Hi Ayodele here,

Recent AI developments in Africa show a growing focus on scale, sovereignty, and self-reliance. Egypt has unveiled an ambitious update to its national AI strategy with bold goals for 2030. In Nigeria, Itana is creating a dedicated zone to power AI and data innovation from the ground up. And in South Africa, a new sovereign AI cloud aims to give local enterprises the infrastructure they need to build confidently and independently.

This edition explores how governments and private players are laying the groundwork for Africa’s AI future with purpose and urgency.

Let us get into it. In this edition:

• Egypt launches updated AI strategy with bold targets for 2030

• Itana launches Africa’s first AI and data growth zone in Lagos

• South Africa Launches Sovereign AI Cloud Infrastructure

Around Africa

Egypt launches updated AI strategy with bold targets for 2030

Egypt unveiled an updated National Artificial Intelligence Strategy. The framework is built upon six pillars: Governance, Technology, Data, Infrastructure, Ecosystem, and Talent and includes 21 initiatives aimed at positioning Egypt as a region-wide AI hub. The plan sets bold targets: training over 30,000 AI specialists, establishing 250+ AI-focused startups, and raising the ICT sector’s GDP contribution to 7.7% by 2030.

Several public–private partnerships are already underway, including an AI Center of Excellence in Cairo by Capgemini and Microsoft’s commitment to certifying 100,000 people in AI skills.

Why This Matters
Egypt’s second AI strategy marks a decisive move to anchor its position as a regional digital leader. With concrete goals around talent development, startup creation, and GDP growth, it signals strong government commitment to embedding AI across sectors. The strategy not only boosts Egypt’s local innovation capacity but also sets a benchmark for other African nations to follow.

Itana launches Africa’s first AI and data growth zone in Lagos

Itana, Africa’s pioneering digital Special Economic Zone based in Lagos, has unveiled the continent’s first purpose-built AI and data growth zone. The initiative provides affordable GPU clusters, compliant data storage, access to skilled AI developers and MLOps engineers, regulatory support, and startup financing.

Designed to remove infrastructure barriers, the zone enables founders, researchers, and AI-first companies to build and scale solutions locally without relying on foreign platforms

Why It Matters:

By aggregating infrastructure, talent, and capital locally, Itana tackles a core obstacle to Africa’s AI development—dependence on expensive foreign compute and data services. This venture creates the foundation for technological sovereignty, enabling homegrown innovation and positioning Africa as a producer of AI solutions rather than just a consumer.

South Africa Launches Sovereign AI Cloud Infrastructure

Touchnet and global cloud provider Zadara have partnered to deploy a sovereign AI cloud at Digital Parks Africa’s Samrand data centre in Gauteng, South Africa. The new platform offers GPU-powered compute tailored for AI workloads like machine learning, analytics, and generative AI, all hosted locally.

It guarantees low-latency performance and ensures enterprises retain full control and sovereignty over their data. Key sectors expected to benefit include finance, healthcare, education, and manufacturing, across African enterprises.

Why This Matters

This infrastructure reduces dependence on foreign cloud services and empowers local businesses to build and scale AI solutions within national borders. It supports growth of a sovereign AI ecosystem and strengthens South Africa's role as a regional innovation hub.

Other Developments

South Africa and Algeria Deepen Science and Technology Cooperation
South Africa and Algeria have renewed their commitment to collaborate on science, technology, and innovation. A new five-year agreement was signed in Pretoria on July 18, 2025. The agreement focuses on joint research in areas such as climate change, water, energy, health, space science, and artificial intelligence. Both countries aim to foster capacity building and innovation-driven development. The meeting also explored expanding academic exchanges and technology transfer programs.

Rwazi Secures $12M to Scale AI Market Intelligence
Africa-founded startup Rwazi has raised $12 million in Series A funding to expand its AI-driven market intelligence platform. The company collects real-time data from local consumers to help global brands understand purchasing trends across emerging markets. Rwazi plans to enhance its AI capabilities, boost data quality, and expand its on-the-ground network. The funding round was led by Peak XV Partners with participation from existing investors. Rwazi currently operates in over 40 countries.

Around the world

GitHub Unveils New AI App Builder in Preview

GitHub has launched a preview of its new AI-powered app development tool, Copilot Workspace. The tool lets developers build apps using natural language prompts, streamlining the coding process. Users can describe their ideas, and Copilot helps generate, edit, and test code in real time. The platform aims to make software development faster and more accessible. It is currently available to select users for early feedback.

Figma Makes AI Tools Publicly Available

Figma has officially rolled out its AI design features to all users. The "Make Design" tool lets users generate UI designs from text prompts, while other tools assist with editing and refining layouts. These features aim to streamline the design process and boost productivity. The AI tools were first tested in closed beta earlier in the year. Now, they are integrated directly into the Figma interface for broad use.

Google’s AI Tools Tackle Fake Products in Shopping Results

Google is using its AI-powered Shopping tools to flag and reduce the presence of counterfeit clothing and accessories. The system scans listings for suspicious descriptions, images, and pricing patterns. These signals are then used to demote or remove fake items from search results. The feature is part of a wider push to improve online shopping trust. It is currently rolling out across selected markets.

Around the Web - Top Picks

• A New AI World: What We Are Gaining and Losing Scott Galloway reflects on the rapid adoption of AI and the seismic shifts it is creating in work, education, and society. From the overvaluation of AI startups to the deepening divide between tech-savvy elites and those being displaced, he warns of a widening gap. While AI promises productivity and profits, it also risks exacerbating inequality and diminishing human agency. Read the full piece: A New AI World

• Africa’s AI Race: Catching Up or Falling Behind?

  This analysis dives into Africa’s current position in the global AI landscape, highlighting progress made and urgent gaps to fill. While countries like Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya show momentum, the continent still trails in AI research, infrastructure, and talent development. The piece stresses the need for regional strategies, ethical frameworks, and bold investments to avoid being left behind.

  Read the full piece: Africa’s AI Race: Catching Up or Falling Behind?

• Confused by AI Terms? This Guide Has You Covered
  From LLMs and hallucinations to fine-tuning and agents, AI jargon can get overwhelming. TechCrunch has put together a beginner-friendly glossary that breaks down the most common AI terms in plain language. Whether you are a newcomer or brushing up, it is a great resource to help you keep up with the fast-moving AI world.
  Read the full article: A Simple Guide to Common AI Terms 

Seen This?

Technology is becoming more accessible, and AI is speeding up that shift. As AI advances, it will open up powerful tools to millions, giving everyday people access to capabilities that were once reserved for a small group of experts.

For example, the video below showcases a result that would have taken over three hours using traditional VFX or animation software. It was created in just three minutes.

Upcoming African AI Events

AI Empowered
Date: 7 August – 8 August 2025
Location: Capetown, South Africa
Highlights: It features 40+ speakers and expects ~3,000 attendees. The focus is on practical AI adoption in business and the future of work, offering hands-on demos and discussions for non-technical leaders to engage with AI opportunities.
Link: AI Powered

CNBC AI Summitd
Date: 14 August 2025
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Highlights: This premier event will convene up to 300 industry professionals, providing a dynamic platform for networking, engagement, and insightful discussions on the transformative impact of AI across Africa's key sectors.
Link: CNBC AI Summit

Deep Learning Indaba 2025
Date: 17 August – 22 August 2025
Location: Rwanda
Highlights: Premier AI research gathering in Africa, workshops, and networking with top ML researchers.
Link: Deep Learning Indaba

GITEX NIgeria
Date: 1-4 September 2025
Location: Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria
Theme: Gitex is where tech leaders unite to explore opportunities and showcase innovations. It's the ideal platform to connect with key players, build meaningful connections.
Link: GITEX Nigeria

AI Job Opportunities

• Mest AI Startup program - AI’s Emerging Leaders In AI Grad Prep Program

• Hugo - Program Manager, AI Operations

• FNB South Africa  – Data Science Head

• ITC Worldwide  – AI and Machine Learning Engineer

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