AI for Inclusive Development in Africa 

In South Africa, scientists at the University of Johannesburg used AI to forecast the peak periods of COVID-19, helping develop more effective policy measures¹. In Ghana, StarShea used AI to connect women farmers globally, increasing their earnings by 50% within six months². In Kenya, a groundbreaking startup, SohpieBot³, employs AI-driven chatbots to handle inquiries related to sexual and reproductive health. These are just some of the many AI use cases illustrating the potential of AI adoption on the continent to address critical social, health, and economic challenges.
 

Across the continent, public and private sector interest in AI has been growing rapidly, spurred in part by the capabilities of large language models like ChatGPT. Africa currently counts over 2,400 AI companies⁴, out of which 40% were founded in the last five years. For African nations to sustain and amplify this growth trajectory, governments and the private sector must prioritize AI in their investments. This is essential not only for driving economic expansion, but also for accelerating Africa’s progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially considering the recently adopted UN resolution on AI Governance that aims to promote safe, secure, and trustworthy AI systems.

AI adoption in Africa does not come without costs or risk. Generative AI and large language models ingest vast amounts of data, generating concerns around privacy, data security and copyright infringement. Predictive AI models could upend traditional decision-making and raise ethical questions around biased and inaccurate data. Proponents of AI development in Africa face nascent AI regulations, a large data deficit, and high capital and operating expenses.

To create strong enabling environments across Africa that can realize AI’s immense potential, while minimizing risks, we believe that public and private sector decision-makers should focus on bolstering four pivotal enabling areas: 1) Governance, 2) Data and Digital Infrastructure, 3) Talent, and 4) Funding.

Today, many African nations lack national strategies, institutions, and regulatory frameworks that address AI technologies. This governance vacuum creates uncertainty – stifling investment and hindering innovation in the AI sphere. In this paper we explore these dimensions of AI governance, including challenges and opportunities in each. Subsequent papers in this series will focus on the other three enabling areas.

¹ “AI Is Here to Stay! How Artificial Intelligence Can Contribute to Economic Growth in Africa”. UNU. June 23, 2023
² “AI for Africa’s Socio-Economic Development”. African Union Development Agency AUDA-NEPAD
³ SOPHIE BOT Artificial Intelligence
⁴ AI Media Group: 2022 State of AI in Africa report

Courtney Keene is a Senior Manager at Deloitte who brings 15 years of experience working as a trusted strategic advisor on programming to strengthen local systems and promote inclusive growth. With a focus on the African continent, she has advised and led programs covering 25 African countries on agriculture, energy, governance, health, and water and sanitation. 

Aïcha Mezghani is a Senior Manager at Deloitte Afrique in the International Donor practice, leading several projects on strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems and conducting the design and implementation of public policies, promoting innovation and ICT sectors.

Maryam Kyari is a Senior Consultant at Deloitte focused on conducting economic impact studies and devising corporate social responsibility strategies for clients across energy, real estate, disaster recovery, and education. She aligns the objectives of clients with regulatory guidelines and standard practices and develops governance structures to manage investments and grants.

Ibrahim Almatri is a Senior Consultant in Deloitte’s Risk and Financial Advisory practice working with state and local entities in the development and execution of risk management strategies and crisis recovery efforts.

The authors wish to acknowledge Elizabeth Villarroel, Ramzi Maatoug, Francesca Cavalli, Helena Buckman, Aymen Mtimet, John Millock, Kwame Antwi, Mohamed Baccar Fayache, and Rali Sloan for their extensive contributions to the development of this report. We would also like to thank our colleagues Carlton Jones, Kathleen O'Dell, Mohamed Malouche, Shrupti Shah, Mohamed Sylla, Wessel Oosthuizen and Mulaudzi Rudzani for their insights and guidance.

Finally, this report would not have been possible without the time and invaluable insights shared by startups and SMEs, entrepreneurs, donors, experts, and support organizations. The authors extend their sincere thanks to Aya ElGebeely (Talents Arena), Ali Mnif (Digital Africa), Celina Lee (Zindi Africa), Daniel Djaha (Orange), Jethro Datamwin Apeawini (Classic Data Lab), Olivier Gakwaya (Smart Africa), Sinda Ben Salem (Instadeep), Richard Nii Lante Lawson, Moez Ben Hajhmida (Fairconnect.ai), Nicolas David (AWS), and Wayan Vota (USAID).