Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has launched his vision for a National AI Trust — describing it as the first institution of its kind in the world — at a two-day convening hosted by Warwick Business School in London. The Trust, already approved by Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council, is designed […]

Moov Africa Malitel has launched two major innovations aimed at enhancing digital services and connectivity for customers in Mali — introducing an AI-powered virtual assistant and doubling the speed of its fibre-optic internet at no extra cost. The operator officially unveiled the new offerings during a ceremony on June 12, marking another step in its […]

Tyms AI today announced the launch of its human-first AI platform, built to help medium and enterprise businesses run their operations faster and smarter. The platform combines AI software and intelligent agents that handle day-to-day work across finance, sales, marketing, customer service, compliance, and more, freeing teams to focus on the judgment-driven work that drives […]

Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Omar Hilale, has called for an inclusive global framework for AI governance ahead of the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance — warning that 118 countries are currently absent from the international forums shaping the rules. Hilale co-chaired a high-level meeting of the UN Group of Friends on […]

Letlhokwa Mpedi is principal and vice-chancellor at the University of Johannesburg. Thebe Ikalafeng is chancellor of Sol Plaatje University and professor of practice at the University of Johannesburg Business School. They recently published an opinion article that first appeared in the Business Day on 12 June 2026. The battle for Africa’s rights, image and wealth In 1983 […]

South African consumers are embracing AI tools for shopping at a rapid pace, but remain cautious about handing AI agents the keys to checkout — according to Visa’s latest Stay Secure study conducted by Wakefield Research. The study found that 77% of consumers in South Africa have used AI tools to assist with shopping, including […]

The U.S. government on Friday ordered Anthropic to immediately shut off access to two of its most powerful AI models — Claude Fable 5 and Claude Mythos 5 — citing national security concerns. Anthropic confirmed on X that it has complied, but made clear it believes the government got this one wrong. The directive, which […]

In this edition: Africa’s evolving relationship with AI, from classrooms and boardrooms to career development. South Africa’s University of the Free State is abandoning AI detection tools in favour of AI literacy and academic judgement, while a local startup is using AI to challenge established accounting software providers. Meanwhile, Nigerian educator Akanni Isaac is equipping […]

Makerere University has reaffirmed its commitment to embracing artificial intelligence as a catalyst for research excellence, innovation and institutional efficiency, while calling for robust safeguards to protect research integrity and academic quality. The commitment was made during an online webinar on “Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Research Management at Makerere University,”...

Bubacarr J.B. Touray, a Gambian-born PhD immunologist and former Medical Research Council scientist, has launched Seedmap — an AI-powered academic counselling platform designed to help immigrant and first-generation students navigate education and career pathways with the personalized guidance he says he lacked growing up. Touray arrived in the United States from a village in The […]

An AI-powered patient monitoring system known as IMPALA is significantly reducing child deaths in Malawi’s under-resourced paediatric wards, with two participating hospitals recording between 40% and 51% fewer deaths over a recent 12-month period. “Before we could have four deaths in a week or 15 days, but now we record maybe one death,” said Blessings […]

MTN Group is targeting R30 billion in “value creation” from artificial intelligence over the next three to five years, with roughly half expected to come from using AI to run the business more cheaply and the balance split between consumer and business applications. Setting out the plan at the group’s capital markets day on Wednesday, […]

The Central Bank of Nigeria has announced a major policy shift aimed at strengthening the country’s digital financial security through the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, targeting a reduction in financial fraud losses of up to 70% by 2028. The initiative is designed to improve the detection of fraudulent transactions and enhance oversight […]

Mauritania and the World Bank have agreed to provide additional financing under the West Africa Regional Digital Integration Program to expand its scope to include artificial intelligence infrastructure, the country’s digital ministry announced. The agreement was reached during a working session between Minister Ahmed Salem Bede and a World Bank delegation led by Michel Rogy, […]

Côte d’Ivoire is preparing a new digital strategy through 2035 that places artificial intelligence among its seven priority pillars, as the country seeks to transform public services and strengthen its digital ecosystem. The roadmap was presented on June 1 by Minister of Digital Transition and Technological Innovation Djibril Ouattara at the opening of the sixth […]

Rwanda has approved the establishment of a National Artificial Intelligence Agency — the country’s first institution dedicated entirely to AI — following a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame on Monday. The agency will oversee AI deployment, governance, research, skills development, ethics, industry growth and international partnerships. It takes over responsibilities...

Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbaiba of the Government of National Unity has announced the adoption of an Artificial Intelligence Ethics Charter and launched the country’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2026–2030 — making Libya the latest African nation to formalize a comprehensive framework for AI-led digital transformation. Unveiled at an official ceremony in Tripoli on June […]

The five Maghreb countries in western and central North Africa — Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Mauritania — are making steady progress in developing artificial intelligence education and research within universities and beyond, with Algeria emerging as the regional pacesetter. Algeria launched its first AI and cybersecurity start-up cluster earlier this year, aimed at bridging […]

South African businesses are rolling out AI voice agents at speed, but most were built in the United States — sounding American, “thinking” in English and processing calls through servers on the other side of the world. Researchers at the University of Cape Town and Cape Town startup Untapped AI argue the problem runs deeper […]

Artificial intelligence is emerging as both an opportunity and a risk for African biodiversity conservation, with scientists warning that uncritical use of AI tools could undermine ecological insight and reinforce existing biases — even as the technology promises new ways to process the overwhelming volumes of data the field relies on. Conservationists routinely analyze decades […]

Applications are now open for the 2026 Inclusive AI Innovations in Africa Programme under the Hub for Artificial Intelligence and Disability Inclusion Innovation Track, with grants of up to 5 million Kenyan shillings on offer for African innovators building AI solutions that promote disability inclusion. The programme is seeking African innovators, researchers, startups, developers,...