Agadir – The fourth edition of GITEX Africa 2026 is coming up, from April 7 to 9 in Marrakech, continuing to establish Morocco as a major technological and innovative hub on the African continent.
The expo is the Africa extension of GITEX GLOBAL, held annually at the Dubai World Trade Center and organized by the Digital Development Agency (ADD) in cooperation with KAOUN International.
This year, the expo is held under the theme “Catalyzing Africa’s Digital Economy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” While the vision focuses on artificial intelligence as a technological driver, the larger aim is to create a competitive, inclusive, and sustainable digital economy in Africa.
AI and sustainability driving the 2026 edition
Organizers stress that digital innovation, especially AI, has the potential to support sustainable development by improving infrastructure, strengthening public policy, and speeding up the roll-out of high-impact digital technologies that are Africa-specific.
“GITEX AFRICA Morocco positions itself as a strategic framework for co-construction, capable of bringing together African and international ecosystems around practical solutions tailored to the realities of the continent, while accelerating high-impact digital projects and sustainably strengthening local capabilities,” says Amine El Mezouaghi, Director General of the Digital Development Agency.
As climate change impacts grow more dire year by year, GITEX Africa comes at a critical juncture. The expo will bring together several stakeholders to discuss usage technology innovation to tackle various issues facing Africa, ranging from economic to environmental problems.
Greentech and climate-focused innovation
GITEX Africa will feature climate technology, sustainable agriculture, smart city solutions, and energy-efficient digital infrastructure – sectors that collectively fall under greentech, the segment of the global technology industry focused on reducing environmental impact while supporting economic development.
Across Africa, greentech is increasingly recognized as an emerging industry that supports both environmental sustainability and economic growth. These technologies improve energy efficiency and promote more responsible use of resources, including renewable energy systems and climate-smart agriculture.
Africa is considered a promising hub for greentech development due to its vast renewable energy resources. As the region faces rising energy demand, water scarcity, and growing agricultural pressures linked to climate change, these technologies offer practical solutions while supporting economic progress.
Renewable energy – particularly solar and wind – has become a central component of Africa’s greentech landscape. Large-scale projects across the continent reflect a growing trend of investment in clean energy, with North Africa and the Middle East experiencing rapid expansion as governments and global companies seek alternatives to fossil fuels and aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Another rapidly emerging area is green hydrogen, a clean fuel produced using renewable electricity. Given the region’s abundant solar and wind resources, researchers suggest that parts of Africa have strong potential for green hydrogen production, positioning the continent as a possible future supplier of clean energy.
Morocco’s place in Africa’s greentech ecosystem
Morocco has emerged as one of the key players in the green and digital technology innovation landscape in Africa.
According to the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2025, Morocco ranks among the best startup ecosystems in Africa, and against this backdrop entrepreneurs working on sustainable initiatives are gaining increasing attention.
Morocco’s innovation centers and research institutions have been at the forefront in supporting greentech startups. For example, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) regularly collaborates with international institutions to support startups that develop greentech and agritech products, thereby helping entrepreneurs tackle environmental and technology-related issues in Africa.
Linking digital innovation with sustainable development
Another aspect of the sustainability dimension of the event is its relation to the Digital for Sustainable Development Hub (D4SD), which was initiated by Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme.
The purpose of this initiative is to foster digital cooperation in Africa and the Arab region while at the same time ensuring that digital innovation directly impacts sustainable development and enhances living conditions in those regions.
“Via D4SD, we are building an Arab-African digital cooperation platform based on the pooling of expertise, skills development, and the deployment of Artificial Intelligence solutions tailored to our countries’ development priorities,” Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, Minister Delegate for Digital Transition and Administrative Reform said last week in an official statement.
She concluded that digital technology is “a structuring lever for co-development in Africa, while ensuring that technological innovation contributes concretely to sustainable development and the improvement of citizens’ lives.”
A convergence of climate-focused minds
Against this backdrop, the Marrakech expo is also set to be a gathering point for the brightest minds focusing on greentech initiatives, from policy makers, climate tech investors, chief sustainability officers and researchers alike. The GITEX Africa Impact summit has, in past editions drawn chief executive thinkers aiming to answer the question: how we can use tech to not worse, but better the environment.
This year, in addition to programming, sustainability initiatives, projects and firms from around the world will table at the expo, sharing expertise to propel the sector forward.
Among them Abajad ia, the first B2B data intelligence platform built for Morocco and Francophone Africa, 42Gears Mobility Systems (UK) Ltd a company specializing in enterprise mobility management (EMM). It provides secure, scalable solutions for managing devices, users, and access in modern digital workplaces. Meanwhile, climate tech firm 0Plastic B.V, from the Netherlands, converts plastic waste into clean fuel using decentralized magnetic induction heating systems.
