Call for Speakers
Data & AI Community Day Durban: AI Unplugged II - The Maskandi Sessions
25 Jul 2026
Richfield College, Umhlanga Campus, Centenary Boulevard, Park Square, 5-9 Park Avenue, Umhlanga Durban, South Africa
Data enthusiasts, AI innovators, and tech explorers, let's pick up where we left off. The hype is still out there. So are we. 🎸 Data & AI Community Day Durban: AI Unplugged II — The Maskandi Sessions is back on 25 July 2026, and we're bringing another full day of raw, authentic, community-powered learning to Durban.
Last time, AI Unplugged was our answer to a world drowning in AI buzzwords and hype cycles: honest conversations, practical demos, and real-world insights, no corporate polish required. Think MTV Unplugged, but for tech. It worked. So we're back for round two, and this time, we're tuning it to a Durban frequency.
So what's with "The Maskandi Sessions"?
If you're from KwaZulu-Natal, you already know. For everyone else, here's the short version: Maskandi is our homegrown sound: Zulu acoustic guitar music born right here in KZN, where one player, one guitar, and a true story is the whole show. No backing tracks. No studio gloss. No autotune. Just skill, soul, and something real to say.
Which, when you think about it, is exactly what we want from a great tech talk.
AI Unplugged stripped tech back to what actually matters. AI Unplugged II keeps that same no-hype spirit but plays it local: real knowledge, told straight, with a Durban accent. (And yes, if you also read the "II" as a cheeky SQL "sequel" joke, you're precisely our kind of people.)
Our events have grown into one of the largest community-run tech gatherings in South Africa, built on one simple principle: for the community, by the community.
Now it's your turn to take the stage.
Although AI is in the name, we very much expect topics across the broader data and development ecosystem. This event will feature a mix of 50-minute deep dives and 20-minute lightning sessions, delivered by a diverse line-up of experts, architects, and Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) who are all at the forefront of their fields.
Whether you're curious about building AI agents, want to level up your data engineering game, or want honest takes on what actually works in the real world (and what doesn't), this event has something for everyone.
NOTE-1: Our "long" sessions are 50 minutes. This is to make scheduling easier.
NOTE-2: This is an in-person event. We do not have the facilities to live stream.
The Azure, AI/ML & Data Community Durban group is a user group for the community, by the community. It is a learning experience where we share, learn, and encourage the community to leverage Azure, AI/ML, and Data to solve problems. Our mission as a group is to empower and create heroes of society through Azure, AI/ML, and Data. We Do Positive Things through Innovation and Passion.
Call for Speakers
08 Jun 2026
03 Jul 2026
If you're passionate about AI, Data, or anything tech-related, this is your chance to unplug from the hype and share real knowledge with our Durban community. We're calling on developers, architects, data engineers, AI practitioners, and innovators to step onto the stage and deliver insights that inspire.
New to "maskandi"? It's KwaZulu-Natal's own acoustic guitar tradition: one person, one instrument, one true story, no studio tricks. That's exactly the energy we're after on stage: real talent, played live, with something worth saying. (More on the theme in the event description.)
🔥 Why Should You Speak?
- Share your expertise with over 200 passionate attendees from across the AI, data, and developer communities.
- Expand your network by connecting with fellow industry leaders and innovators.
- Contribute to the growth of the local Data and AI/ML community.
- Elevate your personal brand and thought leadership.
Speaking at AI Unplugged II is your maskandi moment, the acoustic set that shows off your real talent.
🎯 What We're Looking For:
The theme is AI Unplugged II: honest, practical, no-hype tech talks, tuned to a Durban frequency. We want sessions that show what actually works in the real world, share lessons learned (failures included!), and give our audience skills they can use on Monday morning. We want sessions that are honest, practical, and accessible. Think "here's what actually works" over "here's a 47-slide deck about a product roadmap."
So what are interesting topics? Since it's we, the Azure, AI/ML & Data Community Durban, organising the event, almost anything goes:
- Building AI agents and agentic workflows (the practical way).
- Model Context Protocol (MCP): connecting AI to the real world
- Getting real with generative AI and RAG: what works, what doesn't, and what's overhyped
- Small language models and running AI locally
- Responsible AI, bias, fairness: the stuff that actually matters
- AI for Africa: unique use cases, challenges, and opportunities on our continent
- Database Development: performance, architecture, and modern database tech (because SQL is not dead, and we'll fight anyone who says otherwise)
- Microsoft Fabric: data engineering, analytics, and business intelligence
- Streaming Data & Real-Time Analytics: Kafka, Event Hubs, and data in motion
- Power Platform & Power Apps: making AI accessible to business users
- Dev craft: .NET, DevOps, cybersecurity, and API design
- Real-world AI & Data Use Cases: because theory is great, but practice is better
If you have a passion for any of these areas (or anything else related to AI/ML and Data) and want to share your knowledge, we want to hear from you!
💡 Got a topic that doesn't fit neatly into these categories? Submit it anyway! Some of our best sessions have come from unexpected places.
🌟 First-Time Speakers: Yes, That Means YOU
Some of the most memorable talks at our events have come from first-time speakers. If you've been thinking about getting on stage but haven't found the right opportunity, this is it. Every Maskandi great started with a single song. The same goes for speakers.
We provide:
- A supportive, encouraging audience (seriously, our community is amazing)
- The option to do a 20-minute lightning talk if a 50-minute session feels daunting
- A platform that has launched dozens of speaking careers
- You don't need to be an expert. You need to have something worth sharing.
🚀 Ready to Unplug? (Again?)
Hit that Submit Session button and join us on stage at Data & AI Community Day Durban: AI Unplugged II — The Maskandi Sessions.
Let's strip away the hype and get back to what really matters: learning, sharing, and building together.
See you in Durban!
For the community, by the community. 🇿🇦
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