Cape Town to host Ummah Tech Conference 2025

Participants attending this conference will benefit from industry experts and their insights which will help lay people make sense of the ever-evolving technological landscape.

By HASANAIN ABDULLAH

Following the successful hosting of the inaugural conference in Johannesburg last year, the much-anticipated second edition will be hosted in the scenic setting of Kirstenbosch Conference Centre in Cape Town on Saturday, November 8, 2025.

The conference theme, ‘Building Madinah – Uniting Faith and Technology for Community Impact, is inspired by Prophetic Madinah which was more than a city – it was a blueprint for a just, purpose-driven community.

Ummah Tech 2025 brings together thinkers, founders, and builders exploring how faith can guide innovation to serve humanity.

The inaugural conference hosted in Johannesburg attracted participants from across South Africa, including Port Elizabeth, Durban and Cape Town.

Regional chapters were set up after the 2024 conference to facilitate quarterly meetups for tech professionals to connect, network and share projects that they have on their dashboard.

Citing the need for an Ummah Tech, the organisers point out that traditional mainstream tech industry events are not sensitive to Muslims’ needs, whether it be dietary or post-event drinks when connecting with key players. These take place in a setting that did not accommodate Muslims.

The Muslim world has experienced wars of conquest that have usurped lands, resources, and the sharing has been curtailed. We have seen journalists that have been killed in Palestine; their only crime was to report the facts around the unfolding genocide in Gaza. We have seen media censorship – those who report and highlight atrocities against Muslims have been on the receiving end of imprisonment. A case in point is WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, who was muted for exposing the actions of the West during the invasion of Iraq.

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In another instance of the stifling of voices critical of those who support genocide, Moulana Irshaad Sedick’s Isnad Academy YouTube channel was shut down by the platform due to reporting on and documenting news about a Hamas leader.

These actions illustrate the double standards at play; where the Nato-led war which aims to encroach on the Russia’s territory is given a priority, the wars on Yemen and Palestine are either missing from mainstream narratives or reported on only from the perpetrators’ perspective.

An Ummah Tech organiser pointed out: ‘It is in this spirit that we wish to highlight the inequalities faced, double standards practiced and bullying tactics that are employed by the West.

‘There has never been a greater need for the ummah to be united. We have had the genocide in Gaza and wars across the Muslim world been unveiled before our eyes. There is a need to come up with solutions to address the challenges faced by the ummah and the need for us to take control and sovereignty of the full stack. We have the talent and have access to the necessary resources to unify our efforts.’

Participants attending this conference will benefit from industry experts and their insights which will help lay people make sense of the ever-evolving technological landscape, which is constantly in a state of flux.

These are some of the featured speakers:

Ayesha Bayat, a co-founder of DigiYouth Africa, focuses on tackling youth unemployment through tech, AI, and skills training.
Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat stimulates thought-provoking discussions through his role as a Radio Islam host, as well as from the pulpit during his Friday sermons.
Huzaifa Khan is on a mission to drive social impact through community-centred innovation in education and technology. He is focussed on equipping communities with skills in order to thrive in a competitive world.

Some of the themes include: