The 2026 Inaugural ST&I Public Lecture brought together leaders from government, business, academia, media, and civil society for an evening of policy reflection, partnership, and future-focused dialogue.
The 2026 Inaugural ST&I Public Lecture is the ST&I Business Forum's flagship intellectual and policy-engagement event, designed as a landmark occasion in South Africa's science, technology and innovation calendar.
Read the official concept note covering the lecture rationale, strategic objectives, delegate profile, partnership opportunities, expected outputs, and delivery framework.
Presented in strategic partnership with Mail & Guardian, the Lecture will convene approximately 400 delegates from business, government, academia and civil society around South Africa's national science, technology and innovation agenda.
According to the concept note, the Lecture is intended to move beyond discussion into action through published proceedings, a structured ST&I policy brief, post-event media coverage, sponsor reporting, and a formal commitments register that extends the event's impact beyond the day itself.
Additional speakers, titles and organisations will be confirmed and updated progressively.
Make an Enquiry →Three sponsorship tiers structured around investment level and partner benefits, aligned to the official concept document and designed to deliver visibility, keynote engagement, media amplification, and institutional recognition.
We are proud to collaborate with Mail & Guardian as our official media partner and Africa Innovation Council as an innovation partner. These partnerships help amplify key conversations around science, technology, and innovation, including published features such as the ST&I Public Lecture and the broader dialogue shaping the future of higher education and innovation in South Africa.
The 2026 ST&I Inaugural Public Lecture launches what will become an ongoing national platform for dialogue. Future editions are already planned to carry the conversation across South Africa's ecosystems of innovation, higher education, business, and public policy.
The second edition in the lecture series will bring the ST&I conversation into the Western Cape's vibrant innovation ecosystem.
A forthcoming edition designed to extend the platform's national reach, deepening engagement across academia, industry, entrepreneurship, and public policy in the Eastern Cape.
Thank you for the strong interest in the 2026 ST&I Public Lecture at Emperors Palace Convention Centre. Attendance details are now being finalised with confirmed delegates.
New registrations are no longer being accepted. Confirmed attendees will receive event participation details through the official coordination channels.
Registration for the Inaugural ST&I Public Lecture is now closed. Use this section for existing delegate support, partnership, media, speaker, or general event enquiries and the ST&I Business Forum team will respond directly.
All enquiries are reviewed by the ST&I Business Forum team and delivered to info@stibusinessforum.co.za in a structured format for prompt follow-up.
Your submission will include your contact details, enquiry category, preferred response route, and full message so the team can review it without missing context.
We will respond within 48 hours.
Check your inbox for a message from info@stibusinessforum.co.za
A first post-event archive for the 2026 Inaugural ST&I Public Lecture. Start with selected featured videos here, then continue into the full video archive for all recordings.
Browse all event recordings and individual speaker videos.
South Africa's leading independent journal of record
The 2026 Inaugural ST&I Public Lecture will be hosted at Emperors Palace Convention Centre, a preferred conference destination in Ekurhuleni with flexible halls, professional AV support, and modern event infrastructure designed for high-impact gatherings.