Safaricom to invest $500M in AI infra; Last week for SA tax AI RFI
Africa AI News weekly digest...
Good morning, and welcome to this week’s issue of Africa AI News – Weekly News Digest.
This week’s big story almost flew under the radar … actually announced several weeks back it got little airtime. Safaricom, the home-grown East African telecoms titan, is going to spend $500 million to upgrade and modernise Kenyan telecoms and DC infrastructure to allow it to compete in an AI-forward world.
There was very little hard information available, but the fortnight before it announced a strategic tie-up with DC operator iXchange to bring AI services to the enterprise market. This may signal a sea-change in Safaricom’s future as it looks to become a bigger player in the IT services market, mirroring major shareholders Vodacom in SA and Vodafone. 2024 saw improving earnings of $540 million in March.
The Kenyan government has indicated it may want to divest of Safaricom to raise badly needed cash to pay its projected $7.7b debt burden, giving the company greater freedom to expand regionally after a somewhat rocky foray into Ethiopia.
The other major story is a slightly baffling announcement of a request for information by SARS, the South African Revenue Service, for AI tech to improve operations and tax collection. First floated in late May, the RFI was published last Friday after our press time, with only two weeks to respond with a detailed proposal.
Tick, tock!
On with this week’s issue!
/Roger
Data Centres
Safaricom commits $500M to AI in East Africa
#Kenya #funding #infrastructure — Safaricom will invest $500 million in AI infrastructure across East Africa over the next three years. Having trained 5,000 staff in AI, the firm aims to build a scalable ecosystem supporting innovation and regional digital transformation. This comes at the same time as a “strategic partnership” was announced with East Africa DC operator iXAfrica. (Tech Africa News)
Funding
Egypt gets new deep tech venture studio with $1m fund
#Egypt #funding — Cairo-based Aria Ventures has launched a $1 million fund to accelerate AI, biotech, robotics, and other deep tech startups. The venture studio plans to scale to $4 million by 2030, offering end-to-end startup development and launching DeepTecher, a competition for early-stage innovators. (Middle East AI News)
Google backs 15 AI-driven African startups
#Africa #startups #incubation — Google selected 15 startups from seven African countries for its Accelerator: Africa Class 9, focusing on AI-driven solutions in fintech, agritech, and healthtech. The program offers mentorship, training and up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits over three months. (Tech Africa News)
Education
Ethiopia opens AI-focused exhibition at national science museum
#Ethiopia #education — Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has inaugurated permanent exhibitions at Ethiopia’s new Science Museum in Addis Ababa. Featuring interactive AI exhibits by the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute (AII), the museum showcases innovations in robotics, climate tech, and smart mobility. (Note: Museum website links broken at time of going to press) (TechReview Africa)
Rwanda rolls out AI to train 58,000 health workers
#Rwanda #education #healthcare — Rwanda has launched an AI-powered platform to train all 58,567 community health workers nationwide. The system uses mobile devices and adaptive learning to provide real-time support, tailored lessons, and certification, aiming to boost rural healthcare delivery. (KT Press)
Algeria launches 40 digital training programs
#Algeria #education #vocationaltraining — Algeria has introduced 40 new digital training programmes to modernise vocational education and address the digital skills gap. Developed by 70 experts alongside the Algerian Digital Actors Group and top tech firms, these courses cover software, cybersecurity, AI, and digital marketing. (Tech Africa News)
Bildup AI launches NGN500m classroom AI initiative
#Nigeria #education #schooling — Bildup AI announced a NGN500 million ($320k) investment to integrate AI tools into Nigerian schools. The “AI in Every Classroom” initiative aims to personalise learning, support teachers, and improve access, starting with pilot schools and plans for nationwide expansion. (iAfrica)
Arab League backs Mauritania’s digital transformation
#Mauritania #education — The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (ALECSO) joined the Nouakchott AI Summit end May, announcing a tripartite deal with Mauritania’s Higher Education Ministry and Millennium@EDU to launch a national computer manufacturing line, boosting digital inclusion and the country’s tech industry standing. (ALECSO)
Policy
AI ethics boost for Zimbabwe via UNESCO pilot
#Zimbabwe #policy — UNESCO has sponsored Zimbabwe’s participation in a regional pilot promoting ethical AI. The AI Readiness Report, presented by Information Minister Jenfan Muswere, maps the nation’s strengths and gaps across sectors as it seeks inclusive and responsible AI growth. (Technomag)
Africa’s lottery titans meet in Côte d’Ivoire
#CôteDIvoire #policy #gaming — Leading African lottery officials gathered in Abidjan for a two-day summit focused on AI and cybersecurity, discussing strategies to advance a smarter, safer iGaming industry across the continent. The event was hosted by the Association of African Lotteries (ALA). (FocusGN)
Applications
SA taxman issues tender for AI-enhanced tax collection
#SouthAfrica #applications #government — As reported in the AAIN.com May 23 issue, South Africa’s tax authority SARS is looking for a vendor to provide AI systems to support automated decision making and improve tax collection. An RFI was published June 20, responses are due by 4 July. Tender document here. (TechCentral)
Zambia tests AI to improve job classification
#Zambia #applications #census — Zambia’s national statistical agency, ZamStats, is working with the Zambia Evidence Lab to test AI for classifying occupations in its Labour Force Survey. Large language models have shown potential to improve speed and accuracy without replacing human enumerators. (International Growth Centre)
AI helps Rwanda cut clinic travel times in half
#Rwanda #applications #healthcare — Rwanda has halved average clinic travel times since 2020 using AI and geospatial data. In partnership with Sands Technologies and Google, the Ministry of Health is using satellite-powered mapping tools to guide facility placement and ensure 30-minute access nationwide. (Africa Briefing)
AI aids tuberculosis diagnosis in sub-Saharan Africa
#SouthAfrica #Benin #applications #healthcare — Stellenbosch University in SA joins the Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne and the National Teaching Centre for Pneumology & Tuberculosis in Benin in a €10 million project to deploy AI-assisted lung ultrasound for TB screening at primary healthcare facilities across sub-Saharan Africa. (Stellenbosch University)
UAV and AI research for wildlife protection advances in Botswana
#Botswana #applications #conservation — The Botswana International University of Science & Technology (BIUST) is advancing a US Army-funded project combining UAVs, AI and indigenous tracking know-how to enhance wildlife monitoring and anti-poaching efforts. (U.S. Embassy Botswana)
Events
Libya to launch Code Libya 2026 tech expo
#Libya #events — Libya will host its inaugural tech and AI expo, Code Libya 2026, from May 11–14 2026 in Benghazi. The event aims to boost digital transformation and position the country as a North African tech hub. Register and more information here. (CBS42)
Congo to host regional Cyberdrill in July
#Congo #events #cybersecurity — The Republic of Congo will host a regional Cyberdrill on July 1 and 4, a cross-border cyber incident response exercise. The event is organised with ITU, Interpol, ANSSI and SA’s Center for AI Research (CAIR), supporting African countries ability to deal with cross-border security issues in today’s tech world. (Tech Africa News)
Tanzania to host first national AI forum in July
#Tanzania #events — Tanzania’s ICT Commission will host the country’s inaugural Artificial Intelligence Forum on 28–29 July 2025 in Dar es Salaam. The event will gather AI creators, users, and policymakers to explore how Tanzania can harness AI for national development. (The BizLENS)
University of Rwanda hosts Africa-Australia AI forum
#Rwanda #events — The University of Rwanda hosted the 2025 2025 Australia-Africa Universities Network (AAUN) Africa Forum, drawing academics, policymakers, and innovators to explore AI’s role in sustainable development and education reform. The three-day event highlighted AI’s potential to solve complex regional and global issues. (University of Rwanda)
Morocco advances fintech with AI focus on inclusion
#Morocco #events — At Visa FinTech Day, Morocco’s leaders, including Minister Amal Al-Falah Al-Saghrouchni, discussed AI’s role in enhancing credit scoring, fraud prevention, and personalised finance. The forum highlighted efforts to reduce financial exclusion affecting 44% of Moroccan adults. (Tech Review Africa)
AfDB and Google explore Africa’s AI future
#Africa #development #technology — The African Development Bank and Google co-hosted a session at the 2025 Annual Meetings focused on AI’s role in Africa’s 2024–2033 strategy. Leaders stressed AI as essential for digital transformation, competitiveness, and sustainable growth across the continent. (AfDB)
Huawei promotes AI and cloud tech in Angola
#Angola #technology #digitaltransformation — Huawei showcased AI and cloud computing innovations at the Huawei Day Angola event in Luanda, highlighting their role in government, urban development and industrial upgrades aligned with Angola’s 2023-2027 National Development Plan. (People’s Daily)
[ This newsletter was human edited and AI drafted]