Global blockchain experts Don Tapscott and his son and business partner Alex Tapscott.

Global blockchain experts Don Tapscott and his son and business partner Alex Tapscott will be in South Africa from 26 February to 3 March, to engage with leaders and regulators to support blockchain acceleration in Africa.

The development follows the expansion of the Blockchain Research Institute (BRI) Africa, established by the Standard Bank Group and Blockchain Research Institute (BRI), to provide a collaboration platform for leaders and experts in Africa and beyond, who are focused on blockchain opportunities in Africa.

This platform is intended to provide leaders navigating the Web3 transition with bespoke research, global insights, access to leading experts and coordinated collaboration opportunities.

The Trapscott father and son team will host ecosystem engagements that will include participation from industry leaders, academics, governments and entrepreneurs to robustly engage on self-sovereign identity, metaverse, regulation, custody, decentralised vs centralised technologies and the next version of the internet.

The sessions will have a focus on financial services, retail, insurance and agriculture, coupled with forecasts and insights on global research on the much-anticipated Web3 forecast in both Africa and globally.

Don Tapscott is known as a leading authority on blockchain, participating regularly in Davos, the World Economic Forum (WEF), and playing a critical role in advising governments and corporates globally.

Commenting on the program, Don Tapscott says: “The BRI Africa’s 2023 program focuses on building community, stimulating research, facilitating education, and catalysing action from those with influence. We start in the economic hub of Southern Africa, Johannesburg, and will work our way down to Cape Town, the region’s innovative capital”.

Head Blockchain Centre of Excellence, Standard Bank Group Ian Putter notes: “During this week, BRI Africa will be convening some of South Africa’s influential decision makers to engage with global experts in Web3 and digital assets. These meetings are geared at providing global insights and stimulating action-provoking conversations. Together, we will use blockchain to drive Africa’s growth.”

Dale Russell, Director of Moore Blockchain Digital Assets Johannesburg, comments: “We are honoured to collaborate with BRI Africa in bringing Don and Alex Tapscott, two highly esteemed industry experts, to South Africa. This partnership provides an exceptional opportunity to showcase the vast potential of blockchain technology and provide a platform for top leaders in the region to share knowledge and insights.”

LevelUP CEO, Karien Cloete also notes: “We are passionate about supporting innovation that drives inclusive and sustainable economic development in Africa. We look forward to hosting robust discussions about the impact and possibilities of Blockchain technologies in the retail sector together with the BRI."

The relatively new field of blockchain technology has been rapidly gaining widespread adoption across industries globally.

According to the latest Gartner tech hype cycle, research is indicating that blockchain and Web3 technologies will have a radical and transformative impact on industries similar to the mobile phone and internet.

Respected industry pioneer, Charles Hoskinson, founder of Cardano, previously indicated Africa is leapfrogging the US and Europe in its embrace of blockchain technology, which is positioning Africa to be wealthier than Western nations.

The application of blockchain solutions on the African continent are extensive, including the key ability to transform outdated governance systems and accelerate financial inclusion to overcome the 45% of people in Sub-Saharan who are unbanked.