This past week, I had the opportunity to attend the Singularity Summit South Africa at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, representing my wife, Mishkah Roman-Cassiem, and her online publication, Mzansi Life & Style.

Now in its eighth edition in South Africa, the Summit has established itself as an important gathering for people interested in exponential technologies, innovation and the future of business. The 2026 event brought together more than 40 speakers from around the world, attracting business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, technology specialists and innovators who are exploring how emerging technologies will shape the way we live and work.

My initial reason for attending was to explore the exhibition area and discover exciting new technologies that might appeal to the everyday Mzansi Life & Style reader. I was particularly interested in seeing what new innovations were available and finding interesting stories that we could share with our audience.

However, what I discovered was something quite different from what I had expected.