A one-night-only affair to showcase the present and future of AI from students, companies, and research labs…
South African students can apply for travel grants in the application form.
Demonstrate your willingness to engage with others: Conferences are a great opportunity to network and learn from others in your field.
We welcome students, academics, and industry professionals to attend the Deep Learning Indaba𝕏 South Africa - one of South Africa’s premier Machine Learning gatherings and community-building spaces 🤝.
“Indaba” is a Zulu and Xhosa word meaning “discussion” or “conference”
The aim of the conference is to provide a practical introduction to machine learning for beginners, to exchange scientific knowledge amongst researchers, and showcase cutting-edge applications from industry partners.
As much as we want everyone to join us, there is limited space available so we can only allow ~400 attendees in order to maximise their experience 🏫.
Note: we will have videographers and photographers at the event 📷, smiles encouraged 😃.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2026-04-15 | 1st wave of paid registrations (e.g. for academics) open |
| 2026-05-08 | Abstract submissions open |
| 2026-05-06 | Applications for free attendance (e.g. for students) open |
| 2026-05-22 | Applications for free attendance close |
| 2026-05-22 | Abstract submissions close |
| 2026-06-10 | Notification of application acceptance |
| 2026-06-11 | Notification of abstract acceptance |
| 2026-06-12 | Early bird registration closes (prices increase) |
| 2026-06-12 | RSVP to confirm attendance after acceptance |
| 2026-06-26 | Final wave of paid registrations close |
Travel grants must be applied for during the application process. See Travel grants for more info.
If you are interested in supporting us, please fill out the sponsorship form or email us directly for more information. Employees of companies who sponsor the event can attend free of charge, according to the sponsorship agreement. Sponsorship Information Email: fundraising@indabax.co.za. Sponsorship prospectus: link
We have some slots available for submitted talks 🎤 and posters 🖼️ .
We are currently only considering in-person presentations #
More information can be found on the abstract details page
We want to facilitate the learning of others and give them opportunities.
Our goals are for attendees to:
Deadline: Sat 30 May 2026 at 23:00:00 (+0200)
Acceptance: 2026-06-12T23:00:00.000+02:00
Deadline: Sat 30 May 2026 at 23:00:00 (+0200)
Acceptance: 2026-06-12T23:00:00.000+02:00
Deadline: Fri 22 May 2026 at 23:00:00 (+0200)
Acceptance: 2026-06-10T23:00:00.000+02:00
Deadline: Fri 22 May 2026 at 23:00:00 (+0200)
Acceptance: 2026-05-30T23:00:00.000+02:00
Learn the latest techniques and tools for deep learning, and get hands-on experience with them.
Experience tutorials and workshops, which set the stage for the conference and provide practical skills that you can apply to your own work or research.
Network with researchers from across the country and continent, and learn about the latest research in deep learning.
Catch up with friends to discuss their latest results and meet future collaborators for discovering what’s next.
Interact with cutting-edge applications from industry and community researchers making an impact.
See a showcase of the latest research and applications in deep learning, and learn how to implement it to your work.
This is highly dependent on the nature of group’s research and the individuals within.
We highly encourage everyone to (apply to) attend, but there are of course limitations in terms of space and costs. We cannot guarantee everyone from a group will be able to attend, and we will be prioritising diversity of attendees from multiple institutes and groups, where possible. However, we encourage those that do attend to showcase a summary of what they learnt to their groups; our community extends beyond the confines of who can attend a single event!
If you would like to guarantee multiple spots and support a good cause (we’re a non-profit by the way!), consider supporting us as the packages come with awesome perks!
Here are some tips to strengthen your next application
See more tips here.
It depends on contract. If you’re a lecturer, you should apply as an academic. If you’re mainly a postdoc researcher but struggling with funds, apply as a student (there’s no harm in trying). If you’re a postdoc researcher and have a strong stable income, you should apply as an academic.
Yes! Give yourself every opportunity to succeed by applying in the first place.
The IndabaX is an opportunity to grow, explore, and learn new things while meeting amazing people along the way. Diverse backgrounds complement the experience and benefit the group dynamics; each participant will have their own journey to share.
Yes! The IndabaX is open to anyone from anywhere in the world.
We are committed to making the IndabaX accessible to everyone, and we will do our best to accommodate your needs. However, please note that we are unable to provide travel or accommodation assistance. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.