Singularity SA 2025 Calls for Conscious Innovation
Singularity SA 2025 Focuses on Emotional Intelligence, Innovation, and Adaptive Leadership for the Exponential Age
Johannesburg, 30 October 2025: The Singularity South Africa Summit 2025, hosted in collaboration with Old Mutual and metaverse partner UBU, concluded in Johannesburg last week after two days of keynote talks, focused debate and practical demonstrations. The final day brought a sharper emphasis on human biology, learning, urban design and social purpose, with speakers sharing concrete interventions for leaders, innovators and policy makers who have the opportunity to steer exponential technologies toward measurable social value.
Sleep as a Strategic Asset
Dr Michael Breus, known widely as “The Sleep Doctor,” framed sleep as a performance and public health lever, not a private luxury. He explained how sleep drive and circadian rhythm interact to determine restorative sleep, and outlined simple, evidence-based interventions that boost cognition and resilience. A practical example was the so-called napa latte, a short nap followed by a small dose of caffeine, which can reset alertness for a few hours, he said, cautioning that it is an occasional hack rather than a daily fix.
Breus stressed the glymphatic system’s role in clearing brain proteins during deep sleep, and noted that early detection of REM behaviour disorders can signal later neurodegenerative risk. He also described chronotypes and their implications for workplace scheduling, and presented a five-step plan that can lift sleep quality by 20 to 30 percent in three weeks. The message was clear: organisations that respect sleep biology can unlock productivity, creativity and long-term health.
Human-centred Innovation and Cognitive Health
Jeff Karp set out a bio-inspired approach to technology development, showing how lessons from nature can produce medical devices and platform spinouts that move from lab to market. His lab’s portfolio, including FDA-approved surgical glue and a nasal spray to reduce viral spread, illustrated how creativity rooted in biology produces commercial resilience.
Karp also urged deliberate pattern interruption to counteract attention economy harms, ranging from simple home rituals to reworked meeting cadences. Shorter meetings with built in pauses, sensory focus exercises and anti-convenience practices were positioned as scalable ways to sharpen perception and sustain innovation capacity.
Cities, Mobility and New Real Estate Models
Hongqi Guo addressed the scale of urban migration and the architectural response required. With hundreds of millions moving to cities, he argued for vertical, transit-oriented solutions that preserve land while creating mixed-use neighbourhoods. Some of the remarkable projects showcased included high-rise CBDs, new towns built around high-speed rail nodes, and a horizontal skyscraper concept that stacks life, work and leisure within a single structure.
Guo also shared modular vertiports to support eVTOL networks and plans to repurpose polluting industrial zones into semiconductor and research clusters. His work suggested cities can be shaped to host economic renewal and cultural life at the same time.
Adaptability, Leadership and the Future of Work
Futurist John Sanei delivered a powerful talk exploring IRL – The “in real life” imperative, unpacking how the way we can add value is shifting from IQ and hard skills to emotional intelligence and adaptability. He emphasised that in a world where AI surpasses average human cognitive capacity, the ability to manage emotions, navigate triggers, and remain adaptable is what will define success. Sanei highlighted meditation as a practical tool to calm the nervous system, increase brain fitness, and facilitate awareness shifts, allowing individuals to move from reactive high-beta brain states to more reflective alpha states. He urged leaders and workers alike to embrace emotional intelligence and self-awareness as essential assets for thriving in evolving environments.
Valter Adao, Chief Executive at Cadena Growth Partners, emphasised that digital transformation begins with leadership transformation. He argued that many organisations fall short not because of technology, but because leaders fail to adopt new ways of thinking. Adao called for a culture of continuous learning and experimentation, supported by digital literacy across all levels of business, to ensure sustainable innovation rather than reactionary change.
Dr Mark Nasila, Chief Data and AI Officer at First National Bank, grounded the discussion in the practical realities of artificial intelligence. He cautioned that successful AI integration depends on clear governance, ethical oversight, and a focus on augmenting rather than replacing human potential. Nasila illustrated how human-centred design and adaptive policymaking can help organisations use AI responsibly to improve decision-making and drive long-term value.
Innovation For Social Impact
The summit ended on a powerful note with Bohlale Mphahlele from Limpopo, whose Alerting Earpiece has the potential to revolutionise society’s response to gender based violence. The discreet wearable device can send distress alerts, GPS location and audio evidence to trusted contacts and authorities when a person feels threatened.
Her presentation translated the conference’s themes into a tangible effort to protect women and children, and highlighted how AI, IoT and blockchain can support safety, evidence integrity and rapid response. Her presence further highlighted the summit’s call to prioritise innovations that address real suffering and restore dignity.
Moving Forward
As the 2025 summit drew to a close, delegates left with a set of practical action items: align work schedules with biological rhythms where possible, embed pauses and sensory practices into daily routines, pursue nature-informed design in product development, invest in board-level digital fluency and reskill across all layers of organisations, and scale empathetic technologies that tackle pressing social problems.
Co-CEOs Mic Mann and Shayne Mann thanked delegates, partners and speakers for their engagement and announced that the 2026 Singularity South Africa Summit will take place on Wednesday, 21 and Thursday, 22 October at the Sandton Convention Centre.
For regular updates, follow Singularity South Africa on social media @singularityusouthafrica. To join the Singularity community of changemakers, or to learn more, visit singularityusouthafricasummit.org.
