AI in Africa

This policy brief by the Africa Policy Research Institute examines the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Africa, highlighting the tension between the continent's central role in the AI supply chain and the dominance of foreign technologies. It analyzes emerging national AI strategies in Egypt, Mauritius, and Rwanda, and discusses risks associated with biometric surveillance, precarious digital labor, and the limitations of adopting European regulatory frameworks like the GDPR and the EU AI Act.

• Africa is integral to the global AI supply chain, particularly in the early production phases involving natural resources, labor, and skills, yet the economic benefits are primarily captured by Chinese and Global North 'Big Tech' companies.
• The adoption of AI-driven digital ID and biometric systems in Africa has led to significant human rights and ethical concerns, including the predatory use of personal data for financial offers in South Africa and the use of facial recognition for political surveillance in Uganda.
• The AI economy has created new forms of precarious labor in Africa, specifically 'click work' (micro digital labor) and gig economies. In Kenya's Dadaab refugee camp, residents are employed in low-paid, often distressing data labeling tasks for global platforms.
• China is the primary exporter of AI technologies to Africa, largely through the Belt and Road Initiative and the Digital Silk Road Initiative, with 40 of 54 African countries signing agreements by May 2021.
• Several African nations have established national AI strategies: Mauritius (2018) focused on socio-economic growth in sectors like healthcare and fintech; Egypt (2021) focused on national developmental priorities across four pillars; and Rwanda (expected 2022) focusing on enablers, accelerators, and safeguards.
• There is a growing trend toward data localization in Africa, such as in Kenya and South Africa, to ensure economic benefit and local access, though some critics argue this may facilitate government surveillance.
• The EU's GDPR and AI Act provide a starting point for human rights protections but may be ill-suited for Africa due to structural differences, high technical costs for local start-ups, and a failure to address socio-economic rights and the digital gender divide.

APA

ADAMS, D. R. (2022). AI in Africa. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/uploads/publications/AI_in_Africa.pdf

Chicago

ADAMS, DR. RACHEL. AI in Africa. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2022. https://afripoli.org/uploads/publications/AI_in_Africa.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=ADAMS |first1=DR. RACHEL |title=AI in Africa |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=2022 |url=https://afripoli.org/uploads/publications/AI_in_Africa.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{adams2022africa, author = {ADAMS, DR. RACHEL}, title = {{AI in Africa}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2022}, url = {https://afripoli.org/uploads/publications/AI_in_Africa.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }