AI in Africa: Key Concerns and Policy Considerations for the Future of the Continent

The document examines the impact of AI in Africa, highlighting risks such as predatory data use in South Africa, surveillance in Uganda, and the exploitation of 'click work' in Kenyan refugee camps. It reviews national AI strategies in Egypt, Mauritius, and Rwanda, and the SMARTAfrica Blueprint, while cautioning against the uncritical transfer of EU regulatory models like the GDPR. The author recommends that African governments focus on building sustainable local AI ecosystems, enhancing digital skills for women, and establishing regional cooperation to regulate multinational tech monopolies.

• AI production involves African natural resources and labour, yet the economic benefits are primarily captured by China and 'Big Tech companies of the Global North'.
• AI-driven digital ID and biometric systems in Africa have been used for predatory financial practices and state surveillance. In South Africa, the company Net1 used data from 18 million social grant beneficiaries to create 'targeted and predatory financial offers', while in Uganda, Huawei-developed facial recognition was used during the 2020 elections to 'identify, track down and arrest supporters of the opposition leader, Bobi Wine'.
• The global AI economy has created precarious labour markets in Africa, including 'click work' in refugee camps like Dadaab in Kenya, where residents perform data labelling for Big Tech without 'fair labour rights or protections'. Additionally, gig economy workers in Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia face limited job security and 'intrusive surveillance methods'.
• China is the primary exporter of AI technologies to Africa through the 'Digital Silk Road Initiative' and the 'Belt and Road Initiative', with 40 of 54 African countries signing agreements by May 2021 that introduced 5G, cloud computing, and surveillance infrastructure.
• Several African nations have established AI frameworks: Mauritius (2018) focused on healthcare, fintech, and agriculture; Egypt (2021) prioritised national developmental goals across four pillars; and Rwanda (expected 2022) focused on enablers and safeguards. SMARTAfrica also published a 'Blueprint on Artificial Intelligence for Africa' in 2021.
• There is a growing trend toward 'data localisation' in Africa, exemplified by the Kenyan Data Protection Act 2019 and South Africa's Draft Data and Cloud Policy, which require copies of data to be stored domestically to drive local innovation and economic growth.
• The application of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Africa may create a 'two levels of data protection' system where European data processed in Africa is better protected than African data, and the high technical costs of compliance may 'deny the entry' of local start-ups into international markets.
• AI automation poses a disproportionate risk to African women, who often hold low-skilled, repetitive roles; however, current reskilling programs often ignore the 'daily realities of women' and the 'growing digital gender divide'.

APA

Adams, R. (2022). AI in Africa: Key Concerns and Policy Considerations for the Future of the Continent. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/ai-in-africa-key-concerns-and-policy-considerations-for-the-future-of-the-continent

Chicago

Adams, Rachel. AI in Africa: Key Concerns and Policy Considerations for the Future of the Continent. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2022. https://afripoli.org/ai-in-africa-key-concerns-and-policy-considerations-for-the-future-of-the-continent.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Adams |first1=Rachel |title=AI in Africa: Key Concerns and Policy Considerations for the Future of the Continent |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=30 May 2022 |url=https://afripoli.org/ai-in-africa-key-concerns-and-policy-considerations-for-the-future-of-the-continent |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{adams2022africa, author = {Adams, Rachel}, title = {{AI in Africa: Key Concerns and Policy Considerations for the Future of the Continent}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2022}, month = may, url = {https://afripoli.org/ai-in-africa-key-concerns-and-policy-considerations-for-the-future-of-the-continent}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }