I'm quite excited to report that after almost a year of discussion, the TECH4FRICA08 conference will be happening on the 3rd and 4th of October this year in Johannesburg. The organisers description below:   

We're convinced that there will be web and technology growth in Africa, so we're getting together leading, internationally respected speakers and thinkers from the industry to discuss what's happening and what's possible, with folks that are on the ground in Africa.

The event is being pulled together by Gareth Knight, founder of Kindo.com and a web2.0 success in his own right.  Speakers thus far include 8 great minds, including Andy Budd, Mikel Maron, Andy Hadfield, Jeremy Keith and our very own Rob Stokes. For more information on the speakers you can have a look here - it seems the list is growing daily.

The areas of focus listed on the site are:

• Web 2.0
• Emerging tech in Africa
• Mobile trends
• Startups and telecoms

Registration for the conference isn't open yet, but they're asking for feedback and ideas. Drop by the site and tell them what you'd like to hear about. You can also support them by embedding one of their banners on your site.

Dialogue about the opportunities in and for an online Africa offer a valuable way to develop the industry on our continent, so I urge you to have a look at the site and add your voice to the conversation. I can tell you the QuirkStars are very excited about this, and have been wanting to do something along these lines for ages. Big up to the organisers, you've got our support.