The voices of the conference

Abed Matini is a Senior Backend Developer with a strong background in information technology engineering. He specializes in building scalable backend systems and integrating artificial intelligence to create smarter, user-focused applications. His expertise includes generative AI, prompt engineering, and developing AI-powered applications. Abed is passionate about exploring the convergence of backend development and AI technologies to drive innovation in intelligent software solutions.

Adeline Makokha is an accomplished Software Quality Engineer at Safaricom PLC with a strong track record in the telecommunications industry. She is committed to ensuring the quality and readiness of products for production, implementing software testing automation frameworks, and conducting performance tests.

Adeline holds a BSc. in Telecommunication from Machakos University, Kenya, where she developed a deep passion for computer networking and cloud computing.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Adeline is an active member of the tech community, co-organizing the AWS User Group Kenya and participating as a member of AWS Community Builders. She has also showcased her innovation and entrepreneurship by participating in fintech hackathons and presenting creative ideas.

Outside of her professional and tech-related pursuits, Adeline enjoys traveling, camping, and hiking, showcasing her adventurous spirit.

CTO, developer, lecturer, Microsoft Internet of Things MVP, Microsoft Dev Technologies MVP, Microsoft Azure MVP

Allan Pead is a CTO, architect and software developer with more than 20 years commercial experience. The love for programming started with writing that first BASIC program on a ZX Spectrum as a child.

What excites him is any project that involves mobile and / or IoT devices. He is very happy to be in a position where his passion and hobby is also his day job.

Allan is also a Xamarin MVP, Microsoft Internet of Things MVP, and Microsoft Development Technologies MVP based in Cape Town South Africa. He is also sometimes a university lecturer inbetween his day job, lecturing on .NET and .NET mobile and also organizes local community user groups and events.

James McGillivray, Data Management and Analytics MCSE, has been working in Business Intelligence for over a decade. He spends his working hours building solutions that allow people to make informed decisions. quickly and accurately. He is a Director at South African Data Consultancy, Cobalt Analytics.

Before his career in data, James was an avid musical theatre student and musician. This love for performance has developed into a passion for developing and delivering presentations that are informative and enjoyable. James speaks frequently at Data Community Events, and has presented at some of the most well-known Data Events around the globe, including PASS Summit, SQL Bits and the Power BI World Tour.

Although living on a tropical island, Jochen Kirstätter is a business owner and entrepreneur in different industry sectors. Mainly operating in the development of tailor-made software solutions since more than 20 years, he is also venturing into the world of cloud computing. You can either meet him at the regular meetups of the Mauritius Software Craftsmanship Community or reach him on X and Mastodon: @JKirstaetter.

Jochen is a Google Developer Expert (GDE) for Google Cloud and a Microsoft Most Valuable Programmer (MVP) for Developer Technologies for several years. He founded the now largest IT community in Mauritius, and organises the annual Developers Conference. Following his interest in cross-platform technologies he is also an organiser of the Google Developer Group (GDG) Mauritius.

Kimberley Bezuidenhout is a software engineering student focused on AI systems architecture, infrastructure efficiency, and governance in emerging markets. With a background in law and a growing specialization in intelligent systems design, she explores how energy constraints, data sovereignty, and local context should shape the way AI agents are built and deployed in Africa.

Her work centers on practical, sustainable AI design, building systems that are not only capable, but responsible and aligned with real-world infrastructure and societal constraints.

I am a principal software engineer at Microsoft, working on .NET MAUI and SkiaSharp. My day job is where I build libraries and tools for cloud, web and mobile. I have been coding since I can first remember, and I don't think I will ever stop loving it.

Mehran is a Software Architect and Consultant with over 20 years of industry experience. He specializes in scaling software teams and is currently focused on developing high-quality LLM-based solutions for companies. Mehran is also a TEDx speaker, having presented on the fascinating topic of “Mirror Neurons of Our Brain”.

Neil is a full-stack software developer who enjoys working with dynamic teams on complex, high-impact projects. He has hands-on experience with a broad range of technologies and frameworks and has built and deployed multiple projects from the ground up, thriving in fast-paced environments.

Neil is also passionate about continuous learning and knowledge sharing. He actively contributes to the .NET community in Cape Town, staying engaged with current industry trends and best practices. Through his work, he combines technical expertise, adaptability, and a collaborative mindset to help deliver practical and reliable software solutions.

Niels is a forward-thinking Software/AI Architect at Derivco, spearheading the development of innovative, AI-driven products that push the boundaries of iGaming technology. A pivotal figure in Derivco's AI initiatives, he played a key role in architecting and designing the company's first AI-driven promotion system, Arena+, setting new standards for performance and user engagement in the industry.

As a Microsoft AI MVP, Niels combines technical expertise with visionary leadership to explore the potential of AI in creating groundbreaking solutions. With a track record of designing and scaling high-performance iGaming systems, Niels is passionate about leveraging technology to redefine the gaming experience.

Niels is a sought-after presenter at technology conferences and has presented at, amongst others: Tech-ED, SQL PASS, DevWeek, SQL Bits, SQL Saturday, etc.

My mission is to leverage my expertise in AI and ML to build cutting-edge solutions that solve real-world problems and create value for my clients. I am proficient in C#, Python, Unity, Azure, OpenAI, and other tools and frameworks that enable me to design and implement innovative and scalable solutions. I am also a certified programmer, developer, and AI specialist, as well as a speaker, trainer, and visiting faculty in the field of AI and ML.

Domains: Business Application, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Image Processing, Finance, B2B, Operation Research, VoIP, Security Application Forensics, SSL VPN, e-commerce, Social, Content management, Cloud, Big Data, NoSQL, Medical - Health, Financial products including enterprise Framework as well as Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality and many more.

Specialties: Azure, C#, Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML), Data Science, Python, Unity3D, C++/C, Mixed Reality, Virtual Reality (VR) Augmented Reality (AR), ASP.NET, .NET, OOP, ORM (Entity Framework), Architecture Pattern, OOAD, Design Pattern, UML, SOA, Web API, LINQ, TFS, GitHub, Visual Studio, SQL Server, Oracle, NoSQL (MongoDB, Cosmos DB), HoloLens, OpenAI, Azure ML, Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Services etc.

Education & Certifications: Masters in computer science (MCS) along with many academic and commercial certificates. For further details, please see LinkedIn section for Azure, Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Machine Learning (ML), Data Science, etc.

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Every AI Community Day opens its own call for speakers. See which calls are open and how speaking at AICD works.

My talks and proposals

Siphamandla Ngwenya is a full-stack software engineer with over 13 years of experience building and delivering complex, scalable software solutions across multiple industries. Proficient in C#, Python, Angular, and modern cloud architectures, he has led software teams from concept through delivery with a strong focus on performance, quality, and maintainability. Certified in Azure and Agile methodologies, he brings hands-on production experience with .NET MAUI and a passion for helping developers ship faster, more polished cross-platform apps.

Someleze Diko is a Cloud Advocate at Microsoft, where he helps developers and data professionals to leverage the power of the cloud and AI for their projects. He is part of the Data Advocacy team, which focuses on empowering data communities with the latest tools and technologies for data analysis, visualization, and machine learning. He is also an active speaker, blogger, and mentor, who shares his knowledge and experience with various audiences across Africa and beyond.