https://en.sputniknews.africa/20261003/beyond-imported-ai-building-technology-for-africas-needs-1089658656.html
Beyond Imported AI: Building Technology for Africa’s Needs
Beyond Imported AI: Building Technology for Africa’s Needs
Sputnik Africa
From credit scoring for people with limited financial histories to crop forecasting and diagnostic tools in African languages, locally tailored applications... 03.10.2026, Sputnik Africa
2026-10-03T13:54+0200
2026-10-03T13:54+0200
2026-10-03T13:54+0200
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Beyond Imported AI: Building Technology for Africa’s Needs
Sputnik Africa
From credit scoring for people with limited financial histories to crop forecasting and diagnostic tools in African languages, locally tailored applications could give African companies a foothold in the AI economy by tackling problems that global models often lack the data and context to address effectively.
Artificial intelligence could add as much as $1.5 trillion, or six percent of the region's gross domestic product (GDP), to Africa’s economy by 2030, according to the African Union, but capturing that opportunity will depend on more than adopting the latest global AI models. The continent’s advantage may lie in building applications around African data and local needs in sectors such as finance, agriculture, and healthcare, while expanding access to computing infrastructure and developing the skills needed to deploy the technology at scale. The AU’s Continental AI Strategy reflects that approach, identifying data, infrastructure, talent, and African-led innovation as key foundations for the continent’s AI development.African Currents sat with Dr. Craig Wing, a South African futurist, entrepreneur, and CEO of WhatTheForesight, who discussed how Africa could carve out its own path in artificial intelligence by developing locally relevant applications rooted in African languages, informal markets, and contextual knowledge.To find out what else our guest had to say, tune in to the African Currents podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.In addition to the website, you can also catch our episodes on Telegram.► You can also listen to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Pocket Casts, Afripods, Podcast Addict.► Check out all the episodes of African Currents.
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Beyond Imported AI: Building Technology for Africa’s Needs
From credit scoring for people with limited financial histories to crop forecasting and diagnostic tools in African languages, locally tailored applications could give African companies a foothold in the AI economy by tackling problems that global models often lack the data and context to address effectively.
Artificial intelligence could add as much as $1.5 trillion, or six percent of the region's gross domestic product (GDP), to Africa’s economy by 2030, according to the
African Union, but capturing that opportunity will depend on more than adopting the latest global AI models. The continent’s advantage may lie in building applications around African data and local needs in sectors such as finance, agriculture, and healthcare, while expanding access to computing infrastructure and developing the skills needed to deploy the technology at scale. The
AU’s Continental AI Strategy reflects that approach, identifying data, infrastructure, talent, and African-led innovation as key foundations for the continent’s AI development.
African Currents sat with Dr. Craig Wing, a South African futurist, entrepreneur, and CEO of WhatTheForesight, who discussed how Africa could carve out its own path in artificial intelligence by developing locally relevant applications rooted in African languages, informal markets, and contextual knowledge.
"If the world is indeed moving towards an AI data world, we have to treat data as a real asset, because that's the first thing. Second, someone has to really own the model and think about model drift and recalibration. We see this around hallucination. We see these around new kinds of models, but also we see this around how models run out of natural data and move into a synthetic world. So we need someone who's responsible around saying, as models learn and as they drift, how do we take ownership of this? [...]. Is there going to be at least one or two, maybe 10, maybe 20 African-built solutions for Africa? And when I say, African- built, I don't mean African-started, adopted in Silicon Valley, and scaled in Shenzhen, for argument's sake. I mean, built in Africa, it stays in Africa. I think that's the first thing. The second is a marker of success or some kind of outcome to ensure that we have some kind of AI policy across the individual countries. Right now. Only 22 or 54 have some kind of AI and data governance policy. And even those that do have a policy, they don't cover a lot of issues that are really important. Things like protecting user rights, protecting data, and understanding what the gain is for it—it's not just commercial. So I think it's really a piece around that. The third is to see data centers in Africa," Dr. Wing said.
To find out what else our guest had to say, tune in to the African Currents podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.
In addition to the website, you can also catch our episodes on
Telegram.► Check out all the episodes of African Currents. 
