks is a regional event with average attendees of more than 1,000 people every year from different countries and nationalities.
It focuses on demographic trends for economic transformation in Africa, capitalising on the digital economy and the fourth industrial revolution, nurturing regional integration and cross-border collaboration.
It also focuses on combating climate change and embracing circular economy, fostering innovation for development to realise SDGs and deepening good governance and cross-generation leadership dialogues.
According to Mtambalike, other events towards the main event that were planned to happen between April and August will either be cancelled, postponed or conducted virtually.
