From 16 to 22 November 2026, five tech events follow one another in Cotonou, Cape Town, San Francisco, Algiers and Helsinki, and each calls for a very different approach. Algeria 2.0 can be attended free of charge with registration, Ignite is free online but expensive in person, and Slush is sold out in every category. Before booking a flight or blocking out your diary, it is best to know which door to use: ticket, free pass, livestream or press accreditation. All the dates below were checked on 13 November on the official websites.
The day-by-day calendar
- Monday 16 and Tuesday 17: Cyber Africa Forum, Cotonou (Benin). The sixth edition is being held at the Sofitel Cotonou Marina Hotel & Spa. According to the press release published on the forum’s website, it focuses on digital technology, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, with the support of two Beninese ministries, and expects more than 1,500 participants.
- Tuesday 17 to Thursday 19: Africa Tech Festival, Cape Town, South Africa. The festival takes over the Cape Town International Convention Centre, with a leaders’ council, masterclasses, a startup track and a developer lab on the programme.
- Tuesday 17 to Friday 20: Microsoft Ignite, San Francisco (United States). Microsoft’s conference moves into the Moscone Center and pairs the in-person event with an online version.
- Tuesday 17 to Saturday 21: Algeria 2.0, Algiers (Algeria). The thirteenth edition takes place at the Sidi Abdellah Cyberpark, over five days.
- Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19: Slush, Helsinki (Finland). The Nordic gathering of startups and investors claims more than 12,000 participants, as well as more than 600 side events.
What costs nothing
Algeria 2.0 is the simplest case. According to the event’s FAQ, general admission is completely free, but online registration before attending is compulsory, which the organisers justify on security and logistical grounds. Registration provides an electronic badge giving access to the plenary sessions, the hands-on workshops, presented as 80% of the programme, and the hackathon. This hackathon, called Makers², lasts 48 hours, from 19 to 21 November, and the organisers encourage participants to form teams mixing developers, designers, data scientists and business profiles.
Microsoft Ignite offers a free digital pass, with no travel required, giving access to the keynotes, sessions and a wide choice of technical content. For a French-speaking IT team, it is the most economical way to follow the week’s cloud and AI announcements.
What is paid, or already sold out
In person, Ignite is expensive. The official page lists $2,325 for the conference pass, which gives access to the entire Moscone Center campus, and $1,625 for a “Hub-only” pass, limited to the Hub areas (stands, sessions in the Hub theatres, lunch) from 17 to 19 November. Attendees on site can also register to take a Microsoft or GitHub certification exam free of charge on site.
The Africa Tech Festival sells its passes online, a standard pass and a Platinum package that opens all stages, keynotes included, but neither the home page nor the pass types page shows any price: prices only appear after entering your email address in the registration process. Group registrations were announced as closed on 11 November. The festival also offers passes dedicated to startups (founders and executives) and investors; the page specifies that its free premium passes remain subject to the organiser’s approval.
For Slush, the matter is settled: all the categories displayed on the website, from the startup pass at €395 to the investor pass at €1,195, are marked as sold out. That leaves the livestream: the Founder Stage, the only stage broadcast, can be watched on 18 and 19 November without a ticket, and all on-stage talks are recorded and then published after the event on Slush’s official YouTube channel.
Journalists and creators: where to apply for accreditation
The Cyber Africa Forum has a dedicated accreditation page, with an online form, separate from the participant registration page. The form asks for name, email address, job title, media outlet and a message. With the opening set for Monday 16 November, the request should be sent without delay.
At Slush, the media page specifies that press passes are reserved for journalists and members of editorial teams. Freelancers, podcasters and bloggers are entitled to apply, with closer scrutiny of their profile; public relations professionals are referred to the Ecosystem or Thursday passes, which are themselves sold out. Questions go to media@slush.org.
The Africa Tech Festival uses a “Media & Creator Pass”, reserved for accredited press and content creators. Applications are submitted on the festival’s registration site using an email address, and the press pass remains subject to the organisers’ approval. For Algeria 2.0 and Ignite, the official pages consulted do not describe any accreditation procedure; however, Algeria 2.0 being free and Ignite’s digital pass make the question less pressing.
Keeping up with the following weeks
To prepare for the following weeks, 24h00’s tech events calendar can be filtered by theme and by country. Are you organising one of these events or another one and would like coverage? Invite the 24h00 newsroom via its press and accreditation page.
Frequently asked questions
Which tech events in the week of 16 to 22 November 2026 are free?
Algeria 2.0, in Algiers from 17 to 21 November, is free, provided you register online beforehand to obtain your badge. Microsoft Ignite offers a free digital pass to follow keynotes and sessions remotely.
Can you still get a ticket for Slush 2026?
No, according to the official website consulted on 13 November: all pass categories are shown as sold out. That leaves the livestream of the Founder Stage, on 18 and 19 November, accessible without a ticket.
How do you apply for press accreditation for the Cyber Africa Forum?
The forum’s website offers an accreditation page with an online form, separate from standard registration. As the 2026 edition takes place on 16 and 17 November in Cotonou, the request should be sent without waiting.
Sources
- Cyber Africa Forum 2026, Cotonou, 16 et 17 novembre — site officiel — Cyber Africa Forum, 2026-11-13
- Accréditation — Cyber Africa Forum — Cyber Africa Forum, 2026-11-13
- Africa Tech Festival, 17-19 November 2026, Cape Town — site officiel — Africa Tech Festival, 2026-11-13
- Microsoft Ignite, November 17–20, 2026 in San Francisco — Microsoft, 2026-11-13
- Algeria 2.0, 13e édition, du 17 au 21 novembre 2026 — Algeria 2.0, 2026-11-13
- Slush 2026, Helsinki, Nov 18-19 — Slush, 2026-11-13
- Slush — Media — Slush, 2026-11-13
- Pass Types — Africa Tech Festival 2026 — Africa Tech Festival, 2026-11-13
- Apply for your Press Pass — Africa Tech Festival 2026 — Africa Tech Festival (Informa), 2026-11-13
- Slush 2026 — Livestream — Slush, 2026-11-13