The inaugural South African AI Awards have taken a major step towards becoming a national institution with the announcement of NTT DATA South Africa as main sponsor.
The global technology services company has joined the Awards as Exclusive Platinum Partner, providing heavyweight industry backing for a platform dedicated to identifying and promoting South African AI success stories.
The Awards will culminate in a gala dinner in Johannesburg in November 2026. The theme of the awards, “Inclusive Socio-Economic Prosperity”, places practical results at the centre of the programme, including wider access to healthcare and education, job creation and improved public services.
The 25 award categories cover work across large companies, start-ups, academia, the public sector and community organisations. They range from enterprise AI integration and AI research to township innovation, African-language technology and the use of AI in healthcare, education and public services.
“South Africa has no shortage of AI innovation, and we believe there is value in creating a credible national platform that identifies, recognises and shares the AI initiatives delivering meaningful impact,” said Amantha Naidoo, Executive Managing Director at NTT DATA South Africa.
“The opportunity is therefore much greater than attaching our brand to an awards programme. As the Exclusive Platinum Partner, we want to help shine a spotlight on the organisations, teams and use cases advancing AI in South Africa, while encouraging greater participation from large enterprises alongside entrepreneurs, start-ups and emerging innovators.”
South African AI Awards chairperson Atenkosi Ngubevana said the Awards could bring together AI work taking place across numerous sectors, much of which received little recognition outside its immediate field.
“The South African AI Awards give us a national platform through which that work can be identified, shared and understood,” said Ngubevana.
“The significance of the Awards extends beyond recognising individual achievements. They can connect parts of the AI community that seldom come together, give South African innovators greater visibility and build a clearer picture of where the country is making progress.”
Naidoo remarked that the Awards could eventually provide useful evidence about the development of AI across the country.
“As the Awards mature, we believe there is an opportunity to build greater benchmarking and insight around South Africa’s AI landscape, understanding where adoption is taking place, which industries are leading, where measurable value is being created and where gaps remain.
“If we can combine recognition with evidence, insight and knowledge-sharing, the Awards can play a meaningful role in strengthening South Africa’s AI ecosystem and accelerating responsible and secure AI adoption across the economy.”
