2027 Speakers

Sibahle Ngwenya is a Machine Learning Research Engineer at Mintek who helps the mining industry turn its data into better decisions. Trained as a metallurgical engineer (BSc, University of the Witwatersrand) and holding an MEng in Industrial Engineering with a data science focus from Stellenbosch University, she brings rare fluency in both how plants run and how artificial intelligence works. Her value lies in knowing where AI can pay off in an operation and where it won’t. She shapes problems into fundable projects, builds the business case, and translates complex analysis into clear choices for operators, managers and executives alike. Her skills span artificial intelligence and machine learning, strategy business analytics, process optimisation, risk and anomaly detection, project management, and leadership. She is passionate about youth and women in STEM and believes Africa’s mineral wealth can be unlocked through homegrown digital innovation.