Commercial Drones in Africa
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Six sessions exploring the commercial drone landscape across Africa — from investment and aviation regulation to security, mining, and humanitarian applications. This series brought together operators, founders, and industry leaders with direct on-the-ground experience.
Sessions
6
Series
Commercial Drones
Status
Archived
01
From security to mining, explore how unmanned technology is reshaping operations across the continent.
Investment & Capital
The Investment Case for Commercial Drones in Africa
Africa’s drone sector is attracting serious capital — but understanding where to deploy it requires more than enthusiasm. This session explored the investment thesis behind commercial drone operations on the continent, the metrics that matter, and how technology-driven aerial platforms are generating returns across agriculture, logistics, and infrastructure inspection.
Capital Deployment * Emerging Market Returns * Technology Investment
Eden (Abraham) Attias
Executive Chairman
RocketDNA Ltd
Eden brings deep experience in drone technology investment and the commercialisation of aerial intelligence platforms across emerging markets.
02
Commercial Operations
Building a Commercial Drone Business at Scale
Crowddroning and distributed drone networks are reshaping how commercial drone data is captured and delivered globally. This session examined what it takes to build and operate a scalable drone business — from managing operator networks and data pipelines to winning enterprise clients across African markets.
Crowddroning * Data Services * Enterprise Sales
Arnaud Henneville-Wedholm
Head of Sales & Business Development
Globhe
Arnaud leads global commercial strategy at GLOBHE, one of the world’s leading crowddroning platforms, with a focus on enterprise and humanitarian data markets.
03
Industry Landscape
The State of Commercial Aviation & Drones Across Africa
Africa’s aviation sector is undergoing a quiet transformation — and drones are at the centre of it. This session offered a broad industry view of where commercial aviation and drone operations intersect across the continent, including the infrastructure gaps, logistics opportunities, and the regulatory realities shaping the path forward.
Aviation Industry * Logistics * Pan-African Landscape
Sanjeev Gadhia
Founder & CEO
Astral Aviation Ltd
Sanjeev founded Astral Aviation, one of Africa’s leading cargo airlines, and brings a rare, continent-wide perspective on the intersection of aviation infrastructure and emerging drone operations.
04
Security & Surveillance
Drones in Security: Real-World Applications Across Africa
Commercial drones are rapidly becoming a critical tool in security operations across Africa — from border surveillance and infrastructure protection to crowd monitoring and rapid response. This session covered the operational realities, technology stack, and client landscape for drone-based security services on the continent.
UAV Surveillance * Infrastructure Protection * Security Operations
Bertus van Zyl
Managing Director
Globhe
Bertus leads UAV Aerial’s operations with a focus on security, surveillance, and critical infrastructure monitoring across Southern and Sub-Saharan Africa.
05
Mining & Resource Sector
Drones in Mining: Efficiency, Safety & Data Across African Operations
The mining sector across Africa is one of the fastest adopters of commercial drone technology — using aerial platforms for site surveys, volumetric analysis, safety monitoring, and environmental compliance. This session explored practical applications, operational integration, and the business case for drone deployment at scale within African mining operations.
Mining Operations * Surveying & Mapping * Safety Compliance
Kim James
Co-Owner & Operator
UAV Aerial
Kim brings hands-on operational expertise in UAV deployment within the mining sector, with direct experience running drone services across resource-intensive African environments.
06
Regulation & Social Impact
Aviation 3.0: Navigating Regulation & Drones for Good
Africa’s drone regulatory environment is evolving rapidly — and the organizations shaping it are not just governments. This session examined the state of drone regulation across key African markets, the emergence of Aviation 3.0 frameworks, and how drone technology is being deployed for humanitarian, environmental, and social good across the continent.
Aviation Regulation * Humanitarian Use * Aviation 3.0
Gary (Garo) Vermaak
Founder
Drones4Good
Garo is a pioneer in African drone research and humanitarian applications, and a leading voice on aviation regulation and the evolving role of unmanned systems across the continent.
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