GSDA 2026 at a glance

  • 500+participants
  • 5countries represented
  • 65volunteers
  • 4.14/5participant satisfaction

It all started with a conviction: Africa will only build its digital sovereignty by trusting its own talent.

The Grand Salon de la Data en Afrique (GSDA) is an open, unifying space where start-ups, companies, institutions, researchers, students and entrepreneurs meet to draw inspiration from African successes, share experience and connect. Its ambition: demystify data, build confidence and show everyone they have a place in this revolution.

Designed and led by Djibril Pierre Clavair Pamousso with the Africa Data Entry team, the GSDA aims to make Ouagadougou and West Africa a hub for strategic decisions on data and artificial intelligence.

2026 edition

15–16 July 2026 · Ouagadougou · Digital Business School and Azalaï Hotel

Under the patronage of the Ministry of Digital Transition, Posts and Electronic Communications (MTDPCE) and sponsored by the Commission de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CIL), the first edition gathered over 500 participants from Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo, Côte d'Ivoire and Benin, with national and regional media coverage.

  1. 15 July · Digital Business School

    Masterclass

    AI and jobs, adoption barriers, opportunities for African start-ups and mechanisms for funding data innovation.

  2. 16 July · Azalaï Hotel

    Round table

    Data sovereignty: legal framework, infrastructure and local value creation, with Burkina Faso, Mali and Togo.

  3. 16 July · Azalaï Hotel

    Panel

    Data as a growth lever for SMEs.

  4. 16 July · Azalaï Hotel

    Panel

    Data careers & fintech: aligning training with business needs.

  5. 16 July · Azalaï Hotel

    Panel

    Cybercrime and cybersecurity: regional cooperation and personal data protection.

  6. 16 July · Evening

    Gala dinner

    Presentation of the Apollinaire Timpiga Compaoré Trophy, with the support of Telecel Faso.

Eight ambitions, one vision

The GSDA is not just a two-day event: it is a roadmap.

  1. 01

    Train

    Give everyone the keys to data.

  2. 02

    Regulate

    Make ethics and law a reflex.

  3. 03

    Innovate

    Celebrate African successes.

  4. 04

    Govern

    Lay the foundations of shared governance.

  5. 05

    Guide

    Chart a shared roadmap.

  6. 06

    Connect

    Bring talent and companies together.

  7. 07

    Spread

    Grow the momentum across the region.

  8. 08

    Shine

    Put African data on the world stage.

Ten strategic themes

The themes that structure the discussions.

  • AS1Digital sovereignty
  • AS2Regulation & legal framework
  • AS3Innovation & data start-ups
  • AS4Training, talent & employability
  • AS5Infrastructure & cloud
  • AS6Funding & investment
  • AS7Ethics & responsible AI
  • AS8Corporate digital transformation
  • AS9Data for public policy
  • AS10Connectivity & inclusion

In pictures

The first edition in photos.

They spoke

  • « GSDA has proven that Burkina Faso can be a regional hub for strategic decisions on data. »
    Djibril PamoussoGSDA founder
  • « Data sovereignty is not an option, it is a necessity for Africa. »
    Clément CombaryChairman of the CIO Club
  • « Sovereign data management requires technical, legal and economic skills. »
    Prof. Mamoudou SamassekouPresident of APDP, Mali
  • « Digital trust is built on clear agreements for data governance. »
    Awui Talla HervéIPDCP Togo

2026 edition partners

Under the patronage of the Ministry of Digital Transition, Posts and Electronic Communications (MTDPCE) · Sponsored by the Commission de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CIL) · Official sponsors: ARCEP and Telecel Faso · Partners: IPDCP (Togo), APDP (Mali), VITIB (Côte d'Ivoire), CIO Club, Maison de l'IA, Aïobi, EXCELIS-SA, Horizon Industrie, Liceli Technologies, Groupe SAHELYS, Amir Group, Global Policy House, 2iE, Université Ouaga 3S, CNRST, WASCAL, DBS, Faso Code X.

All partners on gsdasummit.org

Attend, exhibit, sponsor, speak?

Registration, calls for speakers, partnership kits and the 2026 white paper: everything is on the official GSDA website.

gsdasummit.org

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