Opinion: Why Africa Lags Behind in AI Innovations. It’s Not About Talent

Africa’s digital economy is on a staggering trajectory, projected to hit $180 billion by 2025. Yet, in the global race for artificial intelligence dominance, the continent contributes less than 1% of all research and development. This isn’t a story about a lack of talent or ambition. It’s a story about missing pieces—the foundational pillars required to turn raw talent into world-changing innovation.

Dr. Bitange Ndemo, a professor at the University of Nairobi and former ICT Permanent Secretary, puts it bluntly: “Africa’s AI journey is about infrastructure and inclusion, not a lack of innate talent.” This sentiment is echoed in a recent T20 report, which states, “Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents a transformative opportunity, but urgent action is needed to bridge the AI divide.” The potential is immense, but the ground is not yet fertile enough for it to fully bloom.

Breaking the Myth That Talent Is What’s Holding Africa Back

For years, the narrative has been that Africa needs to “catch up” in terms of skilled developers and data scientists. But leaders on the ground and in the diaspora are pushing back. “African developers are world-class, but the landscape is uneven due to infrastructure gaps,” said Kojo Boakye, Meta’s Vice President for Africa, at a recent summit.

This reality is confirmed by the 2025 Innovate for Impact report, which finds that while Africa’s innovators are highly skilled, they face systemic barriers when trying to scale their solutions. The problem isn’t the people; it’s the environment. Strive Masiyiwa, the founder of Econet Global, captured this optimism perfectly at the Unstoppable Africa 2025 event: “Africa could be the next center for AI, once the right environment exists.”

Digital Infrastructure a Hidden Barrier Stunting Progress

The most significant hidden barrier is digital infrastructure. As of 2025, nearly 40% of Africans still lack reliable internet access, a fundamental prerequisite for any AI development. This digital divide isn’t just about connectivity; it’s about computational power. High-performance computing facilities, often called “AI factories,” remain a rarity outside of a few major cities like Johannesburg, Cairo, and Nairobi. This scarcity limits access for thousands of startups and researchers who need immense processing power to train their models.

Without this backbone, the ecosystem cannot thrive. As highlighted in a recent World Bank forum, AI innovation depends heavily on scalable digital solutions. Dr. Claude Mwamba from the World Bank notes, “Sustained investment in digital backbone systems is the foundation for all tech-enabled innovation.” This is a sentiment echoed by the T20, which warns, “AI expertise is concentrated in a few nations; urgent action is needed to bridge the AI divide.” Innovations like satellite internet are promising but are still far from providing universal, affordable access.

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Funding and Investment Where the Pipeline Stops Short

Even with talent and ideas, progress stalls without capital. International investment in African AI remains disproportionately low compared to other emerging markets. Fundraising for AI startups is a persistent challenge, creating a pipeline that stops short of its potential.

There are, however, bright spots that offer a blueprint for the future. Rwanda recently secured a landmark $17.5 million from the Gates Foundation to establish its AI Scaling Hub, a pioneering initiative on the continent. This hub is designed to support startups and deploy AI applications in critical sectors like health and agriculture. “This is a project that will continue to grow, and its budget will increase over time,” said Yves Iradukunda, Rwanda’s Minister of State for ICT. “We appreciate the partnership.” But this is a unique exception. Most countries lack this level of backing, leaving their innovative startups struggling to find the fuel for growth.

Policy Gaps and Fragmented Governance

Another major hurdle is the lack of a unified playbook. Most African countries do not have comprehensive AI policies to address critical issues like data privacy, algorithmic bias, or ethical governance. According to insights from the Africa AI Conference 2025, this fragmented landscape of local approaches undermines the potential for regional collaboration and creates uncertainty for investors.

At a ministerial roundtable during the conference, the consensus was clear: “A continental directive for AI policy must be a priority.” Without clear and harmonized regulations, it’s difficult to build trust and scale solutions across borders. The T20 report reinforces this, stating bluntly, “Many African countries lack comprehensive AI policies.” This policy vacuum not only stifles innovation but also leaves populations vulnerable to the risks of unregulated AI.

The Critical Shortage of Local Data and Language

AI is famously data-hungry, but the data it’s fed is overwhelmingly Western. A staggering statistic reveals that only 0.02% of internet content is available in African languages, severely limiting the development of local AI models. This isn’t just a technical problem; it’s a cultural and contextual one.

Professor Mohlatsi Motsoari of Wits University states, “Contextualized African data is crucial for relevant AI solutions.” Without it, models developed on foreign data sets often fail to understand local nuances, whether in healthcare diagnostics or agricultural advice. The T20 report warns that “AI models dominated by global languages marginalise African languages,” creating a cycle of digital exclusion. This is where tools for generating audio in local languages could play a transformative role.

Success Stories Are Already Breaking Through

Despite these bottlenecks, inspiring innovations are emerging across the continent. The Rwanda AI Scaling Hub is already supporting breakthroughs in healthcare with AI-enabled telemedicine projects and in agriculture with precision farming tools. These aren’t just hypotheticals; they are real-world applications improving lives.

The T20 commentary and the Innovate for Impact report both feature a growing list of local solutions being developed for climate resilience, health diagnostics, and more. From startups in Kenya like Safaricom’s M-Pesa leveraging AI for financial services to innovators in South Africa tackling deep tech challenges, entrepreneurs are adapting global technologies for local communities. These successes prove the talent is there, waiting for the ecosystem to catch up. The consensus remains: “AI holds immense potential for Africa, but several obstacles prevent the continent from fully harnessing its benefits.”

How Africa Can Finally Bridge the Gap

The path forward is clear, though not easy. At Unstoppable Africa 2025, experts called for a concerted effort to build sustainable infrastructure, close governance gaps, and nurture local ecosystems from the ground up. It requires a multi-pronged approach involving public and private sector collaboration.

Dr. Bitange Ndemo offers a powerful closing thought: “What Africa needs is investment, not mere acknowledgment of talent. With the right ecosystem, the continent will deliver.” The role of the international community is also vital. As the T20 concludes, “The G20 has a crucial role in shaping the future of AI in Africa by investing in infrastructure, education and ethical governance.”

Africa’s AI revolution is not stalled; it’s waiting for its foundations to be built. The talent is ready. The ideas are there. Now, the work of building the ecosystem begins.