Thando Ndita from Stellenbosch University’s Policy Innovation Lab was invited to participate in the Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers New York programme in September 2026 as a funded attendee. The programme brought together individuals working across AI, digital transformation, public health and development, providing an opportunity to build relationships with people doing similar or related work across Africa.
The main Goalkeepers event took place at Jazz at Lincoln Centre on 21 September under the theme “Make This Matter: AI, Equity, and the Choice We Can’t Delay.” The programme featured a range of speakers and storytellers, including Bill Gates, and explored the growing impact of AI across areas such as health, education and agriculture. Discussions focused not only on the potential of AI, but also on the choices being made about how these technologies are developed and deployed, who benefits from them, and the implications for equity.
On 22 September, Thando also attended the Goalkeepers AI for Action Lunch at Jazz at Lincoln Center. The smaller engagement provided an opportunity to connect directly with other participants and exchange experiences around AI-related projects and challenges in different countries and organisations. The discussions helped connect broader conversations around AI and development with practical experiences of implementation across different contexts.
The programme continued 23 September with “From AI Pilots to Sustainable Government Adoption: Strengthening Public Health Systems Through AI”, held at the Westin Grand Central. The session focused on the transition from individual AI pilots towards sustainable adoption within government systems, examining the institutional and implementation considerations required for AI initiatives to move beyond experimentation and become embedded within public-sector delivery.
A significant aspect of the programme was the opportunity for Thando to engage with other Africans working across AI, digital transformation, digital public infrastructure (DPI) and development. These conversations highlighted the similarities between challenges faced across the continent, despite differences in national and institutional contexts. Questions around governance, institutional capacity, sustainable technology adoption and the role of the state in digital transformation emerged as common areas of concern.
The engagement also provided an opportunity to situate the Policy Innovation Lab’s work within a broader African and international context. The Lab’s work on AI for Policy, digital public infrastructure and digital transformation intersects with many of the issues discussed during the programme, while the diverse approaches being developed across African countries offer opportunities for learning, knowledge exchange and future collaboration.
Through her participation, Thando gained exposure to international perspectives on AI and development while strengthening relationships with practitioners and organisations working across the continent. The experience contributes to the Policy Innovation Lab’s ongoing efforts to connect South African policy innovation with broader African and global conversations on responsible AI, digital transformation and sustainable public-sector adoption.