AFRICA LEAPFROGGING FUTURES: THEMATIC FUTURES

This research paper introduces the concept of development leapfrogging within the African context, exploring how the continent can bypass intermediate stages of industrial development by adopting advanced technologies in sectors such as energy, finance, and agriculture.

• Development leapfrogging allows developing economies to skip intermediate technological and industrial stages to adopt advanced systems, enabling faster structural transformation and productivity gains compared to the historical paths of industrialised nations.
• Africa is uniquely positioned for leapfrogging because its significant infrastructure deficits in water, sanitation, transport, and electricity reduce 'path dependency'—the incentive to maintain outdated systems—allowing for the adoption of decentralised and digital technologies.
• Current examples of leapfrogging in Africa include the use of drones for precision agriculture and logistics, solar mini-grids and off-grid power for rural electricity, and digital mobile communications for financial inclusion.
• While Artificial Intelligence (AI) enhances decision-making in health diagnostics, energy optimisation, and crop monitoring, its progress is hindered by limited research capacity, skilled human capital, and challenges regarding data governance, bias, and potential job displacement.
• The successful deployment of frontier technologies depends on specific enabling conditions, including innovation policies, regulatory frameworks, investments in digital infrastructure, and the development of relevant skills.

APA

Yeboua, K. (2026). AFRICA LEAPFROGGING FUTURES: THEMATIC FUTURES. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=09-leapfrog&topic=01-introduction

Chicago

Yeboua, Kouassi. AFRICA LEAPFROGGING FUTURES: THEMATIC FUTURES. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=09-leapfrog&topic=01-introduction.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Yeboua |first1=Kouassi |title=AFRICA LEAPFROGGING FUTURES: THEMATIC FUTURES |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=25 May 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=09-leapfrog&topic=01-introduction |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yeboua2026africa, author = {Yeboua, Kouassi}, title = {{AFRICA LEAPFROGGING FUTURES: THEMATIC FUTURES}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=09-leapfrog&topic=01-introduction}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }