AI gets crumbs of $289M startup funding; Morocco gets 500MW green AI DC
Africa AI News weekly digest...
Good morning, and welcome to this week’s issue of Africa AI News – Weekly News Digest.
A lot going on this week in terms of solutions being launched to address specific applications, from predicting famine to spotting fraud in the public sector.
What is interesting is that despite the considerable sound and fury about how critical AI technology is to, well, everything, it is still a sub-sector of tech that gets little actual money, less than 10% of all venture funding in the Middle East and North Africa. More solid, realistic applications where AI solves real-world problems should bring a balance.
At the same time, Korea’s Naver digital platform giant is pumping money into the region, building a 500MW green energy data centre in Morocco, after announcing a $100 million smart systems IOT project in Saudi.
Got an interesting startup in AI? Let us know by hitting reply on this email (or hit us up on LinkedIn).
On with this week’s issue!
/Roger
Investment
Raises for AI startups less than 10% of $289M MENA funding
#MENA #startups #funding – Startups in MENA raised $289 million total in May, with Egypt attracting $125-million of it, according to Wamda. However, AI startups secured only $25 million of the investment, way behind fintech, proptech and mediatech, despite strong government interest in the sector, highlighting a gap between AI-centric policy and venture funding. (Arab News)
Naver to build AI data hub in Morocco with NVIDIA
#Morocco #infrastructure — South Korea’s Naver is partnering with NVIDIA, Nexus Core Systems, and Lloyd Capital to build a 500MW AI data centre in Morocco. The facility, powered by renewable energy, will serve EMEA markets and capitalise on Morocco’s proximity to Europe and strong fibre-optic connectivity. (Chosun Biz)
African AI startups offered $25k via Llama Accelerator
#Africa #startups #funding — Startups in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Senegal can apply for the Llama Impact Accelerator, which offers up to $25,000 in equity-free funding. The six-week programme supports generative AI projects built on Meta’s Llama models. Applications close 27 June. (ICTworks)
Nigeria, Meta launch AI accelerator programme
#Nigeria #investment — Nigeria's Ministry of Communications has partnered with Meta to launch the Nigeria AI Accelerator Programme. Run by NITDA and NCAIR, the initiative will support startups using AI to tackle local challenges in health, agriculture, and education. Applications by July 12th. (Techpoint Africa)
Disruptech VC fund eyes AI and 2027 exits
#Egypt #investment — Mohamed Okasha’s Disruptech Ventures has invested in 21 startups since 2020 and plans to continue through 2026, with AI now central to its strategy. The $36m fund is shifting towards cross-sector backing, with exits targeted from 2027. (Launch Base Africa)
Applications
Audrey the real-time audit AI targets public finance fraud
#SouthAfrica #applications #finance — Audrey, an AI platform built specifically for audit and governance, monitors financial data in real time to offer real-time fraud detection for SA’s notoriously poorly-run public institutions. Capable of analysing over 3,000 pages a day, it cuts audit cycles by up to 40% it claims. (Sunday Tribune)
Thunder Code automates testing, secures $9m seed
#Tunisia #applications #startups — Thunder Code, a software testing platform using AI agents to mimic QA testers, has launched with $9 million in backing. Created by Expensya’s co-founders, the product is already being piloted in the US, France, and Tunisia, with expansion into mobile and API testing set for late 2025. (Source: AfroTech)
Mediclinic turns to AI to cut R2bn in costs
#SouthAfrica #applications #healthcare — Hospital operator Mediclinic, based on SA with operations in the UAE, has frozen non-clinical hiring and offered voluntary retirement as it shifts to an AI-powered model. The group aims to save R2 billion ($112M) by 2027 by automating admin tasks like scheduling, coding and documentation. (MyBroadband)
BDO SA selects AI platform to strengthen audit quality
#SouthAfrica #applications #audit — The South African office of global audit firm BDO has joined with MindBridge to embed AI into audit workflows. The move follows similar steps by BDO Norway and aims to sharpen risk detection, improve efficiency, and deepen client trust. (BusinessWire)
Moroccan students build AI to fight wildfires, improve farming
#Morocco #applications #agritech — Students from Hassan II University in Casablanca have created an AI system that uses weather and satellite data to predict wildfires and enhance crop planning, contributing to sustainable agriculture and climate resilience. (Hespress)
AI model offers early warning for acute malnutrition in Kenya
#Kenya #applications #health — A team from the University of Southern California (USC), Microsoft AI for Good Lab, Amref Health Africa and Kenya’s Ministry of Health has developed an AI model that predicts acute child malnutrition. Data from 17,000 Kenyan health facilities and satellite crop info gives 89% accuracy for one-month forecasts, and 86% over six, providing crucial lead time for aid delivery. Full paper here. (News Medical)
Policy
Medical data being stolen or sold raises AI data ethics concerns
#SouthAfrica #policy #privacy — Informa’s $10 million agreement with Microsoft gives it access to content from nearly 3,000 Taylor & Francis journals for AI training. Legal experts warn this trend, alongside healthcare cyber-attacks, underscores the need for clearer author rights and data governance. Healthcare saw for 32% of SA’s data breaches from 2015 to 2022, double those in finance or manufacturing. Legal ethics expert Prof Safia Mahomed looks at these two key policy gaps. (Medical Brief)
Morocco appoints new digital agency chief
#Morocco #digitaltransformation – Amine El Mezouaghi has been named as the new Director General of Morocco’s Digital Development Agency. The move reinforces the country’s commitment to digital sovereignty and boosting competitiveness in the national digital economy. (Morocco World News)
AI, data and cyber laws under way in Namibia
#Namibia #policy — Namibia is advancing digital safety legislation with three key draft laws: a Data Protection Bill, Cybercrime Bill, and a Draft Artificial Intelligence Bill. The initiative forms part of a broader national strategy to govern emerging technologies and strengthen digital rights, along with an e-Parliament strategy to incorporate tech into lawmaking and oversight. (TrendsNAfrica)
US AI techies partner with local think-tank for Kenya’s National AI Policy
#Kenya #policy — US-based tech provider MindHYVE.ai, its systems integrator DV8 Infosystems and Kenyan think-tank KICTANet have signed an MoU to jointly support the strategic development of Kenya’s National Artificial Intelligence Policy. This blends advanced AI tech expertise with local ICT policy insights. (Newswire)
AI surveillance concerns rise ahead of Morocco's AFCON
#Morocco #surveillance — Human rights groups are raising alarms over Morocco’s rapid rollout of AI-powered facial recognition systems in major cities ahead of AFCON 2025 and the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Critics cite the absence of transparency, legal safeguards, and public oversight as key risks to civil liberties. (Skyline International for Human Rights)
Hackathons
AI hackathon drives innovation in Islamic finance
#Algeria #hackathon #finance — The Islamic Development Bank Institute awarded top prizes at its inaugural AI Hackathon in Algiers, held during the 19th IsDB Global Forum. It spotlighted AI solutions to enhance adoption of Islamic finance standards. The initiative aims to modernise the $4-trillion Islamic finance industry. (Africa.com)
Education
Kenya to launch AI training for public servants next month
#Kenya #skills #publicsector — Kenya’s government will roll out a comprehensive AI training program for public servants starting July 2025. Spearheaded by the State Departments for Public Service, ICT & Digital Economy, and the Kenya School of Government, the initiative targets procurement, HR, communications and finance, with special modules for Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries to ensure leadership alignment. (Techafricanews.com)
WeThinkCode_ secures $2M grant to scale AI training
#SouthAfrica #Kenya #education — WeThinkCode_, a South African tech academy, received $2 million from Google.org to expand its AI training programs. The initiative will upskill 12,000 learners across South Africa and Kenya, split evenly between software engineers and non-tech professionals in sectors like legal, education, and health. (TechFinancials)
Kenya launches first AI academy for creatives
#Kenya #education — POSH I.T and ArtsEnvoy.ai have launched the Kenya Edition of the Africa AI Creators Academy. Starting 30 June, the one-month programme will train artists and digital entrepreneurs in 100+ AI tools, offering mentorship, credits, and hands-on storytelling support. (CIO Africa)
AI skills gap stalls African innovation projects
#Africa #skills #education — SAP’s new report reveals 90% of companies in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa cite delays and failed projects due to AI skills shortages. Despite 83% prioritising generative AI expertise, budget allocations for skills have declined since 2023. Full report available here. (The Media Online)
Events
AI reshapes search marketing with hyperlocal precision
#SouthAfrica #events #marketing — Traditional SEO is being replaced by AI tools favouring relevance and local context. AI-driven search is shifting power from brand size to answer relevance. So says online marketing firm Yext’s Bryony Rose, a keynote speaker at the 2025 IMC Conference. Customised, hyperlocal responses now matter more than ad spend, challenging marketers to rethink SEO and user engagement. (Bizcommunity)
[ This newsletter was human edited and AI copied]