 | ADSC2026: African Data Science Conference University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, South Africa, June 24-26, 2026 |
| Submission link | https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=adsc2026 |
| Abstract registration deadline | March 31, 2026 |
| Submission deadline | April 30, 2026 |
ADSC 2026 – African Data Science Conference
University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University), Johannesburg, South Africa, 24–26 June 2026
Theme: African Data Science for Africa
Call for Papers
ADSC 2026: African Data Science Conference is a flagship continental forum dedicated to advancing research, innovation, and practice in data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, statistics, and analytics, with a strong emphasis on African contexts, challenges, and opportunities.
Hosted by the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 24 to 26 June 2026, the conference brings together researchers, industry practitioners, policymakers, and postgraduate scholars from across Africa and beyond.
ADSC 2026 aims to:
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Foster high-quality scientific exchange
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Promote interdisciplinary collaboration
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Bridge the gap between theory, application, and policy
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Strengthen the African data science and AI ecosystem
Conference Themes
ADSC 2026 welcomes submissions aligned with the following themes (but not limited to):
- Foundations of Data Science, Applied Statistics, and Machine Learning.
- Artificial Intelligence for Data Science: Large Language Models, Interpretable ML, Responsible AI, Innovative Applications and Pipelines.
- Geospatial, Remote Sensing, and Environmental Data Science for Africa.
- Applied Data Science in Health, Finance, Climate, Energy, etc.
- Interdisciplinary Data Science and AI Paradigms (incl. AI Ethics, AI Safety, the Economics of AI & Quantum Data Science, Data Science in Policy and AI Governance for Sustainable Development).
- Capacity Building, Data Science Education, Curriculum Design, and Pedagogy.
- Open Data, Research Infrastructure, and Data Governance in Africa
- Business Data Analytics, Digital Business Strategy, and the 4IR.
Scope of Contributions
The conference welcomes theoretical, methodological, applied, and interdisciplinary contributions that address both global advances and Africa-specific challenges, spanning academia, industry, government, and policy.
Submission Categories
ADSC 2026 accepts submissions in the following categories:
Full Papers (Proceedings Track)
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Completed, high-quality research with clear theoretical, methodological, or applied contributions.
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Full papers will undergo a rigorous double-blind peer-review process.
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Accepted full papers will be presented orally at the conference.
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Accepted papers will be considered for inclusion in the official conference proceedings.
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Authors are encouraged to prepare their manuscripts using the IEEE Conference LaTeX template, which is widely used in artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, and engineering conferences. The template provides a clean and professional two-column format, familiar to many researchers and recognised internationally across technical disciplines. Its widespread adoption ensures consistency, readability, and compatibility with standard conference proceedings formats. The template is available on Overleaf at: https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates/ieee-conference-template/grfzhhncsfqn.
Extended Abstracts (Presentation Track)
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Abstract-only submissions for oral presentation.
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Suitable for emerging work, applied studies, industry contributions, and policy-focused research.
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Extended abstracts will be reviewed for relevance, clarity, and thematic alignment.
Posters
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Intended for early-stage research, Honours projects, early Master’s work, exploratory studies, and applied case studies.
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Posters provide an opportunity for interactive discussion and feedback.
Submission Guidelines
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Submissions must be made via EasyChair.
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Authors must follow the submission instructions provided on the EasyChair submission page.
Important Dates
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Abstract Registration Deadline: 31 March 2026
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Abstract Acceptance Notification: 15 April 2026
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Full Paper Submission Deadline: 30 April 2026
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Paper Acceptance Notification: 31 May 2026
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Early Registration Deadline: 31 May 2026
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Optional Workshops: 23 June 2026
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Conference Dates: 24–26 June 2026
Committees
Scientific Committee
- Professor Inger Fabris-Rotelli (University of Pretoria);
- Dr. Farai Mlambo (Wits University);
- Dr. Taariq Surtee (Wits University);
- Professor Innocent Maposa (Stellenbosch University);
- Dr. Isaac Nyambiya (Great Zimbabwe University);
- Dr. Sunday Oladejo (Stellenbosch University);
- Dr. Humphery Brydon (University of the Western Cape);
- Dr. Peter Olukanmi (University of Johannesburg);
- Dr. Nomalanga Mashinini (Wits University);
- Dr. Louise De Koker (Nelson Mandela University);
- Professor James Cochran (The University of Alabama);
- Dr. Moses Phiri (NIQ Company);
- Dr. Ndivhuwo Makondo (IBM Research, Africa)
Organising Committee
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Dr. Taariq Surtee (University of the Witwatersrand) - Chair of Organising Committee
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Dr. Farai Mlambo (University of the Witwatersrand)
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Ms. Eleni Flack-Davison (University of the Witwatersrand)
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Mr. Lazarus Matizirofa (University of the Witwatersrand)
Submission & Contact Information
Submissions must be made via EasyChair: https://easychair.org/cfp/ADSC2026
For all questions regarding submissions, please contact: