🎉 History is Being Made in KZN!

For years, .NET enthusiasts in Durban and KZN have had to travel to Cape Town or Johannesburg to experience the excitement of .NET Conf local events. Not anymore!

We’re thrilled to announce that Durban is finally getting its own .NET Conf celebration!

Join us on November 15, 2025, as the Azure, AI/ML & Data Community Durban, the organisers of the uber-successful Data & AI Community Day Durban events, brings .NET Conf to the coastal city for the very first time. In collaboration with our friends at the Microsoft Developer Usergroups in Cape Town and Johannesburg (CPTMSDUG and JHBMSDUG), we’re creating something special for the KZN developer community.

What is .NET Conf?

.NET Conf is the largest annual .NET event, hosted online by the .NET Foundation over three days (November 11-13, 2025). It’s where the global .NET community comes together to celebrate the latest innovations in the .NET ecosystem.

This year, expect major announcements around:

  • .NET 10: The latest evolution of the cross-platform framework.
  • C# 14: New language features and enhancements.
  • Performance improvements and cloud-native capabilities.
  • The future of ASP.NET Core, Blazor, MAUI, and more.

Following the virtual conference, we’re bringing the celebration to South African soil with local, in-person community editions in Durban (Nov 15), Cape Town (Nov 22), and Johannesburg (Nov 29)!

The .NET Conf Community Edition - South Africa

The .NET Conf Community Edition - South Africa is the biggest annual .NET Conference in South Africa. Following the annual .NET Conf Virtual Conference, we host uniquely South African community versions of the conference in-person and in a city near you!

📍 Three Cities, Three Epic Events


🌊 Durban - November 15, 2025

Richfield Campus Umhlanga | The FIRST EVER .NET Conf in Durban!

🏔️ Cape Town - November 22, 2025

Venue to be announced

🌆 Johannesburg - November 29, 2025

Venue to be announced

Why Attend the Durban Edition?

While the virtual event is fantastic, there’s nothing quite like experiencing .NET Conf with your local community. Our Durban event offers:

👥 Local Expert Speakers

Hear from South African .NET professionals, Microsoft MVPs, and architects sharing insights on .NET 10, C# 14, and real-world implementations

🤝 Networking Opportunities

Connect with fellow developers, architects, and tech enthusiasts from KZN and beyond. Build lasting professional relationships within the South African .NET community

🎓 Technical Sessions

In-depth presentations covering .NET 10’s groundbreaking innovations, including:

  • Performance improvements and benchmarks
  • New language features in C# 14
  • Cloud-native enhancements
  • Cross-platform development advances
  • ASP.NET Core, Blazor, and MAUI updates
  • and so much more …

💬 Panel Discussions

Our Data & AI Community Day Durban events are famous for their panel discussions. So expect engaging discussions with industry experts about .NET 10’s impact on development, the future of the .NET ecosystem, and career growth in South Africa

🎁 Completely FREE!

This community edition event is completely free to attend. Just bring your passion for .NET development and eagerness to learn!

🏆 Be Part of History

Be among the first to establish Durban’s .NET conference tradition and put KZN on the .NET Conf map!

What to Expect

Wait, I’m not a .NET developer… should I still come?

Absolutely! While we’re celebrating .NET 10, we know not everyone breathes C# (and that’s okay, we still like you 😄). Since this event is organized by the Azure, AI/ML & Data Community Durban, we’re mixing in other cool topics too. So if you think .NET is just a fishing tool or that C# is a musical note, don’t worry - we’ve got streaming data, real-time analytics, Python integrations, and cloud-native patterns that’ll make your inner polyglot developer very happy.

Think of it this way: come for the .NET, stay for the streaming, or come for the pizza and accidentally learn something awesome! 🍕🚀

Topics & Sessions

Whether you’re interested in the latest .NET 10 announcements or want to explore the broader developer ecosystem, we’ve got you covered.

As we finalize the agenda, you’ll find it here. As mentioned above, the event is a full-day event, and in addition to awesome presentations, it will allow you to network with your peers.

Session Formats

The event will feature a mix of session formats to keep things engaging:

  • 45/50-minute technical deep dives from local and international speakers
  • 15/20-minute lightning talks on specific features and techniques
  • Panel discussions with Q&A
  • Networking breaks with refreshments

Who Should Attend?

This event is for everyone passionate about .NET development:

  • 🎓 Students - Learn about modern software development
  • 👨‍💻 Professional Developers - Stay current with the latest .NET advances
  • 🏗️ Software Architects - Explore architectural patterns and best practices
  • 👔 Tech Leads - Understand how .NET 10 can benefit your teams
  • 🆕 Beginners - Start your .NET journey with expert guidance
  • 🔄 Career Changers - Discover opportunities in .NET development

No prior .NET experience required! Whether you’re a seasoned .NET developer or just curious about the platform, you’re welcome.

What Past Attendees Say

Here’s what people said about previous Azure, AI/ML & Data Community Durban events:

“Event was well planned and organised. Catering was on par and the speakers were amazing. Organizers were welcoming and very helpful.”

“Another awesome event 👏 Thanks to the organizers and all the sponsors for having such an amazing conference here in Durban for free. An absolute privilege to attend and listen to such talented individuals and companies do wonders using AI and IT.”

“What an incredible time at the Data and AI event in Durban! We had a blast sharing knowledge and connecting with 230 AI enthusiasts who are as passionate about the future of technology as we are! A massive shoutout to the organizers and sponsors for making this event possible.”

“This wasn’t just a local event but a world class AI and Data Conference for KZN. It reminded me as though I was at the Africa AI Expo last November in Sandton. This is how much this event has grown, and many new corners. Well done to all the amazing speakers and sponsors.”

Expect the same world-class experience for .NET Conf 2025!

Call for Speakers

The call for speakers (CfS) has now closed, and we are happy to announce that we have a stellar line-up of speakers for the event: thought leaders in their respective fields, Microsoft MVPs, Software Architects, etc. The line-up looks like so:

View Speakers

Even though the CfS has closed, we are still looking for speakers for upcoming events. If you are interested in speaking, please contact us. New speakers and/or local talent is always welcome!

Registration

The registration is now closed as the event is officially sold out! It may be that we get cancellations before the event, so if you’re interested in attending, please email us. If a spot opens up, we’ll notify you!

We are looking forward to seeing you all at the event!

Agenda

Seeing all the awesome speakers above, you are probably wondering what the agenda looks like. I am happy to say that we now have an agenda for the event! We believe it is pretty solid (there may be a change or two), and we hope you will like it. The agenda looks like so:

View Agenda

When looking at the agenda, please note the following:

  • Registration starts at 08:00, and the event starts at 08:45 sharp. There will be some interesting topics covered in the Welcome / Introduction session, so please try to be there on time.
  • The Keynote session starts at 09:00, and will set the tone for the day
  • The event ends at 17:30 - 18:00. Please try to stay for the entire event, as we have some exciting things planned for the end of the event.
  • Some sessions are 20 minute sessions and some are 50 minutes. In the agenda, we have indicated the start time of the session and the length above the session title.
  • There are 10 minute breaks between sessions, and a 70 minute break for lunch.
  • The panel discussion we introduced in the previous event is back, and we hope we’ll have some interesting discussions.

Just to be clear, the agenda is subject to change. We will update the agenda as and when changes occur. However, we are extremeley excited about the agenda, and we hope you are too!

Venue

We are excited to announce that the event will be held at Richfield College, Umhlanga Campus:

Figure 2: Richfield College, Umhlanga Campus

Richfield College offers modern lecture theatres, strong Wi‑Fi, excellent A/V equipment, and secure parking.

The venue is located at: Centenary Boulevard, Park Square, 5-9 Park Avenue, Umhlanga. The campus is inside the Park Square complex. Take the elevator in block C to the first floor, and you are there. If you come by car, you enter the parking garage from Centenary Boulevard.

Get directions to the event

Stay Connected

Social Media

  • Follow #dotNETConf
  • Follow #dotNETConfSA
  • Follow #DotNetDurban

Sponsors

We’re seeking sponsors who share our commitment to supporting the .NET developer community!

Sponsorship opportunities include:

  • Brand visibility to 100+ developers
  • Speaking opportunities
  • Booth/table space
  • Logo placement on event materials
  • Social media recognition

Interested in sponsoring? Contact us at events@aimldatadurban.org for our sponsorship prospectus.

Let’s Make History Together!

This is more than just a conference - it’s the birth of a tradition. Be part of the inaugural .NET Conf Durban and help establish KZN as a major hub in South Africa’s .NET community.

Whether you’re looking to:

  • 🎓 Learn about .NET 10 and C# 14
  • 🤝 Network with fellow developers
  • 💼 Explore career opportunities
  • 🚀 Discover what’s possible with modern .NET
  • 🌟 Be part of tech history in Durban

This event is for you!

Questions?

Have questions about the event? Want to get involved as a speaker or sponsor?

Contact us: events@aimldatadurban.org

Join us in making .NET Conf 2025 Durban an unforgettable celebration of .NET development in KZN! Space is limited, so secure your spot today and be part of this historic event. 🎉🚀