The International Center for Strategic Alliances (ICSA) has announced two major 2026 summits focused on digital infrastructure, telecom innovation, and banking transformation across emerging markets.
Connected Africa 2026 – 7th Edition Telecom Innovation & Excellence Awards will take place on 15 October 2026 in Johannesburg, South Africa, under the theme “Driving Africa’s Telecom Shift to Digital Platforms and Next-Gen Infrastructure.” The event will bring together leaders from telecom, banking, cybersecurity, cloud, and enterprise technology. Key focus areas include intelligent banking and embedded finance, cybersecurity resilience, cloud modernization, 5G evolution, digital identity and fraud prevention, and enterprise modernization through automation, IoT, and AI. The accompanying Telecom Innovation & Excellence Awards will recognize achievements in network innovation, digital inclusion, security excellence, enterprise transformation, and customer experience.
The 30th Edition Connected Banking Summit – Innovation & Excellence Awards 2026 is scheduled for 21 November 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, under the theme “Evolving Financial Services Through Digital Infrastructure and Next-Level Banking Innovation in the GCC.” ICSA says the summit will convene senior banking executives, regulators, policymakers, fintech innovators, and technology leaders to support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 financial transformation. Agenda topics include digital banking transformation and core modernization, AI and data-driven banking, open banking and API ecosystems, real-time payments, cybersecurity and fraud prevention, cloud adoption, embedded finance, regulatory innovation, and sustainable finance.
ICSA highlights that the Connected Banking Summit series has delivered 30 global editions, gathered more than 5,000 curated delegates and over 500 industry speakers, and facilitated hundreds of strategic partnerships. Registration, sponsorship, speaking, and exhibition packages are open for both summits.
