As Data Science Africa (DSA) marks a decade of impact, its founders reflect on the moments, meanings, and milestones that shaped a movement. In this quick-fire Q&A, DSA’s pioneers share personal insights into what the community represents to them, from nurturing the next generation of African data scientists and building continent-wide networks to witnessing life-changing transformations sparked by a single event. Together, their stories trace DSA’s journey from a bold idea to a self-sustaining, pan-African community driving Africa’s data and technology future.
What DSA means to me:
DSA is about creating a community that will empower young Africans to participate fully in the development of technological solutions to their own societal challenges.
Breakthrough Moment:
In 2016 during the second DSA summer school in Kampala, a team from Tanzania attended and made a bid to host the 2017 event (Dina Machuve, a current board member, was in that team) then in Arusha in 2017, a team from Nigeria (that included current board member Charles Saidu) attended and made a bid to host the event the following year in Abuja. That is when I knew we would be able to reach the entire continent.
What DSA means to me:
To me, DSA is a global network of members with like minds addressing similar problems in Africa and preparing the next generation of African data scientists.
Breakthrough moment:
I took a 20-hour bus ride to Kampala, Uganda 2016 to attend my first DSA event. Over the years, I have mentored many students (MSc and Phd) in Data Science and Machine Learning research. Two of my MSc students have made it to PhD at UC Berkeley and Emory University.
What DSA means to me:
To me, DSA is a catalyst — a community where ideas, skills, and networks come together to unlock talent and shape Africa’s data future.
Breakthrough moment:
At DSA 2016, I witnessed a participant inspired to pursue a Master’s in Data Science, later securing a tech fellowship through DSA connections — and today, she holds a PhD from a top U.S. university. That moment captured the transformative ripple effect DSA can have on a single life.
Breakthrough moment:
The DSA 2024 in Nyeri, Kenya, was a landmark event, run flawlessly and completely by its early-career professionals and graduate/undergraduate students. This incredible feat—underscored by the fact that the majority of attendees were unaware of the organization's founders or board members—is powerful evidence of the DSA's successful evolution and its ability to thrive independently.
What DSA means to me:
A community first and foremost, a place to check in, and a place to draw from (inspiration, ideas, resources, colleagues, friends), in the journey to shape Africa’s future.
Breakthrough moment:
DSA Addis Ababa, when I saw a consistent stream of attendees from previous events stepping up to teach, lead. Showed that this idea can really live past the initial founders and that it resonates with the participants.
What DSA means to me:
One thing I love about the DSA meetings is the spirit of mutual support. People help each other out and make lifelong connections, with great optimism and energy. It's always an uplifting experience.
Breakthrough moment:
In the old days (early 2010s and before), there weren't many opportunities for researchers and students on the continent to discuss their work on applications of data technology. Going to conferences usually meant getting to Europe or the US, which meant costs, visa problems, and (even more significantly) an audience that, on the whole, wasn't as familiar or interested in the same practical problems. When we were putting together the programme for the first meetings, it was so refreshing to be able to focus on details of people's projects in health and agriculture and so on, and for everyone to discuss the things that they knew to be important.