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One of AADHiH’s key activities is hosting summits that serve as critical conversation points for exploring and understanding national and international trends in Digital Humanities. These gatherings provide inclusive platforms for scholars, practitioners, industry and policymakers to engage in dialogue on the evolving intersections of technology, culture, and the humanities. Through these summits, we aim to foster intellectual exchange, showcase innovative research, and cultivate collaborative networks that advance the theoretical, methodological, and ethical dimensions of Digital Humanities, particularly from African and decolonial perspectives.

Scenes from the inaugural African Digital Humanities Summit Participants engaging during sessions and exhibits

African Digital Humanities Summit #1

The Inaugural UNISA Advancing African Digital Humanities Summit, hosted on in a hybrid format (in-person and metaverse) with 1,992 participants, was a landmark gathering dedicated to shaping Africa’s knowledge future in the digital age. Under the theme “Reimagining Africa’s Knowledge Future in the Digital Humanities: Teaching, Researching, and Knowledge Production,” the summit brought together scholars, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders to critically explore how digital technologies can transform higher education across the continent.

This first summit was co-hosted with Nelson Mandela University (NMU) and served as a dynamic platform to engage in conversations about decolonising knowledge, integrating digital tools into African scholarship, and positioning Digital Humanities (DH) as a catalyst for inclusive, innovative, and contextually relevant knowledge creation.

Through keynote addresses, panel discussions, workshops, and interactive exhibitions, the summit interrogated emerging trends in digital pedagogy, Artificial Intelligence, digital archiving, and the preservation of African epistemologies. It sought to foster collaboration between the humanities and technology disciplines, strengthening networks across national and international borders. Ultimately, the summit aimed to produce actionable insights that advance the Digital Humanities agenda in Africa, empowering scholars, enriching curricula, and amplifying indigenous knowledge systems within the global digital landscape.

African Digital Humanities Summit #2

The Second African Digital Humanities Summit was held in collaboration with the UNISA Department of Religious Studies and Arabic and the Association for the Study of Religion in Southern Africa. This event took place from to , at the University of South Africa in Pretoria, in a hybrid format, with 923 attendees. Under the theme “Reimagining the Study of Religions within the African Digital Humanities,” the summit sought to explore how digital technologies can transform the academic study of religion in African contexts. It brought together national and international scholars, researchers, and practitioners to engage critically with the ways in which digital tools and methods can illuminate religious texts, practices, and communities, while foregrounding African epistemologies, ethics, and voices within the global Digital Humanities landscape.

Through a rich programme of keynotes and panel sessions, the summit examined themes such as digital archiving, the impact of technology on religious life, decolonial digital scholarship, and interdisciplinary collaboration in digital religious studies. Participants interrogated issues of power, accessibility, and ethics while showcasing innovative uses of Artificial Intelligence, gaming, augmented reality, and social media in the study of African religions.

Panel discussion at the second African Digital Humanities Summit

Last modified: Mon Mar 16 08:18:42 SAST 2026