A Woodmead-based workshop is equipping African digital creators with practical skills in artificial intelligence and digital twin technology, signalling a shift in how the continent’s creative economy competes on a global stage.
The first Digital Twin and AI Creator Enablement Workshop on the continent brought together more than 20 award-winning South African digital creators who collectively reach over 15 million followers. The invite-only session was hosted by Afru-ikigAI in partnership with Huawei Cloud, the South African Social Media Awards and Celebrity Drive South Africa.
Instead of focusing on theory, the workshop emphasised hands-on applications of AI, cloud infrastructure and digital twin technology — tools reshaping content production globally. Participants were introduced to AI-powered digital versions of themselves designed to scale content creation, automate workflows and unlock new monetisation opportunities without sacrificing authenticity.
Afru-ikigAI founder and CEO Nondumiso Mhlongo led the initiative, joined by SASMA sponsorship partner Terisa Hsu-Lee. Celebrity Drive co-founders Wendy Mosetlhi and Sipho “C-ga” Masebe underscored the importance of practical AI literacy for creators, helping them take tangible skills from the workshop into their work.
Organisers framed AI not as a threat to creativity but as a sustainability tool for African storytellers navigating an increasingly competitive digital economy. Huawei Cloud’s leadership participated in the workshop, reinforcing the company’s long-term commitment to Africa’s digital future.
A live demonstration also showed how AI and digital twin technologies are being used at scale in China, offering a glimpse of what infrastructure-enabled creativity can achieve. The event followed the 2025 SASMA Awards and included the presentation of a SASMA award to radio personality and Real Housewives of Johannesburg cast member Lethabo Lejoy, highlighting the growing overlap between traditional media and digital platforms.
Beyond skills transfer, Afru-ikigAI awarded more than R100 000 in prizes and training packages and announced plans to expand similar programmes across South Africa and into other African markets.
