The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in partnership with The Quantum Insider, hosted the second episode of the Quantum World Tour on October 9, 2025, with a focus on South Africa. The 90-minute online session was held on the AI for Good Neural Network platform as part of the 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.
The program featured a briefing on national quantum efforts by Professor Andrew Forbes, Director of the South African Quantum Technology Initiative (SA QuTI), followed by a panel discussion on strategy and scale with Forbes, Dr. Isaac Nape of IBM, and Dr. Yaseera Ismail of Stellenbosch University. A startup showcase and a panel on workforce development rounded out the event.
South Africa was selected as the Tour’s second country episode, following its launch during the 2025 AI for Good Global Summit. Subsequent episodes were planned for China, Russia, South Korea, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.