AI/ML & Data Community Durban

In July we unplugged. We stripped away the hype, got at what actually works, and a sold-out room told us it was exactly what they wanted. ⚡ Then they told us what they wanted next. So here it is: Data & AI Community Day Durban: Plugged In, happening on September 19, 2026, and this time we’re bringing something Durban has never had before.

We, Azure, AI/ML & Data Community Durban, are back doing the thing we love most: a packed house, brilliant speakers, and the kind of honest, no-fluff tech talks that have made our events one of the largest community-run tech gatherings in South Africa. 🚀

And joining us for the first time: GitHub Copilot Dev Days. More on that below.

So, What’s with “Plugged In”?

AI Unplugged was about stripping things back to find out what’s real. Plugged In is the next step: now that you know what’s real, get connected to it.

Connected to the tools that change your actual working day, not your slide deck. Connected to an industry that’s hiring, and to the people already inside it. Connected to a community that will still be here in November when you’re stuck at 23:00 on something that should have worked.

Plug into the tools. Plug into the industry. Plug into the community.

That’s the whole idea. And look, we live in a country where staying powered is a skill in itself. We know a thing or two about building anyway. 🔌

You Asked. We Listened. 🎤

Here’s the thing about “for the community, by the community”: it only means something if we actually ask.

So at AI Unplugged II, we asked the room what they wanted to see next. The answers came back fast, and they were remarkably consistent. You wanted developer tools and IDEs. You wanted to know how to test AI and stop the slop before it reaches production. You wanted AI in CI/CD. You wanted more data focus. You wanted hands-on training.

And more than anything else, you wanted a way in. How do I use AI to actually land a tech job? How do I get ahead as a newcomer? We have the highest unemployment rate in the world; how do we help people start something of their own?

We heard you. This entire event is built on those answers. 🇿🇦

Following Up on AI Unplugged II — The Maskandi Sessions

July was something special. AI Unplugged II — The Maskandi Sessions sold out in under 48 hours, filled the house with honest, practical, no-hype talks, and gave us a speaker line-up so tightly rated it was practically a photo finish 📸. The legendary panel discussion delivered, and the hallway track ran hot from 08:00 to close. 🔥

Figure 1: Data & AI Community Day Durban: AI Unplugged II — The Maskandi Sessions

Now it’s time for the next chapter. If AI Unplugged and the Maskandi Sessions proved that our community wants the real thing over the hype, Plugged In is where we hand you the plug and show you where the socket is.

Data & AI Community Day Durban: Plugged In

No corporate polish. No death-by-slideshow. No “AI will change everything” hand-waving. Just real people sharing real knowledge with a room full of 200+ developers, data professionals, students, and tech enthusiasts who are hungry to learn.

Plugged In is a FREE, full-day, in-person event for the community, by the community. We keep the friendly Durban energy, the slightly cheeky banter, and the serious technical depth. What’s new this time is the shape of the day: two tracks, and one of them is something we’ve been working on for a while.

Two Tracks. Pick Your Socket. 🔌

⚡ The Mains — our core track

Everything runs off this.

The full day of community talks: 50-minute deep dives, 20-minute lightning talks, and the panel discussion. This is where the community shows up.

Inside The Mains, we’re organising sessions into three strands, drawn directly from what you told us you wanted:

🔌 Earthed — doing it properly

Because anyone can generate. Not everyone can build.

AI testing & evaluation: how do you actually know the thing works?
Preventing the slop: guardrails, quality gates, and catching the confidently wrong answer
AI in CI/CD: pipelines, automation, and shipping AI-assisted code safely
Responsible AI: bias, fairness, governance, and the stuff that actually matters
Cybersecurity: because every developer and data professional needs to think about this

“Earthed” is the safety connection. It’s the one that stops things from catching fire.

🚪 Ways In: getting into the room, and staying in it

You asked for this louder than anything else, so it gets real weight this time.

Getting real with AI: how do you actually use it to land a tech job?
Prepping newcomers and the youth: what to learn, in what order, and what to ignore
Starting something of your own: entrepreneurship, side projects, and the business case
Personal branding, portfolios, and community presence
The Future Heroes Student Showcase

🔋 Full Current: the Data & AI spine

The technical depth you already come to us for, plus the more data focus you asked for.

AI Agents & Agentic AI: multi-agent systems, orchestration, and real-world implementations
Generative AI: LLMs, prompt engineering, RAG, fine-tuning, and what’s actually production-ready
Model Context Protocol (MCP): servers, clients, integrations, and use cases
Small Language Models: running AI locally, and when you don’t need GPT-scale
AI for Africa: unique use cases, challenges, and opportunities on our continent
Microsoft Fabric & Analytics: data engineering, OneLake, lakehouses, Direct Lake, and BI
Database Development: performance tuning, architecture, indexing, and modern database tech (because SQL is not dead, and we’ll fight anyone who says otherwise)
Streaming Data & Real-Time Analytics: Kafka, Event Hubs, Spark, Flink, and data in motion
Power Platform & Power Apps: making AI and data accessible to business users
.NET & Development: what’s new, what’s next, and practical developer tips

As always, we welcome topics covering non-Microsoft tech, and if your topic doesn’t fit neatly into a strand, we still want it.

🎬 Live Takes — GitHub Copilot Dev Days

Watch it get built. Unedited.

This is the one we’re excited about. For the first time ever, GitHub Copilot Dev Days comes to Durban, and we’re hosting it as a dedicated track.

Dev Days is a global, in-person, community-led initiative running from September 1 to October 31, 2026. The series brings together developers, enthusiasts, and local tech communities to explore the power of GitHub Copilot through practical, hands-on experiences. Open to all developers, each session focuses on real-world workflows and activities centred on GitHub Copilot in the Copilot app and the CLI.

We’re running live, demo-led sessions on real Copilot workflows. Real repos. Real mistakes. Nothing pre-baked, nothing rehearsed into a perfect demo that falls over the moment you try it yourself.

Figure 2: GitHub Copilot Dev Days 2026

About laptops: bring one if you have one; you’ll get more out of the session. But you’ll follow everything either way. We’re not going to pretend every attendee walks in with a Copilot licence, and nobody is going to be left staring at a screen they can’t use. 💻

The Dev Days block runs with The Mains, so you have the opportunity to choose between them. We’ll publish the exact timing as early as possible so you can plan your day.

Why Attend

Plugged In is a chance to learn from industry experts, network with peers, and get honest answers about where Data & AI actually is right now. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out:

Actionable content: no fluffy slides, proven patterns, code, and architectures
Local + global voices: Microsoft MVPs, architects, thought leaders, and community experts
Built from your feedback: the agenda is a direct answer to what the last room asked for
GitHub Copilot Dev Days: a global programme, landing in Durban
Real community: Durban’s friendliest tech crowd, a great hallway track, and plenty of time to network
Free: world-class content, zero cost

Here are some quotes from previous events:

“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.”

“Another awesome event 👏 Thanks to the organisers 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 organisers and sponsors for making this event possible.”

“An amazing and insightful event to meet likeminded developers. The speakers were wonderful and the panel discussion was a highlight.”

This event is a MUST-ATTEND! ⚡🤖🔌

Speakers

The Call for Speakers for Plugged In is opening soon! 🎤 Watch this space (and our LinkedIn). When it opens, you’ll find the submission link right here.

In the meantime, here’s a taste of why you’ll want to get on stage with us:

🔥 Why Should You Speak?

Share your expertise with 200+ passionate attendees from across the AI, data, and developer community
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

We especially encourage new speakers to submit. We provide a safe, welcoming environment to get started, whether your session is a 20-minute lightning talk or a 50-minute deep dive. Nobody was born knowing this stuff. Everyone on our stage started with a first talk.

Sessions

The sessions will appear here as soon as they are confirmed. As mentioned above, the event is a full day and, in addition to awesome presentations, will give you plenty of time to network with your peers.

Registration

Registration has not yet opened. We’ll update this page as soon as it does.

Fair warning, though: our last two events sold out, and The Maskandi Sessions sold out in under 48 hours. This one is FREE and space is limited, so when registration opens, don’t think about it too long. 🎟️

Agenda

The agenda will appear here as soon as it is confirmed. This is a full-day event and, in addition to awesome sessions, it will give you plenty of time to network with your peers.

The agenda will look similar to our previous events, with a few additions:

Registration starting at 08:00, and the event starting at 08:20 sharp
Interesting keynotes and welcome sessions — please try to be there on time
The event ending at approximately 18:00
A mix of 20-minute lightning talks and 50-minute deep dive sessions
10-minute breaks between sessions
A lunch break
The GitHub Copilot Dev Days block, running opposite The Mains
Our now-legendary panel discussion — bring your toughest questions! 🔥

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

Venue

We are once again back at our favourite venue: Richfield College, Umhlanga Campus!

Figure 3: Richfield College, Umhlanga Campus

Richfield College offers modern lecture theatres, strong Wi-Fi, excellent A/V equipment, and secure parking: everything we need for a world-class Data & AI event!

Location Details

Address: Centenary Boulevard, Park Square, 5-9 Park Avenue, Umhlanga

How to get there:

The campus is inside the Park Square complex
Take the elevator in Block C to the first floor, and you’re there!
If you come by car, you enter the parking garage from Centenary Boulevard
Secure parking is available

Get directions to the event

About Azure, AI/ML & Data Community Durban

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 insights, learn together, and encourage the community to leverage Azure, AI/ML, and Data to solve problems.

Our Mission: To empower and create heroes of society through Azure, AI/ML, and Data.

We Do Positive Things through innovation and passion.

Contact Us

Have questions? Want to speak? Interested in sponsorship?

Contact the organizing team →

One day. Three ways to plug in. Zero hype. ⚡