Internet identity workshop returns to Stellenbosch to strengthen digital trust

DID:UNCONF Africa, an open-space unConference focused on digital identity, will return to Stellenbosch from February 24 to 26, bringing together local and international stakeholders to shape the future of digital trust.

The event will be hosted at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS) and is organised by a digital identity firm in partnership with the global Internet Identity Workshop (IIW). It follows the inaugural 2025 gathering, which organisers say gained strong momentum and industry support.

Unlike traditional conferences, DID:UNCONF Africa operates on an Open Space format, meaning there is no fixed agenda. Instead, participants collectively shape discussions each day, allowing policymakers, engineers, regulators, investors, civil society organisations and digital rights advocates to focus on the most pressing issues in digital identity.

Topics are expected to include self-sovereign identity, verifiable credentials, interoperability, governance frameworks and cross-border digital trust.

According to the organiser, Gideon Lombard, the unConference model is central to building Africa’s digital identity ecosystem.

“The Open Space format breaks away from the top-down approach of conventional conferences. Everyone participates, contributes and builds together, which is exactly what the digital identity ecosystem in Africa needs,” he said.

One of the keynote speakers announced for the 2026 event is Karla McKenna, an internationally recognised expert in digital identity governance and financial services standards. Ms McKenna is the managing director of Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF) Americas and head of standards at the GLEIF.

She has also previously chaired ISO’s Technical Committee 68 on Financial Services and has served on the boards of several international standards and trust-focused organisations.

In addition to the two days of Open Space sessions, the 2026 programme will include a business and alignment day aimed at corporate, financial and public-sector stakeholders, a women’s leadership breakfast focused on digital trust and innovation, and a sponsor technology showcase featuring identity solutions ready for scale.

The event will once again be facilitated by Heidi Nobantu Saul, a well-known convenor of identity Open Space forums and a producer of the Internet Identity Workshop.

Tickets for DID:UNCONF Africa 2026 are available via Quicket. More information can be found at www.didunconf.africa.