Faith Nyasuguta
African economies find themselves at the risk of lagging behind in the transformative era of artificial intelligence (AI), a shift altering the landscape of global business operations.
Concerns arise from the continent’s limited capacity for virtual storage and the prevalence of outdated mobile technology. Businesses integrating AI into their operations demand high-speed connectivity and substantial data storage capacity, prompting significant investments globally in virtual data storage facilities.
Contrastingly, in Africa, investments primarily focus on closing the connectivity gap, extending network coverage, particularly in rural areas. Despite advancements beyond 2G technology, the continent witnesses continued investments in 3G and 4G networks.
This approach diverges from the global trend, where the rest of the world is pivoting towards 5G technology, crucial for supporting diverse fields such as autonomous vehicle operations, urban management, and content creation.
John Omo, the Secretary General of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), emphasized during an interview at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Spain that propelling Africa into the AI age necessitates substantial investments from both governments and the private sector in cloud storage infrastructure and upgrades to 5G technology.
Additionally, public education becomes imperative to equip users with the knowledge to leverage emerging opportunities in this evolving landscape.
A significant disparity is evident in cloud space, with Switzerland possessing more capacity than the entire Sub-Saharan Africa. The continent faces considerable challenges in establishing cloud computing infrastructure and robust network capabilities, critical elements for thriving in the AI-dominated business landscape.
Addressing this, Mr. Omo stressed the need for African governments to acknowledge the continent’s transition into a data-driven economy. Legislations like data protection laws have been enacted in several countries, including Kenya with the Data Protection Act of 2019, signaling a recognition of the importance of securing personal information.
However, even with supportive legislation, the East African Community (EAC) and sub-Saharan Africa at large must confront persistent challenges related to internet coverage and usage gaps.
GSMA’s 2023 State of Mobile Internet Connectivity Report reveals that only 25% of sub-Saharan Africa’s population has mobile internet coverage, significantly below the global average of 51%. A substantial portion of the population faces either a coverage gap or a usage gap, hindering the potential impact of new technologies like 5G on the economy.
Smartphone ownership in Kenya varies between urban and rural areas, but challenges persist, as 10% of smartphone owners do not utilize mobile internet. Of this segment, 27% are unaware of mobile internet, indicating a crucial need for awareness campaigns and infrastructure development to ensure widespread access to emerging technologies.
The journey to embrace AI in Africa requires holistic efforts to enhance connectivity, expand cloud infrastructure, and foster digital literacy to fully unlock the potential of AI across diverse sectors.
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