Edzai Conilias Zvobwo, mathematician, data scientist, AI strategist and Founder & CEO of Acalytica, will deliver a keynote address at the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) Benue State Chapter’s Bi-Monthly Webinar Series. The lecture is titled Mathematics of Disruption: Building Africa’s AI Age from First Principles.
Mr Zvobwo’s talk draws directly from his book, Mathematics of Disruption: A South African Story About AI, Fragility, and the Power of Math, which positions mathematics, not simply faster hardware or larger datasets, as the real driver of disruption in artificial intelligence.
Key themes of the address will include:
- Why mathematical fragility (e.g., floating-point errors, optimisation failures) is an overlooked threat in AI and how African systems must design for resilience.
- How nine “mathematical landscapes” form the foundation of next-generation AI systems and why understanding them gives Africa a strategic advantage.
- The concept of “Ubuntu AI”, a model for inclusive, community-grounded AI built on African philosophical foundations and aimed at mathematical sovereignty rather than dependency.
- How South Africa’s real-world challenges (e.g., load-shedding, multilingualism, energy fragility) can become leverage points rather than obstacles in shaping an AI future.
Event Details:
- Date: Saturday, 22 November 2025
- Time: 18:00 Nigerian Time (19:00 SAST)
- Platform: Google Meet - https://meet.google.com/qdg-kijk-yzv
- Audience: Technologists, policy-makers, entrepreneurs, creators across Africa
About the Book:
Mathematics of Disruption is a 55-page compact edition published in October 2025 (ISBN: 978-1-326-08561-2) and available as a free PDF download via the Acalytica website.
It uses narrative and metaphor, centering on three South African characters (Thandiwe, Sipho, Prof. Khumalo), to unpack complex mathematical ideas (information theory, optimisation, quantum mechanics) and their relevance to AI.
About Edzai Zvobwo & Acalytica:
Edzai Conilias Zvobwo leads Acalytica, a digital-growth platform helping creators, entrepreneurs and SMEs build, brand and bank online. His work bridges mathematics, AI infrastructure and business growth across Africa.
Website:
https://acalytica.com/mathematics-of-disruption
