Masakhane funds African language AI, Kenya pulls $1-B AI datacenter build
Weekly News Digest
Good morning, and welcome to this week’s issue of Africa AI News – Weekly News Digest.
Lots of news, both good and bad. The Kenya-based collaboration Masakhane African Languages Hub has secured a tonne of money to provide funding for African language AI research. Which is good. At the same time, Kenya has pulled the plug on the giant AI data centre announced with great fanfare two years ago because after doing the numbers, there is supposedly not enough power from the national grid to power it. Right. At the time there was a lot of cold water being sprayed on the idea. Either way, project canned, which is bad. Then more bad news in a report that the new Kenyan AI-led healthcare tool was hurting the people it was meant to help (the poor).
This would show a growing maturity in understanding how AI impacts business, nations and people. Which is probably a good thing.
Because at the same time, there is increasingly substantial investment in projects in Africa that can build real home-grown AI capabilities. Which is definitely a good thing.
Look out for our deep dive on the SA draft AI policy - the reason we’re focused so hard on this is that South Africa is the continent’s largest and most mature economy, and the slower timeline on policy development allows South Africa to learn from other countries that rushed their policymaking through in the heat of the AI hype-bubble.
On with this week’s issue.
/Roger
Funding
LINGUA Africa targets one billion Africans with inclusive AI fund
#Africa #NLP — Kenya-based African language AI organisation the Masakhane African Languages Hub has joined forces with Microsoft AI for Good Lab, the Gates Foundation, and Google.org to launch LINGUA Africa with an open call for proposals designed to strengthen the language foundations needed for inclusive AI across the continent. Projects can apply for funding of up to $250,000 in cash plus up to $400,000 in compute credits, alongside technical support and collaboration opportunities. (AfricaAINews.com)
Datacentres and COEs
Kenya pauses $1bn Microsoft datacentre
#Kenya #datacentre #policy — Kenya has suspended plans for a proposed $1 billion data centre project backed by Microsoft and the UAE’s G42 tech investment company, amid concerns over electricity shortages and long-term energy supply, where the planned DC would use 1GW of Kenya’s current 3GW supply. Officials are reassessing infrastructure requirements as demand for AI computing capacity and large-scale digital infrastructure continues to rise across East Africa. (Business Insider Africa)
Djezzy unveils sovereign AI cloud platform
#Algeria #cloud — Djezzy has partnered with Algeria Venture and Taubyte to launch AventureCloudz, a sovereign AI cloud platform hosted locally in Algiers. The full-stack environment enables startups and enterprises to build and deploy AI applications while supporting faster innovation and stronger national digital infrastructure. (TechAfrica News)
Algeria launches national deeptech hub
#Algeria #deeptech — Algeria’s CERIST has launched the Deeptech Innovation Hub in Algiers to accelerate commercialisation of advanced research. Backed by AI infrastructure and high-performance computing, the initiative connects startups, investors and industry partners to strengthen the country’s digital economy and globally competitive technology ecosystem. (Middle East AI News)
Huawei hosts AI data centre summit in Egypt
#Egypt #datacenter — Huawei hosted an AI Data Center Summit in Egypt and unveiled a North Africa reference design for AI infrastructure. The company said the framework is intended to help regional operators and enterprises deploy scalable AI-ready computing infrastructure as demand for cloud and AI services accelerates. (iAfrica)
Applications
Kenya AI healthcare reforms raise costs fears
#Kenya #applications #healthcare — Healthcare reforms in Kenya involving AI-driven systems and digital platforms are reportedly increasing costs for low-income patients, according to critics and healthcare advocates. Concerns have emerged that the rapid digitisation of healthcare services may deepen inequality and limit access to treatment for poorer communities already under financial strain. (The Guardian)
LLMs
New AI model brings eleven SA languages online
#SouthAfrica #applications #education — Researchers at the University of Cape Town have developed MzansiLM, a multilingual AI model trained across all 11 of South Africa’s official written languages. The 125-million-parameter system is designed to help developers build local-language digital tools and services, addressing long-standing gaps in AI support for low-resource African languages. (TimesLIVE) (TimesLIVE)
Uganda to host October’s Digital Government Africa 2026
#Uganda #events #policy — Uganda will host the 2026 instance of the Digital Government Africa Conference, led by the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, and the National Information Technology Authority. The summit will bring together ministers, regulators, cybersecurity experts, Cloud and datacenter providers, digital finance institutions, investors, innovators, and development partners from across Africa and beyond. The event is scheduled to take place in Kampala from 6 to 8 October 2026. (Dig.watch)
Education
GIZ Malawi supports women-led firms with AI
#Malawi #education #applications — German development agency GIZ Malawi has launched an initiative to help women-led businesses adopt AI tools and digital technologies. The programme focuses on improving productivity, innovation and competitiveness among female entrepreneurs through training, mentorship and practical AI applications tailored to SMEs. (GIZ Malawi LinkedIn)
Strathmore SGI Tanzania partners with ARIFA
#Tanzania #CoEs #education — Strathmore Global Institute Tanzania has partnered with the Africa Research Institute for AI to expand AI research and innovation across East Africa. The collaboration will focus on research capacity, academic exchange, talent development and applied AI solutions aimed at supporting industry and public sector transformation in the region. (Strathmore Business School)
Policy
Morocco and EU deepen AI cooperation
#Morocco #policy #funding — Morocco and the European Union have signed agreements aimed at strengthening cooperation in AI, digital innovation and technology governance. The “Digital Dialogue” partnership seeks to position Morocco as a strategic AI hub linking Europe and Africa while supporting investment, research and regulatory collaboration, and rolling back US/China AI dominance. (African Business)
Zambia tightens relationship with China on AI
#Zambia #policy #education — Zambia has reaffirmed its commitment to inclusive AI capacity building and digital development in a meeting with China, a precursor of the UN’s eleventh Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum). Zambia and China are co-chairs of the Group of Friends (GoF) for AI Capacity-Building. (Zambia Mission to UN)
Mozambique commission starts work on AI use
#Mozambique #policy — Mozambique’s government has begun receiving recommendations from a newly established commission tasked with advising on the use of AI across public administration and national development. The initiative aims to guide future regulation, governance and adoption strategies. (Club of Mozambique)
China and South Sudan discuss AI cooperation
#SouthSudan #policy #education — Chinese and South Sudanese officials have discussed expanding cooperation in AI, digital infrastructure and technology skills development. The engagement forms part of broader efforts to strengthen bilateral ties and support South Sudan’s digital transformation through training, connectivity and emerging technology partnerships. (Embassy of China in South Sudan)
Education
ICESCO and Morocco sign AI capacity agreement
#Morocco #education #policy — The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition have signed a cooperation agreement focused on AI capacity building and strategic foresight. The partnership aims to strengthen digital skills, institutional readiness and research capabilities in emerging technologies. (ICESCO)
UAE and Egypt lead AI university rankings
#UAE #education — New EduIndex data shows the UAE and Egypt leading AI-driven university visibility rankings across the Middle East. The report highlights strong adoption of generative AI among UAE institutions and growing competitiveness from Egyptian universities in attracting and engaging international students online. (Campaign Middle East)
China launches African youth innovation competition
#Africa #Competitions — The theme is “AI for a Smarter Future, China and Africa Advancing Together on a New Journey”. It’s an Africa-wide competition for youth to submit application use cases that cover public well-being, scientific and technological progress, industrial application, cultural exchanges and talent development (so, everything, then). Certificates and prizes, and outstanding winners invited to China for study visits and exchange activities. Deadline May 29, submit at this link. (China embassy South Sudan)
[ This newsletter was human braked and AI accelerated ]