Purpose in Practice
Purpose in Practice
The Summit Focus
Africa is a continent of contradictions: resilient, resourceful and relentlessly innovative. Our challenges are complex, our realities nuanced, and the solutions we create must be uniquely ours. At Smart Health Africa 2025, we explored Practical Innovation with Purpose. It was a call to move beyond flashy technology and focus on tools that are grounded, purposeful and built for the environments they serve.
But innovation alone is not enough.
Successful transformation depends on how well change is adopted, by healthcare workers, by systems, and by communities. In 2026, we shift our focus to what comes next: Purpose in Practice. How do we embed innovation into real systems, into policy, into behaviour? How do we ensure the tools we build are not only adopted, but adapted, scaled and sustained? This year, we move from theory to traction. From prototypes to practice. Because the true measure of innovation lies not in its design but in its delivery.
“I found the recent Smart Health Africa to be exactly that: a season of clarity, challenge, and renewed purpose.”
“It was a great conference with excellent keynote speakers and inspiring discussions. Definitely look forward to coming again next year.”
“We need more spaces like this where key opinions and perspectives can be shared on digital healthcare and value-based care.”
“There were excellent presenters and great discussions. It was really inspiring to hear about innovative ideas and digital healthcare solutions.”
“Smart Health is indeed about meaningful conversations, future thinking, and genuine human connection”
“I am so grateful to be empowered with new ideas and knowledge to make a difference”
“A privilege to be part of this industry leading summit. It was an energising few days filled with powerful conversations and forward-thinking insights from some of the most innovative minds in the industry.”
“The summit served as a powerful reminder that smart health is not about flashy tech, it’s about meeting real needs with thoughtful, accessible solutions. And as South Africa’s population ages, those needs are growing, quickly and unevenly”
2026 Partners
2026 Speakers
Agenda
June 24, 2026 @ 8:30am
Summit Welcome
Dr. Unben Pillay,
CEO, ASAIPA
Kelly Bentley,
Founder & CEO, The Rebel Element
June 24, 2026 @ 8:45am
Fireside Chat:
Reimagining Care: Where Intelligence Meets Empathy
Interviewer:
Kelly Bentley,
Founder & CEO, The Rebel Element
Interviewee:
Dr. Simon Kos,
Global Chief Medical Officer, Heidi Health
June 24, 2026 @ 9:20am
International Keynote:
Health Intelligence Without the Cloud: On-Device AI as Infrastructure for the Underserved
Amber Vodegel,
Founder & CEO, 28X
June 24, 2026 @ 10:05am
Influencer Panel:
Longevity & Preventative Wellness
Speaker/Moderator:
Dr. Michael Mol
Panelists:
Coming Soon!
June 24, 2026 @ 10:40pm
Refreshment Break
June 24, 2026 @ 11:15am
Disruptor Showcase:
Coming Soon!
Dr. Diego Castillo,
Co-Founder, Biomine
June 24, 2026 @ 11:30am
Smart Health Speaker:
Coming Soon!
Christél Bezou,
Executive Revenue Officer, Altron HealthTech
June 24, 2026 @ 11:50am
Keynote Speaker:
Coming Soon!
Dinesh Govender,
CEO, Discovery Vitality
June 24, 2026 @ 12:25am
Influencer Panel:
Intelligence You Can Trust
Moderator:
Dr. Claude Ndlovu,
Chief Healthcare Officer, GEMS
Panelists
Dr. Yaseen Khan,
CEO, EMGuidance
Luis da Silva,
CEO, Healthbridge
Martin Fernandes,
Business Development Manager, Fortinet
Tim Kirkelie,
Executive Director, Ideation Lab
June 24, 2026 @ 01:05pm
Disruptor Showcase:
AI in Dermatology: Bridging Early Detection and Expert Care
Roscoe Kerby,
Founder, Skinvest AI
June 24, 2026 @ 01:20pm
Smart Health Speaker:
Coming Soon!
Dr. Vuyokazi Gqola,
COO, GEMS
June 24, 2026 @ 13:40pm
Networking & Lunch:
Conversation Tables
June 24, 2026 @ 02:55pm
Inside the Decision:
Keynote Speaker (Case Study)
Coming Soon!
June 24, 2026 @ 03:20pm
Inside the decision:
Precision and Personalised Medicine: How Genomics Approach Improves Clinical Outcomes
Dr. Boutros Maroun,
Senior Manager of Medical Affairs, EMEALA, Illumina
June 24, 2026 @ 03:55pm
Disruptor Showcase:
AI Diagnostics – The Diagnostic Gap: Building With Technology and Reality at The Forefront
Braden van Breda,
Co-Founder, AI Diagnostics
June 24, 2026 @ 04:10pm
International Keynote Speaker:
Accelerating Digital Transformation at Scale
Ming Tang,
Former Chief Digital and Information Officer, NHS England
June 24, 2026 @ 04:35pm
Inside the decision:
Coming Soon!
Dr. Richard Friedland,
Group CEO, Netcare
June 24, 2026 @ 05:10pm
Influencer Panel:
Health Equity & Access by Design
Moderator:
Dr. Unben Pillay,
CEO, ASAIPA
Panelists
Rodney Premlall,
Corporate Sales Manager, Altron HealthTech
Pippa Yeats,
Co-Founder, Turn.io
Dr. Thapelo Motshudi,
Managing Director, Prosper Healthcare
Dr. Calvin Howard,
Commercial and Clinical Lead, Heidi Health
June 24, 2026 @ 05:40pm
Smart Health Africa Summit Close & Thank You’s
Dr. Unben Pillay,
CEO, ASAIPA
Kelly Bentley,
Founder & CEO, The Rebel Element
June 24, 2026 @ 05:50pm
Cocktails & Networking
Summit Pillars
Health Equity & Access by Design:
Turning innovation into equitable,
connected care.
Resilient & Interoperable Systems:
Building healthcare infrastructure that works under pressure.
Human-First Healthcare:
Designing care around patients, practitioners and communnities.
Intelligence You Can Trust:
Unlocking AI’s potential while protecting people and data.
Longevity & Preventative Wellness:
Shifting healthcare from reactive treatment to proactive vitality.
Connect with Purpose
tech pioneer dedicated to transforming the health and business sectors through intuitive digital solutions.
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