Welcome to this week’s Africa AI News email digest!

Another big newsletter issue today! First, the GSMA and five African governments launches ATLAS Umoja to build models for African languages. Meanwhile, Spanish outsourcing group Konecta opens a $100 million AI centre in Egypt; Oracle prepares for a sovereign cloud region in Nairobi; and Google launches a South African accelerator offering 15 startups up to R1 million each.

Elsewhere, Mauritius launches a nationwide AI readiness survey; PwC finds nearly 70% of South African mines rate their AI readiness as poor or very poor; and the IMF names Nigeria among Africa’s leading AI economies.

Scroll down for more news.

Thanks for reading!

/Carrington

GSMA and five nations launch ATLAS Umoja

#Africa #sovereignAI - GSMA and the governments of Benin, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria and Togo have launched ATLAS Umoja AI to develop models for African languages. The initiative builds on Nigeria’s N-ATLAS and aims to address a major gap: fewer than 2% of Africa’s languages receive meaningful support from current platforms. (Africa AI News)

FDI

Konecta opens $100M AI hub in Egypt

#Egypt #FDI - Spanish outsourcing group Konecta has opened its regional headquarters and first global generative AI centre of excellence in New Cairo. Part of a $100 million investment, the facility employs 800 specialists and is expected to expand to around 3,000 staff by the end of 2028. (Middle East AI News)

Economy

Nigeria named among Africa’s leading AI economies

#Nigeria #technology - The IMF has identified Nigeria as one of Africa’s leading artificial intelligence economies, citing progress in policy and ecosystem development. Minister Dr. Bosun Tijani highlighted initiatives including the National AI Strategy and 3MTT, while the IMF urged continued investment in electricity, broadband infrastructure and digital skills. (Veegil Media)

Startups

Fincart raises $2.8M Seed for merchant platform

#Egypt #funding - Egyptian startup Fincart raised a $2.8 million Seed round. Launch Africa Ventures and Antler MENAP co-led the financing, joined by Yango Ventures. Fincart will use the money to scale its AI-powered merchant operating system, expand its team, and move beyond Egypt from 2027. (TechCabal)

Google opens South Africa startup accelerator

#SouthAfrica #funding - Google opened applications on 27 July for a three-month South Africa accelerator for 15 AI-driven startups. Each selected company can receive up to R1 million in non-dilutive funding, plus Google cloud infrastructure, Gemini tools and specialist mentoring. Applications close 28 August; the programme runs from 28 September to 4 December. (Google Blog Africa)

iHUB backs 12 Kenyan edtech startups

#Kenya #funding - iHUB and the Mastercard Foundation selected 12 early-stage Kenyan edtech startups for a fellowship cohort Each can receive up to $100,000 in equity-free funding over 18 months, alongside technical support, product development, pilot testing and investor preparation. JUZA AI is among the selected companies. (TechCabal)

Infrastructure

Oracle prepares for Nairobi cloud region

#Kenya #cloud - Oracle convened a sovereign cloud summit in Nairobi on 29 July ahead of its planned Kenyan cloud region. Hosted at iXAfrica’s NBOX1 campus, the facility is expected to deliver more than 20MW of IT capacity and support high-density AI workloads. Oracle has not announced a commercial launch date. (CIO Africa)

Morocco signs Vertiv infrastructure MoU

#Morocco #datacetnres - Morocco’s digital ministry has signed an MoU with Vertiv covering cloud, AI, high-performance computing, data centres, power and cooling. It includes talks about a 50MW sovereign data centre in Rabat, aligned with the Digital Morocco 2030 and AI Made in Morocco roadmaps. This is not a construction award. (Developing Telecoms)

Wingu expands Dar es Salaam data centre

#Tanzania #datacentres - Wingu Africa is expanding its Dar es Salaam data centre with white space, high-power racks, reinforced power and cooling, and interconnection rooms. The site is being prepared for AI workloads. Operations are expected in early 2027; no added MW figure was disclosed. (The Guardian)

AI Government

South Africa announces Batho Pele chatbot

#SouthAfrica #chatbots - South Africa’s Department of Public Service and Administration announced a Batho Pele chatbot together with Meta and Juicetel. The tool is designed to answer in nine official languages and surface policy updates, circulars and legislation for public servants. (SAnews.gov.za)

Education

Vodacom, UJ and AWS build AI talent pipeline

#SouthAfrica #education - Vodacom, the University of Johannesburg and Amazon Web Services launched an AI skills partnership. It combines learning, postgraduate research and industry mentoring. Students are working on cyber-threat detection and digital identity projects. The programme starts in South Africa and may expand across Vodacom’s African markets. (ITWeb)

IUCEA launches East Africa university AI network

#Kenya #education - The Inter-University Council for East Africa launched a Regional AI Network of Universities and its 2026–2031 plan in Nairobi on 29 July. The network will link institutions across East African Community states to share expertise and infrastructure for AI education, research and innovation. No participating-university list or budget was disclosed. (IUCEA)

UNESCO trains 32 Zanzibar officers in AI skills

#Tanzania #education - UNESCO trained 32 Zanzibar correctional officers in AI skills during a 14–16 July programme. Sessions covered prompt engineering, AI-assisted research, responsible use, manipulated-media detection, and offline AI tools. Participants also created departmental action plans, while UNESCO produced reusable training materials. No follow-up outcomes were reported. (UNESCO)

AI Readiness

Mauritius launches nationwide AI readiness survey

#Mauritius #AIreadiness - Mauritius has launched a survey to measure business adoption, readiness and governance of artificial intelligence. Findings will guide policy and digital transformation. The government is also establishing an AI unit, national strategy, laboratories and training programmes, while targeting ICT’s GDP contribution to rise from 5.4% to 10–12%. (ITWeb Africa)

Mining

Nearly 70% of SA mines unready for AI

#SouthAfrica #mining - PwC South Africa says nearly 70% of mines rate their AI readiness as poor or very poor, while over 85% judge data management average or poor. Skills shortages, weak governance and limited executive alignment are slowing deployment, despite growing interest in productivity, safety and operational decision-making. (ITWeb)

Automotive

Morocco deploys AI patrol vehicles in Casablanca

#Morocco #security - Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security has deployed Amane and Madar, AI-equipped patrol vehicles, in Casablanca. Using 360-degree cameras, number-plate recognition and real-time access to police databases, the systems are designed to strengthen urban security operations and give officers faster information during patrols. (Morocco World News)

Environment

Morocco tests AI and drones against toxic algae

#Morocco #water - Morocco is testing artificial intelligence, aquatic drones, ecological sensors and satellite imagery to detect toxic algae before blooms threaten reservoirs. The monitoring system combines real-time data with predictive models, helping authorities protect scarce freshwater supplies used for drinking and irrigation as climate and water pressures intensify. (Noticias Ambientales)

Tunisia tests AI drones for crops and fires

#Tunisia #agriculture - Tunisian innovator Hassan Hamrouni has developed a drone and sensor platform that analyses crop images, detects plant disease and provides early fire warnings. Tests reportedly achieved about 95% accuracy, while registration is under way with Tunisia’s National Institute for Standardisation and Industrial Property (INNORPI). (Agenzia Nova)

[ This newsletter was both AI edited & human edited ]

#Nigeria #Africa #languages - Mobile communications association the GSMA has partnered with the governments of Benin, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria and Togo to launch ATLAS Umoja AI, a pan-African initiative to develop AI models that understand and operate in African languages. The launch follows the Abuja Ministerial Declaration on Meaningful Connectivity, adopted at the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) conference in Abuja, which commits governments to modernising technology regulation and expanding infrastructure. Commenting at the conference, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Dr Bosun Tijani said fewer than 2 percent of Africa’s languages currently receive meaningful support from modern AI platforms.

SO WHAT? - More than 2,000 African languages exist, 54 countries are so far included in the scope for ATLAS Umoja, and today only one has a live national sovereign AI model. The scale of the imbalance compared to high resource languages such as English, French and Spanish is enormous. Nigeria's N-ATLAS initiative is already producing working AI tools that are capable in Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo languages, proving that once a local-language models exists, developers move fast to build things people actually need. ATLAS Umoja aims to dramatically increase the number of African models and the number African languages supported by them.

KEY POINTS:

• The GSMA and the governments of Benin, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria and Togo have launched ATLAS Umoja AI to strengthen collaboration on African language AI, in collaboration with private partners Awarri, Zindi, Pawa AI and Mozisha,

• The initiative pools regional datasets and research to develop scalable AI systems capable of understanding and operating in African languages, complementing existing national AI programmes.

• Angela Wamola, Head of Africa at the GSMA, said the initiative will help tackle digital illiteracy and the lack of locally relevant content, two of the biggest barriers to internet adoption across the continent.

• Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Dr Bosun Tijani said less than 2% of Africa’s languages receive meaningful support from current AI systems, despite the continent holding around a tenth of the world’s languages.

• ATLAS Umoja builds on Nigeria’s N-ATLAS, described as Africa’s first government-wide open-source large language model, launched in collaboration with the UN General Assembly the previous year.

• Private sector partners Awarri and Zindi will engage local developers and data scientists to help build foundational AI models under the initiative.

• The launch builds on the newly established AI for Good Global Commission, with ministers from Nigeria, Namibia and Togo, who sit on the Commission, committing support for ATLAS Umoja.

• The Abuja Declaration and ATLAS Umoja were both unveiled at the ATU Conference of Plenipotentiaries in Abuja, hosted by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and attended by Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima’s office.

• Nigeria’s NCC Executive Vice-Chairman Dr Aminu Maida called for African telecom regulators to build more systematic cooperation ahead of the 2026 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Doha, Qatar.

ZOOM OUT - ATLAS Umoja builds directly on N-ATLAS, the Nigerian government's own open-source large language model trained to understand and generate the country's languages. Nigeria is one of the world’s most linguistically diverse countries, with more than 500 languages. N-ATLAS was built to preserve the nation’s language diversity, whilst giving developers a foundation for local-language tools in education, governance, health and commerce. Nigeria open-sourced the model specifically to invite researchers and communities elsewhere to build on it, describing it as a national commitment to unity and inclusion as much as a technical project. That's the template ATLAS Umoja now scales across five countries.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: GSMA, MCIDE, various

LINK

• ATLAS Umoja (website)

Welcome to this week’s Africa AI News email digest!

A big newsletter issue today! Kenya opens consultation on a new emerging technologies policy; Egypt launches a national AI competency framework for teachers; NVIDIA backs an Egyptian AI accelerator; US-based Vercel acquires South African DevOps startup Stakpak; meanwhile Launch Africa Ventures discloses 15 new early-stage investments across AI, fintech and enterprise technology.

Data centre investment continued to gather pace. Côte d’Ivoire approved a $170 million sovereign data centre and digital infrastructure project, Cape Town cleared two hyperscale facilities expected to consume around 174MW, and Cassava Technologies secured Africa’s first Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute Metro location. Also see news from Raxio Group and Ethio Telecom.

Scroll down for more news.

Thanks for reading!

/Carrington

Policy

Kenya opens consultation on draft tech policy

#Kenya #policy - Kenya’s Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy has opened consultation on a 2026 policy creating a national emerging technologies council, risk-based system classifications, mandatory registration for high-risk applications and regulatory sandboxes. Public submissions are due by 4 August 2026. (Africa AI News)

Startups

NVIDIA backs accelerator for Egypt AI startups

#Egypt #startups - NVIDIA has launched its SIGNALS programme in Egypt with RiseUp, A15 and BitRoot to connect AI startups with the NVIDIA Inception ecosystem. The initiative provides technical training, engineering support, GPU credits and access to investors and global partners to help Egyptian AI ventures scale internationally. (Arageek)

Vercel acquires Egyptian startup Stakpak

#Egypt #M&A - US developer Vercel acquired Egyptian AI DevOps startup Stakpak, in a deal whose value was not disclosed. Founded in 2023, Stakpak built an open-source autonomous DevOps agent; its Egyptian engineering team will join Vercel, while founder George Fahmy moves into the US. (African-Startups)

Native acquires South African data firm Frontline

#SouthAfrica #M&A - US AI company Native acquired South African market-research firm Frontline Research Group, with the price undisclosed. Frontline’s panels cover more than 14 African markets. Native will add that data to its Store Graph and agent workflows. (Yahoo Finance)

Launch Africa makes 15 new early-stage investments

#Africa #funding - Launch Africa Ventures reported 15 new Fund II investments and nine follow-ons in a 20 July update. The portfolio spans AI, B2B commerce, supply-chain technology, embedded finance and future-of-work solutions across Africa. It is a fund-deployment update, not a single disclosed funding round. (TechCabal)

Data Centres

Côte d’Ivoire approves $170m data centre project

#CotedIvoire #datacentres - Côte d’Ivoire approved Cybastion to advance a $170 million project covering a sovereign data centre, government digital platform and smart-border system. Cisco will support the effort with Cybastion and the US embassy. (Developing Telecoms)

Cape Town approves two hyperscale data centres

#SouthAfrica #datacentres - Cape Town approved two hyperscale data centres expected to draw about 174MW when operational. The projects would add large electricity demand to the city’s grid and tie AI capacity to power availability, but the report did not identify operators or construction timelines. (Energy News Network)

Cassava wins Africa’s first Azure Metro site

#SouthAfrica #datacentres - Cassava Technologies’ Africa Data Centres in Johannesburg became Africa’s first Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute Metro peering location on 20 July. Its Liquid C2 unit plans Secure CloudConnect, which uses two metro peering sites to provide redundant connectivity for critical cloud workloads. (TechTrendsKE)

Raxio backs AFR-IX expansion in Angola, Mozambique

#Africa #datacentres - Raxio Group said that its Tier III data centres in Angola and Mozambique will host AFR-IX Telecom’s network expansion. The partnership adds local backbone capacity for cloud, AI applications and data-heavy workloads in Angola and Mozambique, using carrier-neutral facilities in both markets. (Developing Telecoms)

Ethio Telecom explores AI-ready data centre deal

#Ethiopia #datacentres - Ethio Telecom opened talks with Inspur Software Technology and Shandong Hi-Speed Road and Bridge International on 17 July about high-performance computing, AI-ready data centres and cloud platforms. The parties also discussed technology transfer, digital skills and a wider African rollout, with teams tasked to draft a roadmap. (TechTrendsKE)

Education

UNIBEN fund backs AI centre and research

#Nigeria #education - Nigeria’s University of Benin launched a ₦100 billion trust fund on 20 July to support infrastructure, research and academic programmes, including an AI centre. Technology leaders Tom Ilube and Hakeem Belo-Osagie pledged support for AI education, curriculum development and the centre’s establishment, according to Billionaires Africa. (Billionaires Africa)

Michigan launches $6m AI fellowship for African faculty

#Africa #research - The University of Michigan has launched a two-year African Faculty Fellows programme with about $6 million in backing. Fellows spend a year in Michigan on AI training and research, then return to Africa for a year applying projects and building institutional capacity. Applications open 17 August. (Opportunities for Youth)

Nigeria opens second GenAI fellowship for young people

#Nigeria #education - The Bosun Tijani Foundation, founded by Nigeria’s Minister of Communications Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, opened applications on 20 July for the second six-month Gen AI Fellowship cohort. The programme offers AI engineering and AI application tracks, a ₦50,000 monthly stipend, mentoring and placement support. Applications close 31 July, with training scheduled to begin on 1 September. (Technology Times)

Egypt launches national AI framework for teachers

#Egypt #education - Egypt has launched a national Artificial Intelligence Competency Framework for Teachers with UNESCO, becoming one of the first countries to adapt UNESCO’s global AI framework for national use. The initiative will guide teacher training, curriculum reform and AI adoption through online and in-person programmes, Arabic learning resources and teacher training hubs. (UNESCO)

Morocco taps Capgemini to boost AI skills

#Morocco #skils - Morocco has signed an MoU with Capgemini Morocco to strengthen AI skills across government, universities and research institutions. The partnership supports the Morocco Digital 2030 strategy, which aims to create 240,000 digital jobs, grow 3,000 startups and unlock more than $10 billion in AI-driven GDP. (We Are Tech Africa)

Ghana opens Women Techsters Sprint applications

#Ghana #women - Tech4Dev opened applications on 21 July for its Women Techsters Sprint in Ghana, a virtual programme for women aged 18–40. Training covers data science, cybersecurity and software development, with mentoring, practical projects and job preparation; the wider programme includes an AI masterclass and spans 30 African countries. (TechCabal)

Somalia opens its first national AI centre

#Somalia #education - Somali National University launched the country’s first National AI Centre in Mogadishu on 21 July. It will support research, academic courses, professional training and projects in machine learning, natural-language processing, data science, computer vision, robotics and AI ethics for public and economic uses. (Intelligent CIO Africa)

[ This newsletter was both AI edited & human edited ]

#Kenya #policy - Kenya’s Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy has opened public participation on the Draft Artificial Intelligence and Other Emerging Technologies Policy, 2026, with Kenya’s State Department for Parliamentary Affairs issuing the call this week. The draft policy proposes a national framework covering governance, development, deployment and use of AI across all sectors, including a new National AI and other Emerging Technologies Council, The council is to be led by an AI and other Emerging Technologies Director supported by a Governing Board, a Technical Advisory Forum and five specialised Directorates responsible for different areas of governance. Written public submissions for the consultation are due by 4 August 2026 (twelve days from the announcement).

SO WHAT? - Kenya has moved quite fast on AI governance this year, from a Senate-ordered directive to draft a national policy, to a Cabinet Standing Committee on AI formed earlier this month. The Draft Artificial Intelligence and Other Emerging Technologies Policy is shared for public consultation, four months after the Senate requested the policy. However, the new policy doesn’t reference the Senate bill and doesn’t seem to seek alignment with it. Among other things, the Senate bill proposes an Office of the Artificial Intelligence Commissioner that would investigate complaints and enforce powers. According to the draft policy, this responsibility is included under the broader remit of the National AI and other Emerging Technologies Council.

KEY POINTS:

• The Draft Artificial Intelligence and Other Emerging Technologies Policy, 2026, was developed by a multi-stakeholder committee and published online this week by Kenya’s Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy.

• The policy aims to establish the formation of a National AI and other Emerging Technologies Council as the central regulatory authority for AI and other Emerging Technologies. The council will be led by an AI and other Emerging Technologies Director supported by a Governing Board, a Technical Advisory Forum and five Directorates (Policy & Standards; Compliance & Risk; Regulatory Sandbox; Advisory and Capacity Building; and Safety and Security).

• The new AI policy introduces classification of AI systems by risk level, mandatory registration for high-risk applications, and regulatory sandboxes intended to balance innovation with safety.

• The Draft Artificial Intelligence and Other Emerging Technologies Policy is structured around nine pillars:

  • Research, Innovation and Commercialization Ecosystem Development;

  • Sectoral Applications of AI and other Emerging Technologies;

  • Capacity and Human Capital Development;

  • Environmental Sustainability and Green Intelligence;

  • Governance, Legal and Regulatory Frameworks;

  • Data Ecosystem Management;

  • Ethics, Safety, Security and Inclusion;

  • Infrastructure and Digital Readiness; and

  • Sovereignty and Strategic Autonomy.

• The new policy builds on Kenya’s existing AI Strategy (2025-2030), the Digital Master Plan (2022-2032) and the Data Protection Act (2019), while aiming to close coordination gaps identified in stakeholder consultations.

• The policy is framed as supporting Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), positioning AI as a driver of inclusive growth and productivity.

• The draft policy appears to diverge from the Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026, introduced in the Senate in March 2026, which proposed a differently structured Office of the AI Commissioner with its own investigation, penalty and sandbox powers. These responsibilities are covered in the policy under the National AI and other Emerging Technologies Council.

• Among other things, the March Bill, proposed fines of up to KES 5 million (roughly $40,000) and prison terms of up to two years for creating or distributing harmful AI-generated content.

• Public comments and memoranda regarding the Draft Artificial Intelligence and Other Emerging Technologies Policy must be submitted via email or delivered physically to the Committee on AI and Other Emerging Technologies in Nairobi, by 4 August 2026.

ZOOM OUT - Kenya launched the AI Strategy this policy builds on in March 2025, unveiled by Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo Gitau. Built around three pillars, AI digital infrastructure, data and AI governance, and research and commercialisation, it set out to develop localised AI models for sectors like agriculture, healthcare and education, back. The national strategy was developed with the support of the EU, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Canada’s International Development Research Centre and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

Artificial intelligence is forecast to add up to $2.4 billion to Kenya's economy by 2030, while its ICT market is expected to grow from $11.19 billion in 2025 to $14.92 billion by 2030. With the national AI strategy already in implementation, many in Kenya’s government wants to see a strong governance framework in place, before the sector scales further and gaps may become harder to close.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: Ministry of ICDE

DOWNLOAD

Draft Kenya AI & Other Emerging Technologies Policy (July 2026)

5.16MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

LINK

• Call for public participation (MICDE website)

Read more about Kenya’s AI policymaking:

• Kenya Cabinet forms committee to drive national AI strategy (Africa AI News)

• Kenya’s Senate orders new AI policy following new AI bill (Africa AI News)

• Kenya launches ambitious AI roadmap for digital future (Africa AI News)

• Kenya grants just 5 days for feedback on AI strategy (Africa AI News)

Welcome to this week’s Africa AI News email digest!

As usual, lots happening across the continent. South African startups Cue and HyperDev secured fresh investment to expand AI-powered customer service and software deployment; Kenya joined the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), while COMESA advanced plans for a regional AI framework across 21 member states. Across the continent, organisations continued investing in AI talent, with Morocco launching a digital leadership academy for women, and the University of Benin securing support for a new AI centre.

Meanwhile, data centre group Raxio has disclosed a capital increase to $380 million, funding its Africa investment. Tanzania is the next market for the data centre investor/operator, which is expected to go live later this year.

Scroll down for more news.

Thanks for reading!

/Carrington

Data Centres

Raxio passes $380 million in committed capital

#Africa #datacentres – Pan-African operator Raxio Group has surpassed $380 million in committed capital after shareholders Roha and Meridiam increased their equity stakes. The company reported sixfold growth in contracted power during the first half of 2026 as cloud and AI workloads drive demand for larger, higher-density data centres. (Africa AI News)

Startups

Cue raises $5 million for customer-service agents

#SouthAfrica #funding – Cape Town-based Cue raised $5 million in a round co-led by Knife Capital and FAM Investments. Serving more than 500 companies across South Africa and the UK, the platform will invest in autonomous agents, voice infrastructure, security, integrations and international expansion. (African-Startups)

HyperDev secures over $1 million for deployment

#SouthAfrica #funding – South African generative-AI software platform HyperDev raised more than $1 million, reported as R16 million, from RIQ, Loom Ventures and other investors. Announced within three months of launch, the funding will target the gap between AI-generated code and deployed software. (Tech In Africa)

Kuadra to launch Egypt construction AI

#Egypt #construction – Kuadra is preparing to launch Egypt’s first unified AI platform for the construction sector. The platform automates tender analysis, procurement and project management, reducing document processing from days to hours, with future expansion planned into the oil and gas industry. (Daily News Egypt)

Investment

Kenya-France back ventures across six countries

#Kenya #innovation – Kenya and France launched a research-to-venture programme linking AI training, innovation hubs and youth entrepreneurship across six African countries. The initiative includes EUR 1.9 million for African large-language-model development and a pilot involving French Tech Nairobi and Kenyan technology company Qhala. (Ecofin Agency)

COMESA advances regional AI framework

#Africa #Policy – COMESA began consultations on a regional AI strategy, coordinated regulatory framework and digital-inclusion plan for its 21 member states. The process forms part of the World Bank-backed $2.48 billion IDEA programme, with workshops completed in Kenya and Zambia and further consultations planned. (Ecofin Agency)

Telecom

Ethio Telecom and Huawei widen partnership

#Ethiopia #telecom – Ethio Telecom and Huawei expanded their partnership into AI, cloud, cybersecurity, IoT and data centres. They also plan to extend Telebirr beyond mobile payments into business tools, e-commerce, microcredit and cloud services for SMEs, building on its reported 54.84 million users. (Ecofin Agency)

Education

Tomorrow Foundation expands learning in Nigeria

#Nigeria #education – Tomorrow Foundation signed a three-year partnership with Thunderbird School of Global Management and Arizona State University to bring the 100 Million Learners Initiative to Nigeria. The self-paced programme offers up to 40 languages and pathways covering entrepreneurship, leadership and future-ready skills. (IT News Africa)

UNIBEN wins backing for AI centre and research

#Benin #education – The University of Benin has secured major funding commitments through its new Trust Development Fund, including support for an AI Centre, AI curriculum development and ICT infrastructure. Additional pledges cover renewable energy, research facilities and scholarships. (Independent Nigeria)

Morocco launches women’s digital leadership academy

#Morocco #education – Morocco and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have launched the Women’s Leadership Academy for the Digital Era to strengthen digital, leadership and innovation skills. The initiative aims to prepare more women for leadership roles as the country expands AI adoption and digital government services. (Arab Founders)

Policy

Kenya joins global AI cooperation organisation

#Kenya #policy – Kenya has signed the agreement establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), saying it will promote inclusive access to AI as a global public good. The government says the partnership supports its National Artificial Intelligence Strategy and ambitions to become a leading African AI innovation hub. (Tech Review Africa)

Digital Economy

World Bank backs Egypt’s AI transition

#Egypt #digitaleconomy– The World Bank Group has pledged to support Egypt’s digital economy and artificial intelligence ambitions, including broadband expansion and implementation of the country’s second National AI Strategy. Discussions also covered data governance, digital infrastructure, investment, public-private partnerships and AI skills development. (Daily News Egypt)

Gambia central bank launches research initiative

#Gambia #financialservices – The Central Bank of The Gambia has launched a Working Papers and Seminar Series to strengthen evidence-based policymaking and research. The initiative will explore issues including artificial intelligence, data science and digital technology, while fostering collaboration with universities, African central banks and international partners. (The Point)

Egypt expands AI finance training

#Egypt #training – The Central Bank of Egypt has launched the fifth cohort of its Generative AI in Finance programme. Delivered with industry partners, the initiative equips banking professionals with skills in large language models, financial modelling, compliance and digital transformation. (Businessmen Egypt)

Music

Uganda’s AI music boom sparks copyright debate

#Uganda #music – Ugandan musicians are increasingly using AI to write lyrics, compose melodies and speed up production, lowering costs and widening access to professional tools. Artists and legal experts, however, say updated copyright laws are needed to protect creators as AI content becomes more sophisticated. (CGTN)

Space

Namibia and China launch AI satellite project

#Namibia #space – Namibia and China’s STAR VISION have announced a joint AI satellite project to strengthen satellite engineering and space science capabilities. The initiative includes researcher and student training in orbital engineering and supports Namibia’s long-term ambitions in Earth observation and AI-enabled satellite applications. (Space in Africa)

[ This newsletter was both AI edited & human edited ]

#Africa #datacentres - Pan-African data centre operator Raxio Group has passed $380 million in committed capital after shareholders Roha, a US-based infrastructure investor, and French infrastructure firm Meridiam increased their stakes, up from a previous $350 million base. The fresh equity follows a $100 million financing package the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation provided last year, alongside debt funding from Proparco and the Emerging Africa & Asia Infrastructure Fund. Raxio said contracted power capacity grew sixfold in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year, driven by rising demand for cloud and AI workloads.

SO WHAT? - Africa’s data centre market is still tiny by global standards, but McKinsey projects installed capacity needs to grow from 0.4 gigawatts today to as much as 2.2 gigawatts by 2030, unlocking at least $20 billion in new revenue. Raxio’s sixfold jump in contracted power, and a growing pipeline of 10-megawatt-plus deployments, suggests that growth is taking place. Meanwhile, new demand from AI workloads seem to be pushing operators to build denser, higher-performance facilities.

KEY POINTS

• Raxio Group surpassed $380 million in committed capital as shareholders Roha and Meridiam increased their equity stakes, building on a previous $350 million capital base.

• The new equity follows a $100 million financing package secured from the IFC last year, plus debt funding from Proparco and the Emerging Africa & Asia Infrastructure Fund.

• Raxio operates Tier III-certified, carrier-neutral data centres in Uganda, Ethiopia, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire and Angola, with a planned expansion into Tanzania under development.

• The company signed contracts for six times more power during the first half of 2026 than in the same period in 2025.

• According to Raxio, it is seeing a growing pipeline of deployments requiring 10 megawatts of capacity and above, larger than past project sizes.

• The company is increasing rack densities across its data centre facilities to support higher-performance computing and AI workloads.

• McKinsey expects Africa’s data centre capacity to grow from 0.4 gigawatts today to between 1.5 and 2.2 gigawatts by 2030, unlocking at least $20 billion in new value-chain revenue.

• Raxio says it has built more greenfield data centres in Africa than any other independent operator, and is exploring renewable energy integration alongside grid power as demand scales.

ZOOM OUT - McKinsey expects Africa's data centre capacity to grow from just 0.4 GW today to between 1.5 and 2.2 GW by 2030, requiring and estimated $10 billion to $20 billion in new investment. The firm projects that the investment would unlock a revenue pool of $20 billion to $30 billion across the value chain. However, McKinsey also cautions that Africa won't follow the growth path of other regions. It expects demand to develop unevenly across the continent, with outcomes hinging on power reliability, regulatory conditions and infrastructure readiness in each market. The firm says that Africa’s data centre build-out will be very much shaped by local realities rather than any single continent-wide model. Therefore, investors, operators and policymakers needing to consider the dynamics for each country they enter separately.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: RAXIO

Welcome to this week’s Africa AI News email digest!

Lots of Africa AI news to share this week. In this edition, Nigeria tops the continent in the Global Index on Responsible AI; six Francophone West African nations adopt a shared AI governance framework; South Africa sees major investments in AI infrastructure and innovation as Telkom launches a R100 million AI institute; and Kenya showcases its AI and robotics education ambitions at the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva.

Meanwhile, South African-startup Refiant unveils a 10 million-token language model; and Egypt’s TokenAI introduces pioneering AI models that can natively read and translate Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Scroll down for more news.

Thanks for reading!

/Carrington

AI Models

Horus Hiero reads Ancient hieroglyphics

#Egypt #hieroglyphics – Alexandria-based TokenAI has launched Horus Hiero 9B and Horus Hiero Mini 4B, multimodal AI models that natively read, translate and reason across Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and more than 100 languages. The open-weight models could transform museum experiences, Egyptology research and cultural heritage applications. (Middle East AI News)

Refiant launches AI model with 10M context window

#SouthAfrica #LLMs – South Africa-founded Refiant AI has launched Protea, a family of AI models with context windows of up to 10 million tokens, enabling analysis of massive datasets in a single prompt. The startup says an internal prototype has already demonstrated a 100 million-token context window. (TechCabal)

AI Readiness

Only 8% of Tunisian firms AI-ready

#Tunisia #readiness – Just 7.8 per cent of Tunisian companies are fully prepared to realise the benefits of AI, according to a study by ITCEQ. Surveying 1,208 firms, the report identifies funding constraints and digital skills shortages as the biggest barriers to wider AI adoption and innovation. (Africa AI News)

Education

Telkom commits R100m to AI institute

#SouthAfrica #training – Telkom has pledged R100 million to establish the Telkom AI Institute, providing practical AI and digital skills training for young people, small businesses and underserved communities. Announced at the ITU’s Partner2Connect initiative in Geneva, the programme supports South Africa’s Vision 2030 digital ambitions. (MyBroadband)

Morocco signs AI partnership for digital skills

#Morocco #skills – Morocco has signed a public-private partnership with ALTEN Group and three government ministries to accelerate AI skills, digital innovation and industrial transformation under its Morocco Digital 2030 strategy. The initiative expands AI research, specialised training, technology platforms and advanced engineering capabilities. (Morocco World News)

Kenya showcases AI education at Geneva summit

#Kenya #education – Kenya highlighted its AI and robotics education initiatives at the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, showcasing efforts to prepare young people for the digital economy. The country has connected 788 public schools to broadband, with a target of 1,000 by December and nationwide connectivity by 2030. (Tech Review Africa)

Governance

Six West African nations adopt AI guidelines

#Africa #governance – Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali and Senegal have adopted a shared AI governance framework promoting ethical, transparent and inclusive artificial intelligence. Led by Niyel, the guidelines support data protection, digital sovereignty and local innovation while complementing national AI strategies. (We Are Tech Africa)

Nigeria leads Africa in AI governance index

#Nigeria #governance – Nigeria has ranked first in Africa and 38th globally in the Global Index on Responsible AI, rising from 80th place in 2024. The country was also recognised as a global “Bright Spot” for advancing AI literacy and strengthening digital protections for children. (The Guardian Nigeria)

Smart Cities

China backs Namibia smart city with $14.4 million

#Namibia #smartcities – China has committed ¥98 million ($14.4m) to Namibia’s Smart City pilot project, supporting digital infrastructure, AI capabilities and skills development. Announced during President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s visit to Huawei in Shenzhen, the funding advances the country’s 10-year smart city and digital transformation strategy. (ITWeb Africa)

Banking

Attijariwafa Bank selects staff AI projects

#Morocco #banking – Attijariwafa Bank has selected five employee-developed AI projects to improve customer service, fraud detection, risk management and operational efficiency. Chosen from an internal innovation programme, the projects will now be reviewed for deployment across the bank, which serves more than 12 million customers in 27 countries. (ITWeb Africa)

Healthcare

Trusted data key to scaling AI in healthcare

#SouthAfrica #healthcare – South African healthcare organisations must prioritise trusted, connected and governed data before scaling AI, according to InterSystems South Africa. The company says interoperability, data quality and secure information sharing are essential foundations for deploying AI safely across clinical and operational workflows. (Intelligent CIO)

Competitions

Zimbabwe launches AI for Impact Challenge 2026

#Zimbabwe #competition – Zimbabwe’s POTRAZ has launched the 2026 AI for Impact Challenge to accelerate practical AI solutions under the National AI Strategy 2026–2030. Successful teams progressing beyond the competition into incubation may access up to $80,000 in grant funding to develop high-impact AI innovations. (Submit proposals) (Terms of Reference - Google Drive)

[ This newsletter was both AI edited & human edited ]

#Tunisia #adooption - Just 7.8 percent of Tunisian companies have the balanced digital and organisational strength needed to make artificial intelligence pay off, according to a new study from Tunis-based state economic think tank ITCEQ (Tunisian Institute of Competitiveness and Quantitative Studies). The report, drawn from a survey of 1,208 firms already engaged in digital transformation, finds 86 percent of companies believe new technology drives innovation, yet only 19 percent have actually innovated. Budget restrictions and a digital skills gap remain the biggest barriers standing in the way.

SO WHAT? - The findings challenge the idea that AI adoption is mainly a matter of buying the right software. ITCEQ’s data show artificial intelligence only delivers results in firms that have already built the organisational habits, staff readiness and knowledge-sharing routines needed to absorb it. With 40 percent of surveyed companies sitting in a “fragile absorptive capacity” cluster, most Tunisian businesses risk investing in AI tools they aren’t yet equipped to use well. This can be expected to provide a persistent challenge to the government as it endeavours to drive national adoption of AI and other advanced technologies.

KEY POINTS:

• ITCEQ (Tunisian Institute of Competitiveness and Quantitative Studies) surveyed 1,208 Tunisian companies already digitalising or planning to digitise. The digital transformation report sorts companies into five profiles by “absorptive capacity” — the ability to acquire, assimilate, transform and exploit new technology, based on a framework first developed by economists Cohen and Levinthal in 1990.

• The key finding of the report is that only 7.8% of firms fall into the top-performing cluster, showing strong, balanced scores across acquisition, assimilation, transformation and exploitation of technology. This is the profile most likely to invest seriously in AI, Big Data and cloud tools.

• However, the largest group, 40.1% of firms, has “fragile absorptive capacity”: patchy digital routines that don’t combine into a coherent process, a profile ITCEQ describes as unsustainable over the medium term.

• 32.5% of companies sit in a “high potential, low realisation” cluster, meaning they acquire and assimilate technology reasonably well but fail to convert it into new products, processes or revenue.

• Basic digital infrastructure is fairly widespread: 76.2% of firms have a website, 72.5% use core digital management tools such as ERP or accounting software, and 60% use collaborative platforms.

• Digitalisation is uneven across business functions, running highest in administrative management (66%) and production and sales (62%), but falling to just 43% in information-systems management, the weakest link for most firms.

• Financial constraints (cited by 70.9% of firms) and a shortage of digital skills (63.3%) are the two biggest barriers blocking companies from turning technology investment into real innovation.

• Just 11% of surveyed companies use public R&D incentives, pointing to weak take-up of government schemes designed to help firms fund research and technology projects.

• The report sets out three possible AI adoption paths: a step-by-step route that digitalises first, a faster AI-led route that only works for already-mature firms, and a blended path combining both, which ITCEQ recommends for most companies.

• ITCEQ’s analysis validated the five-cluster typology with 93% classification accuracy, confirming that firms with the strongest AI uptake also report the highest staff readiness for change.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: ITCEQ

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Notes d’analyse de l’ITCEQ n° 78 - Mai 2026

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Welcome to this week’s Africa AI News email digest!

Another big week for AI across Africa. In this edition, Kenya elevates AI to the heart of government with a new Cabinet committee; Oracle opens a second R&D centre in Morocco as it expands its AI and cloud workforce; Google unveils new investments in AI infrastructure, startups and creators after surpassing its $1 billion Africa investment target; and Rwanda and Egypt deepen cooperation on AI, digital transformation and digital skills through a planned bilateral agreement.

Scroll down for more news.

Thanks for reading!

/Carrington

Policy

Kenya Cabinet forms national AI committee

#Kenya #AIstrategy – Kenya’s Cabinet has established a Standing Cabinet Committee on Artificial Intelligence to coordinate national AI policy and support responsible adoption across government. The move builds on the Kenya Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025–2030, while a new BPO policy targets a global market projected to exceed KSh 68 trillion ($526 billion) by 2030. (Africa AI News)

Rwanda and Egypt deepen AI partnership

#Rwanda #bilaterals – Rwanda and Egypt plan to sign a memorandum of understanding to expand cooperation on artificial intelligence, digital transformation and digital skills. The partnership will launch joint AI pilot projects in healthcare, agriculture, digital public services and local language technologies, while strengthening research, talent development and AI governance. (Ecofin Agency)

R&D

Oracle opens second Morocco R&D hub

#Morocco #cloud – Oracle has inaugurated its second Moroccan R&D centre in Agadir, expanding its national workforce to nearly 1,000 professionals developing Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, AI applications and data platforms. The investment strengthens Morocco’s technology ecosystem and supports Oracle’s $140 million expansion plan through 2030. (Africa AI News)

GenAI

Google and Idris Elba back AI for creators

#Africa #media – Google and actor-philanthropist Idris Elba have launched a $1 million initiative to provide 100,000 creators across Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Sierra Leone with free access to Gemini and other AI tools. The programme aims to boost content quality, lower production costs and strengthen Africa’s growing creative economy. (Business Insider Africa)

Startups

Novastar and Google launch Applied AI Lab

#Africa #startups – Novastar Ventures and Google have launched an Applied AI Lab to support African startups and researchers developing AI solutions for healthcare, agriculture and education. The first cohort will select five to 10 participants, offering advanced AI models, technical mentorship, Cloud credits and potential funding. (TechNext)

Propeller graduates five MENA AI startups

#USA #MENA #startups – Venture capital firm Propeller has graduated five AI and deep-tech startups from Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan and Egypt through its inaugural eight-week Kernel Camp residency. The programme connects MENA founders with investors, executives and mentors ahead of a second cohort. (Middle East AI News)

Kenya’s Fikra launches AI inference API

#Kenya #developers – Kenyan startup Fikra API has launched an OpenAI-compatible AI inference API tailored for African developers, startups and businesses. The platform supports M-Pesa payments, charges a flat $1 per two million tokens, and aims to lower the cost and payment barriers to building AI applications across Africa. (360 Angola)

Ugandan AI innovator wins Commonwealth award

#Uganda #agriculture – Ugandan entrepreneur Shifra Ainomugisha has been named the 2026 Commonwealth Young Person of the Year for developing AI and solar-powered technologies that support smallholder farmers. Through Solafam Uganda, her solutions have reduced post-harvest losses by 30% and increased household incomes by nearly 28%. (Africa Sustainability Matters)

Education

MBZUAI and ALA launch AI for Africa bootcamp

#SouthAfrica #education – Abu Dhabi-based Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) and the African Leadership Academy (ALA) are delivering a two-week AI for Africa bootcamp in Johannesburg for 30 secondary school students from across the continent. The programme combines AI, sustainability and agriculture, with participants developing practical AI solutions for agriculture and education. (AI for Africa)

Camara and UNICEF expand AI learning in Ethiopia

#Ethiopia #education – Camara Education has secured a $2.56 million partnership with UNICEF to deploy 115 AI-powered Digital Learning Hubs across Ethiopia by 2027. The programme will train 1,570 teachers and school leaders in digital skills and AI, while equipping 7,000 students with digital and transferable skills. (TechCentral.ie)

Investment

Google tops $1 billion Africa investment target

#Africa #cloud – Google has exceeded its five-year $1 billion investment target in Africa, unveiling new connectivity, cloud and AI initiatives. The company will establish Africa’s first applied AI lab in Ghana, launch a connectivity hub in South Africa, and support startups and digital skills development across the continent. (CNBC Africa)

AIQ explores Egypt AI joint venture for petroleum sector

#Egypt #energy – The Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources is in talks with Abu Dhabi-based AIQ to establish AIQ Egypt, a joint venture for AI-powered petroleum operations. The platform would combine Egypt Upstream Gateway data with AIQ’s technologies to improve exploration, production efficiency and decision-making. (Egypt Oil & Gas)

Agriculture

SAS uses AI to support South African micro-farmers

#SouthAfrica #agriculture – SAS has partnered with dataDecisions.ai to use AI and advanced analytics to help South African micro-farmers improve crop planning, increase income potential and strengthen food security. The initiative analysed four growing seasons of crop performance and market data to deliver practical planting recommendations. (Africa Business Communities)

Manufacturing

El Sewedy Electric cuts process times 84% with AI

#Egypt #manufacturing – El Sewedy Electric says 30 completed AI projects have reduced process times by an average of 84% across manufacturing, legal, HR and customer service operations. The company is also deploying AI for workplace safety, engineering project monitoring and EV charging support after training employees through more than 2,000 AI sessions. (Zawya)

Law

Nigeria weighs AI evidence rules for courts

#Nigeria #legaltech – A new legal analysis argues Nigeria’s Evidence Act may be ill-equipped to deal with AI-generated evidence such as deepfakes and synthetic documents. This article calls for legislative reforms, judicial training and AI governance measures to strengthen the integrity of court proceedings as generative AI becomes more widespread. (Afriwise)

Competitions

Zimbabwe launches AI for Impact Challenge

#Zimbabwe #innovation – Zimbabwe has opened applications for its AI for Impact Challenge, a national programme under the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2026–2030. The initiative offers up to US$80,000 in funding, alongside mentorship and incubation support, for teams developing AI solutions to address public, industry and regulatory challenges. (Funds for NGOs

#Kenya #AIstrategy — Kenya’s Cabinet has formed a Standing Cabinet Committee on Artificial Intelligence to drive the country’s national AI strategy, coordinate policy across government and position Kenya as a regional leader in responsible AI development. The move builds on the Kenya Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025-2030, launched last year by the Ministry of Information, Communications and The Digital Economy. The Cabinet also adopted a National Business Process Outsourcing Policy, targeting a greater share of the global BPO market, which is projected to exceed KSh 68 trillion ($526b) by 2030.

SO WHAT? — Creating a standing Cabinet committee puts high-level AI coordination at the centre of government decision-making. However, this is not a replacement for the National AI Steering Committee chaired by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, which guided the development of the Kenya AI Strategy. Instead this move is likely to better define responsibility in the Cabinet for coordinating with the MICDE on national initiatives and how AI policy issues are handled in Parliament.

KEY POINTS:

• Kenya’s Cabinet has formed a Standing Cabinet Committee on Artificial Intelligence to steer the national AI agenda, coordinate policy across ministries and position the country as a regional hub for responsible AI development and adoption.

• The committee’s remit covers AI-driven innovation, public service delivery improvements, job creation and inclusive economic growth, alongside putting governance frameworks and safeguards in place.

• In the same Cabinet session, Kenya adopted a National Business Process Outsourcing Policy designed to attract international investment, create jobs for young people and grow the country’s share of the global BPO market.

• The global BPO market is projected to exceed KSh 68 trillion ($526b) by 2030, and Kenya’s policy targets that opportunity by drawing on the country’s English-speaking workforce, time zone position and existing digital infrastructure.

• The formation of the Cabinet committee builds on the Kenya Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025-2030, launched in March 2025. The strategy is built on three pillars: AI digital infrastructure; data and AI governance; and AI research, innovation and commercialisation, with a focus on developing localised models for agriculture, healthcare, education and public services.

• Kenya’s 2025-2030 AI strategy was developed with support from the European Union, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the International Development Research Centre and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

• AI is projected to add some $2.4 billion to Kenya’s economy by 2030, according to research by Public First, while Kenya’s ICT market is forecast to reach $14.92 billion by the same year.

ZOOM OUT — The Cabinet committee's formation follows months of legislative activity and parliamentary debate. In February 2026, a draft Artificial Intelligence Bill was brought to the Senate proposing an independent Office of the Artificial Intelligence Commissioner. The bill also recommended a four-tier risk classification system modelled on the EU AI Act, and fines of up to KES 5 million (around $40,000) plus two-year prison terms for creating or distributing harmful AI-generated content. The Senate then directed the Ministry of Information, Communication and Digital Economy to draft a national AI policy covering research, ethical guidelines, regulatory sandboxes and AI education.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: Kenya’s Cabinet

Read more about Kenya’s AI and tech policy:

• Kenya in talks to host East Africa’s first Open AI Academy (Africa AI News)

• Eight African nations rank in top 25 for AI readiness in BPO (Africa AI News)

• Kenya’s Senate orders new AI policy following new AI bill (Africa AI News)

#Morocco #R&D — Oracle has inaugurated its second research and development centre in Morocco, this time in Agadir, building on the work of its existing Casablanca R&D facility. The US company is expanding its Moroccan workforce that’s set to grow to nearly 1,000 professionals working on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), AI applications and data platforms. The launch was attended by Morocco’s Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, Digital Transition Minister Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, Minister for Investment Karim Zidane, US Ambassador to Morocco Duke Buchan III and Oracle Executive Vice President Simon de Montfort Walker.

SO WHAT? — The opening of Oracle’s Agadir R&D centre is a clear sign that Morocco is successfully developing its technology ecosystem and continuing to attract investment from global players. The opening follows the launch of Oracle’s first Moroccan cloud region in Casablanca in February: the first of two cloud regions announced by the company last year. The expansion is part of Oracle’s plan to invest $140 million in Morocco by 2030.

KEY POINTS:

• Oracle inaugurated its second Moroccan R&D centre in Agadir, following the Casablanca facility opened in June 2025, expanding the company’s presence beyond its original base in the country.

• The Agadir launch was attended by Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, Digital Transition Minister Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, Investment Minister Karim Zidane, US Ambassador Duke Buchan III and Oracle EVP Simon de Montfort Walker.

• Oracle plans to grow its Moroccan workforce to 1,000 highly qualified professionals across the country.

• The new centre supports Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), AI-powered applications, data platforms and industry-specific digital solutions.

• The centre’s opening is another boost for Morocco’s digital sector, which already employs more than 148,500 people, mostly young professionals.

• The Casablanca R&D centre, opened in June 2025, spans seven floors and employs Moroccan engineers on OCI, AI and machine learning projects; 94 percent of eligible interns there were offered full-time roles last year.

• Oracle plans to hacve two public cloud regions in Morocco, one in Casablanca and one in Settat, offering enterprise cloud services to organisations across Africa. The Morocco West (Casablanca) region went live in February of this year.

• About 40 percent of Oracle’s new Moroccan roles are planned outside Casablanca and Rabat-Salé-Kenitra, aligning with Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform ambition to develop a vibrant AI and cloud ecosystem across the country’s twelve regions.

ZOOM OUT — The Agadir R&D centre announcement comes a few months after Oracle switched on its Casablanca cloud region, the first hyperscaler public cloud in North Africa. Quietly pushed live on February 20th under the identifier af-casablanca-1 the new cloud region was officially launched in April. Hosted by N+One Datacenters across sites in Nouaceur and Settat, the new region gives Moroccan and North African organisations sovereign access to OCI's AI and data tools, with a second region planned for Settat. Morocco now sits alongside South Africa and Kenya as one of three African cloud regions in Oracle's infrastructure rollout, each tied to government digital strategies and local data-sovereignty rules.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: Oracle, social media

Welcome to this week’s Africa AI News email digest!

A monster-sized newsletter for you this week! Top stories include: the new national Mauritius budget reveals an ambitious national digital strategy centred on AI; Ethiopia announces plans for a national data cloud to strengthen technological sovereignty; Paystack launches an AI-powered checkout for Nigerian consumers; while Google graduates 15 AI-focused African startups, highlighting both the continent’s growing innovation ecosystem and the continued need for greater investment and digital infrastructure.

Scroll down for more news.

As mentioned last week, Africa AI News sister title Middle East AI News has partnered with RAISE Summit which takes place on July 8th and 9th at the Louvre in Paris! If you’re planning to attend RAISE, do take advantage of the Middle East AI News exclusive discount code (MEAN20) when you buy your ticket, which gives 20% off either PRO or VIP passes for the event. Tickets here.

Thanks for reading!

/Carrington

Policy

Mauritius budget prioritises AI & digitisation

#Mauritius #AIstrategy – Mauritius has unveiled its 2026/27 national budget together with an ambitious digital transformation agenda, including AI-powered public services, cybersecurity investments and incentives for startups. The government will train 50,000 teachers, students, citizens and public-sector staff in digital skills while introducing a 10-year tax holiday for startups. (Africa AI News)

GSMA: Congo digital reforms could add US$1.5bn by 2030

#Congo #digitaleconomy – The GSMA estimates that digital policy reforms could add $1.5 billion to the Republic of the Congo’s economy, create more than 144,000 jobs and connect over 540,000 new mobile internet users by 2030. Recommendations include improving smartphone affordability, expanding 4G access and developing a national AI strategy. (Developing Telecoms)

Ethiopia building national data cloud for sovereignty

#Ethiopia #sovereigncloud – Ethiopia is developing a secure national data cloud at the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute with capacity exceeding all existing institutional data centres combined. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the country is also establishing domestic laptop and tablet manufacturing, supported by 55 million Telebirr mobile banking users and 45 million Fayda national ID registrants. (EBC)

Nigeria tops Africa in AI governance, says government

#Nigeria #governance – Nigeria has been ranked Africa’s leading country for AI governance, according to the Federal Government, following the launch of the UNESCO Artificial Intelligence Readiness Assessment Methodology report. The government said Nigeria has improved from 141st to 72nd in the Global Government AI Readiness Index. (Daily Trust)

Report urges US-Kenya AI partnership to strengthen Africa ties

#Kenya #bilaterals – A new policy paper argues that a US-Kenya Technology Prosperity Deal could strengthen long-term AI cooperation by aligning Washington’s global AI ambitions with Kenya’s digital development priorities. It says the partnership could provide a model for broader US engagement with Africa’s emerging AI ecosystem. (US Department of State)

ITU backs Mozambique’s digital transformation agenda

#Mozambique #digitalgovernment – ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin has praised Mozambique’s progress in digital transformation, highlighting initiatives to connect every school through the Giga programme, expand digital public services via VaMoz Digital and build AI skills under the country’s emerging national AI strategy. (Tech Review Africa)

Startups

SA startup launches Africa’s first GPU cloud AI marketplace

#SouthAfrica #startups – South African startup Supascale AI has launched Africa’s first GPU cloud AI marketplace, enabling businesses to access lower-cost AI computing while allowing GPU owners to monetise unused processing power. The platform aims to expand affordable AI infrastructure through distributed computing, reducing reliance on energy-intensive data centres. (IT News Africa)

Malawian entrepreneur expands AI adoption across Africa

#Malawi #solutions – Malawian entrepreneur Tapiwa Kandiado is helping organisations across Africa adopt AI through her startup, SpaceAI, which develops customised AI platforms, infrastructure and training programmes. The company also partnered with AfriLabs on the AI Bridge project. (We Are Tech Africa)

EBRD and Microsoft back AI adoption for African startups

#Africa #startups – EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) and Microsoft have launched a pilot programme to help African startups and SMEs adopt AI. The initiative will support businesses in applying AI to improve productivity, decision-making and service delivery, while assessing the most effective approaches to scaling AI adoption across African enterprises. (Tech In Africa)

Google backs Africa’s growing AI startup ecosystem

#Africa #startups – Google has graduated 15 startups from eight African countries through its Google for Startups Accelerator Africa programme. The cohort is 60% profitable, generating an average of $60,000 in monthly revenue, although Google says investment, cloud infrastructure and data centre capacity remain key barriers to scaling AI-powered businesses. (TechCabal)

AI for Good Innovation Factory finale set for July 9

#Global #startups – The International Telecommunication Union will host the AI for Good Innovation Factory Grand Finale on 9 July, where four AI startups will compete for a US$20,000 prize. The finalists will pitch solutions addressing healthcare, education, accessibility and environmental sustainability during the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva. (AI for Good)

Ethiopia modernises power grid with digital technology

#Ethiopia #energy – Ethiopian Electric Utility is modernising the country’s power grid by deploying digital technologies and artificial intelligence to predict and diagnose technical faults before they occur. CEO Getu Geremew said the upgrades will improve grid reliability, reduce power outages and increase transmission efficiency. (TV BRICS)

LLMs

Malawi advances Chichewa AI language initiative

#Malawi #trainingdata – The World Bank and the Gates Foundation have launched an initiative to develop AI models that understand and process Chichewa, the Bantu language spoken in Malawi. The project is building language datasets from media and government sources to support AI-powered translation, education and public service applications. (Nyasa Times)

Education

Gambia launches AIMS campus for AI and data science

#Gambia #STEM – The Gambia has launched an AIMS Satellite Campus in partnership with AIMS Senegal and the AIMS Network to strengthen postgraduate education in mathematical sciences, data science and AI. The initiative supports Vision 2050 and will provide research, innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities for students, academics and educators. (Daily Observer)

UNESCO trains Namibia judiciary on AI and rule of law

#Namibia #justice – UNESCO Namibia, National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST) and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung are delivering a three-day capacity-building programme on AI for Namibian judges and legal officers. The initiative will address ethics, judicial independence, cybersecurity, privacy, governance and human rights. (Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung)

Commerce

Paystack launches AI-powered checkout in Nigeria

#Nigeria #payments – Paystack has launched an experimental AI-powered checkout service that enables users to complete purchases through AI agents, including ChatGPT and Claude. Initially available to Zap customers in Nigeria, the platform supports services such as airtime, wallet funding and food ordering, while using Paystack’s existing payments infrastructure. (TechCabal)

Snupit combines AI with human expertise for services

#SouthAfrica #ecommerce – Snupit is using AI-powered technology to improve how South Africans connect with trusted local service providers while maintaining human oversight and customer support. The company said its locally developed platform enhances matching based on regional needs, while ensuring compliance with South Africa’s POPIA data protection requirements. (ITWeb)

Mining

Botswana Minerals uses AI to improve exploration decisions

#Botswana #mining – Botswana Minerals PLC is using AI to improve geological decision-making rather than replace exploration expertise. The company is applying AI to reinterpret legacy geological data, identify higher-confidence exploration targets and reduce investment risk, while emphasising transparent, explainable analysis to inform investors and regulators. (Botswana Mining Review)

Media

Zambia police warn over AI-generated fake content

#Zambia #deepfakes – Zambia Police Service has warned against the creation and circulation of AI-generated fake content targeting senior public officials and security agencies. Police said offences involving manipulated digital content are punishable under the Cyber Crimes Act No. 4 of 2025, with investigations intensified ahead of the 2026 general elections. (Zambia Monitor)

Gambian journalists trained to tackle AI misinformation

#Gambia #training – The Gambia’s Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services and the African Union of Broadcasting have trained journalists on the ethical use of AI, focusing on fact-checking, fake news detection and identifying deepfakes. The programme aims to strengthen responsible journalism as AI becomes increasingly integrated into newsroom operations. (The Gambia Daily)

[ This newsletter was both AI edited & human edited ]

#Mauritius #Budget20262027 — Mauritius has made artificial intelligence and digital transformation a central pillar of the 2026/27 national budget. The budget speech, delivered by Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam on June 19th, names AI as the first of seven strategic pillars of the country’s economic plan. The budget weaves AI policy through education, healthcare, immigration, financial services, a new Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and commits to training 50,000 people in practical AI skills over the coming year. Supporting measures for the digital economy include a 10-year tax holiday for startups, a dedicated AI and digital investment scheme at the Côte d’Or Special Economic Zone, and tax credits for companies investing in AI.

SO WHAT? — The new 2026/2027 budget reflects a comprehensive approach to AI and national digital transformation. The budget includes AI and digital provisions for schools, hospitals, the civil service, immigration, banking regulation and a new economic zone. It was clear from the Prime Minister’s speech that AI and digitisation are now top priorities for his government. Mauritius now seems to view AI adoption as infrastructure to build into every part of the state, rather than a series of digital transformation initiatives.

• On June 19th the Mauritius government announced the new national budget 2026/2027, naming “Leveraging AI and Digitisation” as the first of seven strategic pillars. It’s a clear declaration that the government aims to ensure the country prepares for, participates in, and benefits from the AI revolution.

• Among the initiatives wasAI training or enablement for 50,000 people over the coming year, including 25,000 Mauritians in developer, entrepreneur and SME-owner roles, 8,000 secondary school teachers, 5,000 public officers, and 12,000 Grade 9 students receiving AI-powered learning tools.

• A new high-tech Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Côte d’Or will offer AI and digital technology investors 100 percent foreign ownership, a special electricity tariff for data centres, VAT recovery, and fast-track work permits for specialised foreign staff.

• The government is introducing a Start-Up Act with a 10-year income tax holiday, alongside a Start-Up Hub at Côte d’Or, a public-private Start-Up Council, and an Accelerator Scheme at the Economic Development Board.

• AI is being built into public services directly, including a multilingual AI chatbot on the National Electronic Licensing System, AI tools at the Financial Services Commission, and a dedicated Healthcare Innovation and Artificial Intelligence Unit to evaluate clinical AI deployment.

• Manufacturing companies investing in AI solutions and patents will receive a 15 percent investment tax credit annually over three years, worth 45 percent in total, extended until 30 June 2029.

• A Golden Visa scheme will target investment specifically in fintech, AI, biotechnology, renewable energy and global treasury activities, widening the pool of incentives beyond the Côte d’Or zone.

• The government is engaging major American and European companies to position Mauritius as a trusted AI and cloud services hub for the Indian Ocean and Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, and will join Google’s America-India Connect subsea cable initiative to strengthen connectivity.

• A Champion of AI Programme will launch in partnership with India to develop AI leaders across government and business, supported by a new National Artificial Intelligence Guideline governing responsible AI use in higher education and the civil service.

ZOOM OUT — The budget's AI and digitisation provisions build on the National AI Strategy 2025-2029 launched by Mauritius in April. The strategy, co-designed with input from the private sector, academia, civil society and trade unions, set out six priorities including data and compute infrastructure, skills, and responsible AI in government, overseen by a new government AI Unit. It also introduced DIVA, an AI assistant now serving as the default interface for government mobile services, and a Regional AI Marketplace connecting startups and public institutions across Africa. The budget's training targets and SEZ incentives effectively put financial weight behind a strategy that, until now, existed mainly as a policy framework.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: Government of Mauritius, state media

LINKS

• Prime Minister’s Budget Speech Live (YouTube)

DOWNLOADS

Mauritius Budget Speech 2026 2027 (June 19th 2026)

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Annex - Mauritius Budget Speech 2026 2027 (June 2026)

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Read more about the Mauritius National AI Strategy:

• Mauritius launches new National AI Strategy (Africa AI News)

#BurkinaFaso #AIStrategy - Burkina Faso has approved a National Artificial Intelligence Roadmap for 2026-2030, validated on 17 June at a meeting in Ouagadougou hosted by the Burkina Faso public university Virtual University of Burkina Faso (UV-BF). The roadmap was developed by Burkina Faso’s Permanent Secretariat for Innovation and Monitoring of Emerging Digital Technologies (SPIVTEN), with input from government, private sector, academia, research centres, civil society and international partners. It sets out priorities for AI governance, infrastructure, data use, skills and research, with planned applications in healthcare, agriculture, education, water and energy services. The roadmap forms part of the government’s RELANCE Plan 2026-2030 and its “AI for All” digital transformation agenda.

SO WHAT? - Burkina Faso is one of the world’s least developed economies, with per capita income under $3,000 and more than 80 percent of the population dependent on subsistence farming. AI clear role here is not about frontier technology, but about using cheap, practical tools, such as weather forecasting for farmers, diagnostic support for clinics, to improve public services in a country where infrastructure and literacy remain serious constraints. It also suggests that even in less wealthy countries such as Burkina Faso it is wiser to set formal AI policy early on, rather than leaving it unaddressed.

KEY POINTS:

• Burkina Faso validated its National AI Roadmap for 2026-2030 on 17 June at the Virtual University of Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou, bringing together government, private sector, academic and civil society representatives.

• The roadmap was coordinated by SPIVTEN under Permanent Secretary Dr. Yaya Traoré, following a participatory process involving technical and financial partners.

• Burkina Faso’s Secretary General for the Ministry of Digital Transition, Posts and Electronic Communications, Dr. Borlli Michel Jonas Somé, opened proceedings on behalf of the minister, framing AI as central to technological independence and public administration reform.

• The document sets national priorities across AI governance, digital infrastructure, data valorisation, skills development, research support and ethical AI use in sectors including healthcare.

• Planned applications include AI tools for medical diagnosis, farming support through improved weather forecasting, and education technology adapted for schoolchildren and university students.

• The roadmap also covers water and energy services, aiming to let citizens report problems more easily and improve public service delivery.

• It forms the 11th of twelve digital transformation initiatives under the government’s “AI at the service of all Burkinabè” programme, and sits within the broader RELANCE Plan 2026-2030.

• Burkina Faso joins African countries including Rwanda, Senegal, Benin, Egypt and Kenya in adopting dedicated national AI strategies in recent years.

ZOOM OUT - The RELANCE economic recovery plan was adopted by Burkina Faso’s Council of Ministers on 29 January 2026. The plan has four pillars: security and social cohesion; state reform and governance; human capital development covering education, health and vocational training; and infrastructure and economic transformation. It allocates infrastructure investment for roads, energy and public facilities. The government has also adopted a monitoring and evaluation mechanism for RELANCE Plan intended to track results and hold officials accountable for how public resources are managed.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: Ministère de la Transition Digitale, des Postes et des Communications Électroniques, AAIN

Read about other African AI strategies:

• Nigeria plans for world’s first ‘National AI Trust’ (Africa AI News)

• Libya launches National AI Strategy with 35 initiatives (Africa AI News)

• Rwanda creates dedicated National AI Agency (Africa AI News)

• Zimbabwe unpacks national AI strategy (Africa AI News)

• Mozambique presents draft AI Strategy (Africa AI News)

#Morocco #education - Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform has signed a partnership agreement to launch YouCode Errachidia, a coding school aimed at young people in the Drâa-Tafilalet region, including school dropouts with digital talent. The deal was struck on the fourth day of Rally AI Future Lab in Merzouga. Partners include Morocco’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Drâa-Tafilalet Regional Authority, the Drâa-Tafilalet Regional Council, and Moroccan non-profit LEET INITIATIVE Association. The school will run a two-year programme for roughly 50 trainees per cohort, training around 100 young people a year, with priority given to applicants from disadvantaged areas.

SO WHAT? - Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition has significantly increased the priority of digital inclusion in artificial intelligence over the pat two years. The new YouCode agreement puts a building, a curriculum and an annual intake of 100 trainees in Errachidia in the Drâa-Tafilalet region, which is traditionally an agricultural area. The new initiative was announced at the Rally AI Future Lab, a national initiative organised by the Jazari Institute, which spearheads the government’s effort to drive AI adoption, education and innovation across the country.

KEY POINTS:

• Digital Transition Minister Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni signed a partnership agreement on day four of Rally AI Future Lab to establish YouCode Errachidia, a specialised programming and coding school in the Drâa-Tafilalet region.

• Signatories to the YouCode agreement include Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, Morocco’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Drâa-Tafilalet Regional Authority, the Drâa-Tafilalet Regional Council and Moroccan association LEET INITIATIVE.

• The new YouCode school will offer a two-year training programme, taking in around 50 trainees per cohort and 100 trainees annually once both levels are running.

• The project specifically targets young people in the region, including those who dropped out of formal education but have digital skills or talent.

• Selection will prioritise young people from disadvantaged areas during the initial intake phases.

• The initiative is designed to improve employability in modern technology professions and supply qualified staff to meet demand from IT sector employers.

• It feeds into Morocco’s Digital Morocco 2030 strategy, which aims to expand digital skills and training across future-facing professions.

• The agreement was signed as part of Rally AI Future Lab, a national platform exploring AI and digital innovation, held in Merzouga from 16 to 20 June 2026.

ZOOM OUT - YouCode Errachidia is one element of a much bigger push to widen digital inclusions across Morocco. The new national AI strategy AI Made in Morocco was launched in January, targeting a 100 billion dirham ($10 billion) contribution to GDP and 50,000 AI-related jobs. Rally AI Future Lab itself opened on 16 June with 1,000 participants in Merzouga, building on the RamadanIA Hackathon, which reached all twelve regions and mobilised more than 700 participants earlier this year. The government is also rolling out a national network of Jazari Institute centres, each tasked with training, research, infrastructure and incubation.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: Ministère de la Transition numérique et de la Réforme de l’administration

Read more about Morocco’s AI and digital initiatives:

• Morocco launches Rally AI Future Lab (Middle East AI News)

Welcome to this week’s Africa AI News email digest!

AI innovation, investment, and governance dominates this week’s headlines. Nigeria unveiled plans for the world’s first National AI Trust to guide long-term AI governance; Kenya had talks with OpenAI to establish East Africa’s first OpenAI Academy in Nairobi; Egypt licences a $400 million data centre project; and Morocco launched the Rally AI Future Lab, bringing together 1,000 innovators to accelerate locally AI development.

Meanwhile, a new study ranks eight African countries among the world’s top 25 AI-ready outsourcing destinations, highlighting the continent’s growing competitiveness in the outsourcing economy.

Scroll down for more news.

Meanwhile, I am proud to announce that Africa AI News sister title Middle East AI News has partnered with RAISE Summit which takes place on July 8th and 9th at the Louvre in Paris! RAISE is now one of the world’s most influential AI forums with more than 80% of attendees at C-level.

So, if you’re considering attending RAISE (and obviously, time is running out to apply for French visas), do take advantage of the Middle East AI News exclusive discount code (MEAN20) when you buy your ticket, which gives 20% off either PRO or VIP passes for the event. Tickets here.

Thanks for reading!

/Carrington

Governance

Nigeria unveils world-first National AI Trust

#Nigeria #UK #governance - Nigeria has unveiled plans for a National AI Trust, described by Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Dr. Bosun Tijani as the world’s first institution of its kind. Approved by the Federal Executive Council, the Trust will guide responsible AI adoption, ethical investment and long-term governance beyond political cycles. (Africa AI News)

South Africa begins review of AI policy

#SouthAfrica #policy - South Africa has appointed a seven-member expert panel to redraft the withdrawn National AI Policy. The withdrawal, in April, followed an internal review found the original document contained AI-generated content and fictitious sources. The panel will develop a new version. (African Law & Business)

Morocco helps shape UN AI governance dialogue

#Morocco #UN - Morocco’s Ambassador Omar Hilale co-chaired a high-level UN meeting in New York ahead of the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance. The discussions brought together member states to encourage broader international participation in developing future AI governance frameworks. (Hespress)

Congo advances national data governance strategy

#Congo #datagovernance - The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the Republic of the Congo’s Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, and GIZ engaged 60 stakeholders and trained 50 participants to support a National Data Governance Strategy. The initiative also included an AI readiness assessment through ECA’s partnership with Google. (ECA)

Data Centres

Egypt signs $400m data centre deal

#Egypt #datacentres - Egypt’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has licensed Hassan Allam Digital Infrastructure to develop and operate a $400 million data centre in partnership with venture capital firm A15. The project supports Egypt’s ambition to become a regional digital services hub and generate $42.7 billion in AI-related economic value by 2030. (Middle East AI News)

New Ventures

FM6SS, ABA LIFE launch AI healthcare venture

#Morocco #healthcare - FM6SS and ABA LIFE have partnered to create a joint venture developing AI-powered healthcare infrastructure in Morocco. Launching operations in October 2026, the initiative aims to train 100,000 healthcare professionals, support 50 research programmes, enable 25 million teleconsultations, and expand solutions across Africa. (Hespress)

African AI startups sign seven European partnerships

#Africa #startups - Seven partnerships between African AI innovators and European industry leaders have been signed under the G7-endorsed AI Hub for Sustainable Development. The agreements span agriculture, healthcare, language technology, education and AI infrastructure, building on a programme that has supported 130 African startups with access to supercomputing and cloud resources. (UNDP)

Outsourcing

Eight African nations rank in AI outsourcing top 25

#Africa #AIreadiness- Eight African countries have been named among the world’s top 25 AI-ready outsourcing destinations in the inaugural Global Outsourcing AI Readiness Index by Ataraxis. South Africa ranked eighth globally, while Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Ghana, Uganda and Ethiopia also featured, highlighting the continent’s growing competitiveness in AI-enabled services. (Africa AI News)

Banking

98% of South African bankers fear faster fraud

#SouthAfrica #fraud - A BioCatch survey found 98% of South African banking leaders are concerned about the increasing speed of fraud, while 96% say AI has made scams more sophisticated. Nearly 79% report rising fraud losses, with 44% estimating their institutions lose more than $10 million annually to fraud. (Business Explainer)

Bank of Mozambique calls for AI banking regulation

#Mozambique #banking - Bank of Mozambique Governor Rogério Zandamela has called for regulation of AI in the financial sector to balance innovation with stability, security and consumer protection. The central bank has already adopted an AI policy, launched digital transformation initiatives for 2025–2027, and formed a dedicated AI team to support responsible technology use. (360 Mozambique

SMEs

Yoco launches AI tools for South African SMEs

#SouthAfrica #SMEs - South African fintech Yoco has launched more than 20 new products, including an AI-powered business agent designed to help small businesses manage sales, staffing and operations. Serving over 200,000 merchants, the platform aims to support entrepreneurs as 46% report lower business confidence amid rising costs and weaker consumer spending. (IOL)

Transport

Côte d’Ivoire deploys AI for road safety checks

#CotedIvoire #transport - Côte d’Ivoire has integrated AI-powered automatic licence plate recognition into police patrols and traffic checkpoints in Abidjan. The system scans vehicles in real time, verifying registration, inspections and insurance against national databases, helping authorities identify non-compliant vehicles and strengthen road safety enforcement. (Starnok)

Education

Egypt launches AI training for government leaders

#Egypt #education - Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the National Training Academy have launched a national AI training initiative for senior public sector leaders. The programme covers generative AI, agentic AI, digital twins, cybersecurity and data governance, supporting the objectives of Egypt’s National AI Strategy 2025–2030. (Middle East AI News)

Algeria opens national AI learning centre

#Algeria #education - Algeria has inaugurated its first National Center for Virtual Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Sidi Abdellah. The facility will support AI-enabled education, digital learning and university research, contributing to plans for a knowledge-based economy and a 20,000-company startup ecosystem by 2029. (We Are Tech Africa)

Kenya in talks to host OpenAI Academy

#Kenya #education - Kenya is discussing plans with OpenAI to establish East Africa’s first OpenAI Academy in Nairobi, following talks between President William Ruto and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman at the G7 Summit this week. (Africa AI News)

Labs & Challenges

Morocco launches Rally AI Future Lab

#Morocco #innovation - Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform has launched the Rally AI Future Lab, bringing together 1,000 researchers, developers and entrepreneurs in Merzouga for a five-day innovation sprint. The initiative, part of the AI Made in Morocco strategy, aims to reach 5,000 participants nationwide and accelerate locally developed AI solutions. (Africa AI News)

The Gambia hosts Robotics for Good challenge

#Gambia #robotics - The Gambia has hosted the national qualifying round of the Robotics for Good Youth Challenge, the UN-backed global robotics competition organised by the International Telecommunication Union. The event i

nvited students aged 10 to 18 to develop AI and robotics solutions focused on food security, with winners advancing to the 2026 global finale in Geneva. (ITU AI for Good)

Singularity Computing to represent Algeria at GEC+Afrika

#Algeria #startups - Algerian startup Singularity Computing has been selected to represent Algeria at the GEC+Afrika 2026 finals in South Africa. Chosen from 59 projects and 10 national finalists, the company develops AI and applied mathematics solutions for industrial engineering, serving sectors including aerospace, automotive and advanced manufacturing. (Radio Algeria)

East African students build AI for skills-based hiring

#EastAfrica #education - Nearly 1,000 students from 57 universities across eight East African countries took part in the AI4EAC Innovation Challenge, organised by the EAC AI Alliance and UNESCO Campus Africa. Participants developed AI solutions for education, healthcare, agriculture and finance, including tools to match skills with employment opportunities and improve workforce mobility. (UNESCO)

Defence

Morocco signs AI defence partnership with Harmattan

#Morocco #defence - Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces have signed a strategic partnership with Harmattan AI to develop autonomous air defence capabilities and strengthen the country’s defence technology base. The agreement includes plans for local manufacturing of autonomous systems, an AI-focused defence R&D centre, and collaboration with Moroccan universities and research institutions. (Harmattan AI)

Opinion

Rising AI costs threaten Africa’s digital ambitions

#Africa #digitaleconomy - Rising AI infrastructure costs are creating new barriers for African startups, universities and governments, according to an opinion piece by Professor Ojo Emmanuel Ademola in The Guardian Nigeria. The article warns of growing algorithmic dependency and calls for investment in local AI infrastructure and talent. (The Guardian Nigeria)

[ This newsletter was both AI edited & human edited ]

#Kenya #education – Kenya is in discussions with OpenAI to establish the first OpenAI Academy initiative in East Africa, following talks between President William Ruto and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on the sidelines of the G7 Leaders’ Summit in France this week. If realised, the initiative would see Nairobi host a regional centre focused on AI education, digital skills development and workforce readiness for students, educators and professionals across the region. According to Kenyan media, no formal agreement has been announced and discussions remain at an early stage.

SO WHAT? – Kenya’s pursuit of an OpenAI Academy aligns with government goals to attract global AI players, build domestic talent at scale and move Kenya up the digital value chain. Often ranked in Africa’s top five tech ecosystems, Kenya has earned the nickname Silicon Savannah. Last year the country’s Ministry of Information, Communications and The Digital Economy launched a comprehensive Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025-203, aiming to position the country as a pioneering force in African technology. Kenya’s ambition is to lead in AI model innovation, R&D and commercialisation, creating solutions tailored to the country’s unique needs and to the wider needs of the continent.

KEY POINTS:

• President William Ruto held talks with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on the sidelines of the G7 Leaders’ Summit in France, proposing Nairobi as the home of the first OpenAI Academy initiative in Eastern Africa. The discussions between Ruto and Altman covered AI education, digital skills development and support for educators and learners across the region.

• The proposed OpenAI Academy would reinforce Nairobi’s growing reputation as a regional technology hub. However, important questions around funding, governance, timelines and scale remain unresolved, and the initiative’s realisation depends on the outcome of ongoing negotiations.

• Kenya recorded the world’s highest rate of AI tool usage in 2025, with 97.5% of online adults reporting active use of AI-powered technologies, according to the Digital Global Update Report. That interest and usage gives Kenya a good foundation of grassroots AI adoption on which to build formal education and talent development infrastructure.

• The proposed Academy aligns with Kenya’s National AI Strategy 2025–2030, which aims to position Kenya as Africa’s leading AI innovation hub. The strategy is to attain leadership in governance, ethics, digital infrastructure, data ecosystem development and support for AI research and innovation.

• Kenya has intensified engagements with major global AI and technology firms in recent months, including Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, Meta, NVIDIA, Mistral AI and Cohere.

• The OpenAI Academy proposal would complement Kenya’s existing digital infrastructure investments, made under the National Digital Master Plan 2022–2032, including innovation hubs, connectivity expansion and digital skills training programmes targeting young people across the country.

• Kenya has strengthened its international AI profile through several multilateral commitments, including participation in the United Nations High-Level Advisory Board on AI, membership of the International Network of AI Safety Institutes, and leadership of the World Summit on the Information Society WSIS+20 process.

• Securing the OpenAI Academy would add a globally recognised brand to Kenya’s AI talent ecosystem at a moment when demand for skilled digital workers is accelerating rapidly.

ZOOM OUT – Last October the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and OpenAI confirmed that UNILAG would become the first African institution to host an OpenAI Academy. The Lagos academy provides free AI learning resources and capacity-building opportunities for students, researchers and professionals across Africa, with sessions led by facilitators showcasing how AI is being used across Nigeria and the continent. The announcement came during UNILAG’s International Week, themed Equitable Partnerships and the Future of AI in Africa.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: Kenyan media

Read about other Kenya AI news:

• Kenya ranks in top 25 for AI readiness in outsourcing (Middle East AI News)

• Africa & Europe must co-govern AI say African lawyers (Middle East AI News)

• AI voice startup Intella just launched Swahili services (Middle East AI News)

• LINGUA Africa targets one billion Africans (Middle East AI News)

• Senate orders new AI policy following new AI bill (Middle East AI News)

#Africa #outsourcing – Eight African countries rank among the world’s top 25 AI-ready outsourcing destinations for outsourcing, according to the inaugural Global Outsourcing AI Readiness Index. South Africa leads the continent at eighth place globally, with Egypt at 16th, Nigeria 17th, Kenya 18th, Morocco 19th, Ghana 20th, Uganda 24th and Ethiopia 25th. Published by global talent firm Ataraxis, the index evaluates 25 leading outsourcing destinations across the four dimensions of population AI adoption, workforce AI literacy, enterprise AI adoption and AI education pipeline. The goal is to assess how prepared each country is to compete in a global outsourcing market that is increasingly expected to be AI enabled and provide AI services.

SO WHAT? – Eight of the world’s top 25 AI-ready outsourcing destinations are African. It is a significant finding at a moment when the global outsourcing industry is under pressure to demonstrate AI capability or risk losing contracts to automation. Meanwhile, many African countries see their nascent AI talent as their greatest future resource. The index confirms that the continent seems to be keeping up with the AI outsourcing transition, but also highlights clear disparities between the top African outsourcing destinations. The research also begs the question whether African governments and businesses can convert AI readiness into contracts and jobs.

KEY POINTS:

• Global talent firm Ataraxis has published the inaugural Global Outsourcing AI Readiness Index, which ranks the world’s top 25 AI-ready outsourcing destinations. The new index includes eight African countries.

• South Africa ranks eighth globally in the AI Outsourcing Readiness Index, the highest-placed African nation and the only one to break into the global top ten. The ranking places South Africa ahead of established outsourcing destinations including Argentina, Bulgaria and several European nations.

• Five African countries rank in the index’s global top 20: Egypt (16), Nigeria (17), Kenya (18), Morocco (19) and Ghana (20). The cluster represents a significant and geographically diverse AI outsourcing capability across the continent.

• Uganda and Ethiopia came in at 24th and 25th respectively.

• The index evaluates four dimensions of AI readiness, weighted as follows:

  • population AI adoption (30%),

  • workforce AI literacy (30%),

  • enterprise AI adoption (25%) and

  • AI education pipeline (15%).

• Each country was given a score from 0 to 100 per dimension, with the composite score reflecting national-level readiness for large-scale AI-augmented outsourcing work.

• Enterprise AI adoption is identified as the most directly relevant dimension for outsourcing delivery quality, measuring whether firms have moved beyond pilots into production AI workflows.

• The AI education pipeline dimension is the most forward-looking, assessing STEM graduate output, AI curriculum policy maturity, and the pace of professional enrolment in AI training programmes. It is designed to predict five to ten year competitiveness rather than current capability, making it particularly relevant for African nations investing in education-led AI strategies.

• The global outsourcing market is estimated at $138.8 billion, with the United States accounting for 36% of global BPO spend. The seven largest buyer markets — the US, UK, France, Germany, Australia, Canada and Japan — are all rapidly adopting AI themselves, raising the bar for what outsourcing destinations must demonstrate to retain and grow their share of contracts.

• The index was built using publicly available datasets from sources including Microsoft, Cloudflare Radar, OpenAI, the OECD, LinkedIn, Coursera Enterprise and GitHub. Scores are relative to the 25-country peer group rather than against an absolute ceiling. So the rankings reflect competitive positioning within the outsourcing market rather than absolute AI maturity.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: Ataraxis

LINKS

• View the Global Outsourcing AI Readiness Index (Altaraxis)

#Morocco #innovation – Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform has launched the Rally AI Future Lab, a national initiative organised by the Jazari Institute under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. The lab brings together 1,000 researchers, engineers, students, entrepreneurs and developers for a five-day intensive programme in the city of Merzouga, from 16 to 20 June 2026. Under Morocco’s broader AI Made in Morocco strategy, the programme is designed to build technological sovereignty by developing locally designed AI solutions tailored to the real needs of citizens, government and the national economy. The Rally AI Future Lab has an ambition to reach 5,000 participants across multiple cohorts throughout the Kingdom’s 12 regions.

SO WHAT? – In January, Morocco launched AI Made in Morocco, a national artificial intelligence initiative targeting a 100 billion dirham ($10 billion) contribution to GDP and the creation of 50,000 AI-related jobs. The new Rally AI Future Lab forms part of the effort to build domestic AI capability from the ground up. The programme will play a role in talent, prototyping AI solutions and creating a pipeline from idea to operational product. In line with other recent initiatives, the government made a deliberate effort to launch the programme in Merzouga, in the east of Morocco, demonstrating that this is a national programme that will reach the whole country.

KEY POINTS:

• The Rally AI Future Lab was launched by Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in line with Royal Directives for digital development, innovation and human capital enhancement. The initiative reflects AI’s elevation to a matter of national strategic priority in Morocco.

• Organised under the umbrella of the Jazari Institute, the inaugural lab runs from 16 to 20 June 2026 in Merzouga, in the Drâa-Tafilalet region. By choosing to launch Rally AI Future Lab in Merzouga rather than Rabat or Casablanca, the government is demonstrating that it is serious about national inclusion across all 12 regions. Around 1,000 participants will take part in an intensive five-day programme combining training, experimentation, prototyping and mentoring.

• The programme targets the creation of high-impact AI projects across four priority areas: modernisation of public services, administrative efficiency, digital inclusion and economic competitiveness. The focus is on applied, citizen-facing solutions rather than purely academic or experimental outputs.

• The initiative has a stated ambition of reaching 5,000 participants divided across several cohorts throughout Morocco. The phased expansion model is designed to build a sustained national innovation initiative rather than a one-off event.

• Rally AI Future Lab builds directly on the success of the RamadanIA Hackathon, which was deployed across all twelve regions of Morocco and mobilised more than 700 participants and around 50 mentors. The national final in Rabat brought together nearly 170 selected talents, with several teams distinguishing themselves through the maturity of their AI solutions.

• The initiative sits within Morocco’s broader AI Made in Morocco strategy, which aims to use AI as a lever for technological sovereignty, economic competitiveness and public sector transformation. The strategy seeks to unite public, private, academic and international ecosystems around concrete solutions designed in Morocco and adapted to local needs.

• The Ministry describes its goal as installing a sustainable architecture of innovation. The emphasis is on the gradual, structured transition from ideas to operational solutions at national scale.

ZOOM OUT – The Rally AI Future Lab connects to a wider architecture Morocco is building to build AI capability across all twelve of its regions. Last year, Digital Transition Minister Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni announced plans to expand the Al Jazari Institute nationwide, creating a network of centres of excellence specifically in Morocco's less developed and less populated regions. The inaugural Al Jazari Institute is located in the Guelmim-Oued Noun region in the southwest, and a memorandum of understanding has been signed to establish a second institute in Nador, in the northeast Rif region, marking the start of a national rollout. The institutes are mandated to deliver four functions: training and skills development, applied research and co-innovation, shared digital platforms and data infrastructure, and incubation and acceleration of AI solutions.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: Ministère de la Transition numérique et de la Réforme de l’administration

#Nigeria #governance – Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, has launched his vision for a National AI Trust at a two-day convening hosted by Warwick Business School in London, describing it as the first institution of its kind in the world. The Trust, already approved by Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council, is designed to mobilise resources, guide responsible AI adoption and ensure strategic, ethical AI investment across key economic sectors. The London convening, organised in partnership with pan-African innovation hub Co-creation Hub (CcHUB) and the US-based MacArthur Foundation, brought together senior Nigerian government representatives, international AI experts, business leaders, academics and public interest groups to help shape the Trust’s design and governance framework.

SO WHAT? – Most African governments are still at the strategy document stage of AI governance and many have constrictive budget limitations. With the third largest GDP in Africa, Nigeria has the opportunity to go further and faster, but the government clearly recognises the the risks too. The government is forming a dedicated institutional body with trustee oversight, designed to provide sustainable stewardship of AI development beyond the electoral cycle. By creating an institution that outlasts the present government, governance will be able to take a longer-term view somewhat independent of politics. If Nigeria’s National AI Trust delivers on its promise, then it could become a governance model for other nations too.

KEY POINTS:

• Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council has approved the creation of the National AI Trust, a proposed institution intended to mobilise resources, guide responsible AI adoption and ensure strategic and ethical AI investment across key economic sectors. As described by Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Hon. Dr. Bosun Tijani The Trust will be a first-of-its-kind institution.

• Dr. Tijani led the London convening at Warwick Business School, his alma mater, as one of three co-creation workshops the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy is holding to shape the Trust’s design. Tijani was named in Time Magazine’s 2025 list of the 100 Most Influential People in AI.

• The Trust is envisioned as a body of trustees that will ensure AI development and deployment delivers broad-based economic and social value for all Nigerians. It will provide oversight and stewardship rather than direct operational control of AI systems or programmes.

• A key design principle is institutional longevity beyond the present government. Tijani was explicit that the Trust must demonstrate impact and value to ensure it survives political transitions, framing governance continuity as foundational to Nigeria’s long-term AI competitiveness.

• The convening was organised in partnership with CcHUB and the MacArthur Foundation, the US-based philanthropic organisation. Lagos and Nairobi-based CcHUB is the leading pan-African innovation ecosystem enabler, operating across more than 40 African countries.

• The National AI Trust is designed to sit alongside Nigeria’s infrastructure investment agenda. Minister Tijani is simultaneously raising $2 billion for Project BRIDGE, an initiative to lay 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable network across Nigeria. The announcement of the Trust frames the government’s vision for governance and physical infrastructure as two equally essential and interdependent foundations for AI-led development.

• Nigeria’s participation in the global AI race is framed explicitly as an African representation issue. Tijani argued that as AI systems expand globally, diverse contexts and perspectives must be embedded in their development: and that the National AI Trust can play a role in ensuring Africa’s voice is present in shaping how AI evolves internationally.

ZOOM OUT – The National AI Trust builds on the foundations laid by Nigeria’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, launched in 2025. The strategy sets out the country’s vision to become a global leader in AI through ethical and inclusive innovation, local talent development and strategic international collaboration. It is structured around five pillars: building foundational AI infrastructure; developing a world-class AI ecosystem; accelerating AI adoption and sector transformation; ensuring responsible and ethical AI development; and establishing a robust AI governance framework. Underpinning these pillars are 34 specific strategies designed to drive economic growth and competitiveness, and improve social outcomes in healthcare, agriculture and education.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: Ministry of CIDE, Various

Read about other African AI strategies:

• Libya launches National AI Strategy with 35 initiatives (Africa AI News)

• Rwanda creates dedicated National AI Agency (Africa AI News)

• Zimbabwe unpacks national AI strategy (Africa AI News)

• Mozambique presents draft AI Strategy (Africa AI News)

• Ghana launches AI strategy (Africa AI News)

• Mauritius launches new National AI Strategy (Africa AI News)