Ubuntu Tribe Founder To Discuss The Role Of Blockchain And AI In Africa’s Future At Cryptofest South Africa

In Brief

Mamadou Toure, founder of Ubuntu Tribe, will speak at Cryptofest South Africa on using blockchain and AI to drive financial inclusion, transparency, and economic growth in Africa.

Mamadou Kwidjim Toure, founder of Ubuntu Tribe and recognized by Forbes as one of Africa’s Top 10 Most Influential Men, is scheduled to speak at Cryptofest South Africa, discussing how blockchain and artificial intelligence could foster inclusive growth, transparency, and sustainable economic development across the continent.

Ubuntu Tribe’s recently published Gold for All Report suggests that tokenized gold has the potential to unlock $50 billion for Africa’s unbanked population within five years. The report analyzes structural changes in global gold markets and highlights Africa’s potential to lead in creating more transparent and accessible financial systems.

The report also underscores a significant challenge for the continent: over 400 tonnes of gold, representing more than 10% of global output, are smuggled out of Africa annually, a problem described as the “elephant in the gold pipe.” It recommends on-chain traceability to reduce illicit flows and ensure that miners and local economies benefit from the continent’s resources.

Mamadou Toure draws on his extensive experience in development finance, having worked for more than a decade with multilateral institutions in Washington, DC, before founding Ubuntu Tribe. His decision to leave the sector was motivated by a recognition that traditional financial systems often fail to serve the communities they are intended to support.

“I worked in development finance because I wanted to level the playing field,” said Mamadou Kwidjim Toure in a written statement. “But I realized we were pushing on a string. The system was designed in a way that perpetuated exclusion. That’s when I knew we needed to build something different,” he added.

Ubuntu Tribe introduced $GIFT Gold to tackle a key challenge highlighted in its report: although gold has long been recognized as a reliable store of value, purchasing physical gold usually demands substantial capital, with a standard gold bar priced at around $65,000

GIFT Gold overcomes this barrier through tokenization, where each token corresponds to one milligram of physical gold held in audited vaults in Zurich, Stuttgart, Copenhagen, and Dubai, with individual tokens available for as little as $0.10, making gold ownership accessible to a wider range of investors. The platform operates under European VASP licensing and complies with MiCA regulations, with every token backed by allocated, serialized, and insured physical gold

Ubuntu Tribe is part of the Ubuntu Group of Companies, which has facilitated over $300 million in precious metals transactions across five continents in the last ten years.

Mamadou Toure To Highlight Blockchain And AI-Driven Economic Empowerment Across Africa

At Cryptofest, one of Africa’s leading cryptocurrency and blockchain events, Toure will discuss how blockchain and artificial intelligence can create new pathways for economic growth on the continent, enhancing financial inclusion, rebuilding trust in systems, and expanding access to assets and technologies traditionally limited to wealthy individuals and institutions

Ubuntu Tribe plans to actively participate in major African fintech and blockchain events to expand its presence and foster partnerships across the region. The team will attend the Africa Stablecoin Summit in Johannesburg (Nov 12–13) to gather market insights and analyze the local crypto landscape, engage with innovations in fintech and digital transformation at Africa Tech Week in Cape Town (Nov 12–14), and participate in panel discussions and brand initiatives at Crypto Fest in Cape Town (Nov 14). Later in November, Mamadou Toure will represent Ubuntu Tribe at the G20 / Global Policy House Forum in Johannesburg (Nov 22–23), contributing to high-level discussions with central banks, regulators, and multilateral organizations.