Mauritian budget prioritises AI; Ethiopia plans national data cloud
Weekly News Digest...
Good morning!
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 ]