Governing AI in African markets: from principles to practice

As artificial intelligence moves into everyday use across African economies, governments, businesses, technology providers and investors increasingly need workable governance. The piece notes rising policy activity, including national AI strategies across several countries and the African Union’s endorsement of a Continental AI Strategy in 2024, but highlights the gap between strategy and implementation. An OECD review published in April 2026 found that most countries have not yet adopted national AI strategies, and those that have face common hurdles translating goals into governance—ranging from infrastructure and skills to data governance, financing and institutional capacity. It also stresses that organizations operating across multiple jurisdictions must navigate differing data protection, consumer, cybersecurity and sector rules, while Africa’s under-1% share of global data-center capacity affects data residency and cross-border flows.