Hi Ayodele here,

This week brings more signs of Africa’s growing confidence in building and using AI in practical ways. Mauritius is setting up a national AI Unit to guide ethical and coordinated adoption across the country, while South Africa has introduced Siyanda, a new AI travel assistant designed to boost tourism from North America. These developments show how governments and industries are using AI to strengthen governance, improve services, and expand economic opportunity.

Let us get into it. In this edition:

• Mauritius establishes national AI Unit to drive ethical AI adoption

• South Africa launches Siyanda, an AI travel assistant for North American tourists

Around Africa

Mauritius establishes national AI Unit to drive ethical AI adoption

Mauritius is establishing a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Unit under its Ministry of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation to lead national AI implementation and policy coordination. The unit will be central to executing the Digital Transformation Blueprint 2025–2029, ensuring AI is deployed responsibly across government, private sector, and civil society. It will help shape ethical frameworks, build regulatory clarity, and support AI adoption in areas like public services, education, and economic productivity.

Consultations involving the public, tech sector, and civil society are already underway to inform the strategy. Mauritius aims to use this unit to anchor AI governance and harmonize initiatives across ministries. The move reflects broader efforts to make the island a regional hub for innovation, ethical AI and digital transformation. 

Why it matters:

A formal unit means Mauritius can drive AI adoption with coherence and oversight rather than ad hoc pilots, helping prevent gaps in regulation and unfair use. It also strengthens the country’s credibility as a digital leader in Africa and boosts investor confidence. By embedding ethical and regulatory structures early, Mauritius is better positioned to protect citizen rights and attract regional partnerships.

South Africa launches Siyanda, an AI travel assistant for North American tourists

South African Tourism has partnered with GuideGeek to launch Siyanda, a 24/7 AI travel assistant tailored to North American travelers planning trips to South Africa. Siyanda uses data from South African Tourism and over 1,000 GuideGeek integrations to provide personalised itinerary suggestions, real-time advice on sites and activities, and tailored answers on safaris, dining, culture and more.

The assistant supports travel advisors by offering quick destination insights and detailed responses that save research time. South Africa is the first African destination to deploy this custom AI planning tool, aiming to convert interest into bookings. The launch was announced in New York and comes as the U.S. becomes South Africa’s biggest overseas tourism market. Siyanda’s name, derived from Xhosa meaning “We are growing”, reflects the country’s optimism about tourism growth. 

Why it matters:

Siyanda demonstrates how AI can be used to elevate a country’s global tourism marketing and compete with digital travel platforms. By offering personalized, instant planning help, it can increase trip conversions and boost tourism revenue. It also equips travel advisors with better tools, making the industry more efficient. This model may be replicated by other African destinations to reach key overseas markets. The initiative highlights how AI can support service industries, beyond tech startups.

Around the world

OpenAI & Disney Strike $1B AI Content Deal

OpenAI and The Walt Disney Company agreed on a three-year, $1 billion licensing and investment deal that allows OpenAI’s Sora and ChatGPT Images to generate videos and visuals featuring more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars characters while excluding real-world actor likenesses. Under the agreement Disney also integrates OpenAI tools like ChatGPT across its platforms and will host curated AI-generated content on Disney+.Bob Iger, Disney’s CEO, framed the collaboration as a way to deepen audience engagement and give fans creative means to interact with iconic stories. The content is expected to begin rolling out on Disney+ and other services in 2026. Browser for AI-Powered Web Tasks

Figma Adds AI-Powered Image Editing Tools

Figma has introduced three new AI-driven image editing features, namely; Erase Object, Isolate Object, and Expand Image, within its Figma Design and Figma Draw platforms. These tools let users remove elements, isolate subjects, or extend backgrounds without needing external image software. They integrate with Figma’s lasso and toolbar tools to streamline precision edits like adjusting lighting, repositioning objects, or resizing for different formats. The enhancements aim to reduce workflow friction by keeping designers inside a single interface instead of switching between apps. Availability begins with users on Figma’s “Full Seat” subscription, with broader rollout planned next year.

OpenAI Launches GPT-5.2 in Competitive AI Push

OpenAI has released GPT-5.2, its newest AI model developed following an internal “code red” directive to accelerate progress amid rising competition from Google’s Gemini lineup. GPT-5.2 includes variants like Instant, Thinking, and Pro, with enhancements in coding, reasoning, multi-step task handling, and long-context understanding, and is rolling out first to paid ChatGPT plans. The launch comes just weeks after Gemini 3’s debut and includes a strategic partnership with Disney as part of the company’s broader positioning. OpenAI asserts GPT-5.2 sets new benchmarks for professional knowledge work, including spreadsheets, presentations, and complex workflows.

Around the Web - Top Picks

• TIME’s 2025 Person of the Year: AI Architects

  TIME has named this year’s Person of the Year as AI Architects, a collective honour for the developers, researchers, policymakers, and thinkers shaping how AI is built and deployed globally. The feature profiles leaders advancing AI safety, governance, and public access, as well as creators pushing boundaries in creativity, science, and education. TIME highlights the ethical challenges and societal impact of AI growth while celebrating those pushing for fairness, accountability, and real-world benefit.

  Read the full article: TIME’s 2025 Person of the Year: AI Architects

• Disney & OpenAI’s Sora Partnership Faces Early Criticism

  The Verge reports that some fans and industry observers are calling Disney and OpenAI’s Sora AI partnership “sloppy” due to initial output quality and content style in early AI-generated demos. Critics argue that while the deal signals a major step in branded AI content, the first releases fail to meet expectations for polish and consistency. Some discussions on social media emphasize the tension between preserving artistic legacy and embracing rapid generative AI creation. Disney and OpenAI have defended the partnership, saying early versions are prototypes and that improvements are coming.

  Read the full article: Disney-OpenAI Sora AI partnership Faces Early Criticism 

Seen This?

Upcoming African AI Events

AAIET 2025: International Conference on Applied Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies
Dates: December 15–16, 2025
Location: Ziane Achour University of Djelfa, Algeria (Hybrid)
Theme:Showcasing research and innovation in AI, this conference explores emerging technologies, AI applications across industries, and academic-industry collaboration. Sessions include technical papers, workshops, and networking with AI professionals across Africa.
Link: AAIET 2025

APAIC 2025: Africa AI Leadership & Policy Summit
Date: December 21–25, 2025
Location: Mombasa, Kenya
Theme: Bringing together digital leaders, regulators, finance institutions, universities, and innovation heads to discuss data standards, cyber security, policy, AI infrastructure, and AI applications in public services, healthcare, agriculture and finance
Link: APAIC 2025

International Conference on Computational Intelligence and Data Engineering (ICCIDE‑2025)
Date: December 24, 2025
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Focus: Computational intelligence, data engineering and related research and an opportunity for AI/data‑science oriented work.
Link: ICCIDE‑2025

AI Job Opportunities

• Turing - Remote Data Scientist, Nigeria

• Kocho - AI Engineer, South Africa

• Amaris Consulting - Machine Learning Engineer, Cape Town South Africa

• Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) - Senior AI Engineer, South Africa

• Weaver Fintech Ltd - Data Engineer, South Africa

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