Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its enormous impact on Africa and the world at large, a unanimous decision to make the 5th edition of the AfriLabs Annual Gathering virtual was reached by the AfriLabs Board. This decision was heavily influenced by the advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), as well as leading global and local health authorities.

The Gathering themed “Building a Resilient Innovative Africa” held from the 12th-14th October 2020 and was sponsored by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD)
through the AfriLabs Capacity Building Programme (ACBP), Mozilla, KTN Global amongst
other partners. It was an exciting unique experience that transcended the borders of the
norm and broke the conventional virtual expectations. With over 15 exhibitors, 20
speakers and 1200 participants, the Gathering was a proof of the resilience of the AfriLabs community.

As a prelude to the Annual Gathering, the AfriLabs General Meeting meeting held on the 7th of October 2020, where a new Board Member was elected. The AGM served as an
opportunity for members of the AfriLabs community to get the latest updates and
development within AfriLabs and have discussions on what is needed towards improving the community and the ecosystem.