Africa's ambitions for artificial intelligence are soaring, but with infrastructure yet to keep pace, partnerships such as the UAE's $1 billion initiative are critical for progress, analysts say.
The UAE said at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg on Saturday it would invest $1 billion to expand AI infrastructure and AI-enabled services across Africa.
Such partnerships are crucial for Africa as the continent rapidly expands digital adoption but faces crucial gaps in infrastructure needs.
The continent accounts for less than 1 per cent of global data-centre capacity, despite demand skyrocketing, an Africa Data Centres Association–Oxford Business Group study found.
The International Energy Agency’s Africa Energy Outlook 2024 estimates about 600 million people still lack access to electricity across the continent, while mobile internet remains among the most expensive globally relative to income, according to the Alliance for Affordable Internet’s 2024 report.
"There is a strong policy ambition and increasing investment, yet the scale and pace of infrastructure still need to expand to meet national AI goals," said Moussa Beidas of PwC Middle East.
Sid Bhatia, area vice president and general manager for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa at Dataiku, said the main obstacles remain talent shortages, weak data-governance frameworks, and limited capacity to use and maintain AI models.
He said strategies such as edge computing, synthetic-data generation and hybrid-cloud models can ensure AI systems remain functional even in markets with unstable electricity and connectivity.
Overall, Africa’s AI and digital infrastructure is advancing but remains far fro
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