Kenya, Oct 29 – Artificial intelligence could have a bigger economic impact on Africa than the mobile money revolution, but the continent must invest in data centres, fibre networks and reliable electricity to benefit, technology and energy leaders have warned
Cassava Technologies Chief Executive Officer Hardy Pemhiwa said AI could open up economic opportunities for millions of Africans by overcoming barriers such as language, which have limited access to digital services.
Speaking on BBC Africa Enterprise, Pemhiwa said mobile money had brought millions of previously unbanked people into the financial system, while AI could extend digital access to people excluded by language.
He said AI could have a “100x impact” compared to mobile money.Sub-Saharan Africa processes about 1.4 trillion dollars in mobile money transactions annually, according to the GSMA. In Kenya, registered mobile money accounts reached 94.2 million by June 2026, according to the Central Bank of Kenya.
Pemhiwa warned that Africa risks losing much of the value from AI if it relies on computing infrastructure outside the continent. Africa accounts for about one percent of the world’s data centres despite having a combined gross domestic product of 3.5 trillion dollars, he said.
He argued that keeping data and computing capacity in Africa would allow local businesses to develop products using information generated on the continent, rather than exporting data and paying for finished AI services from elsewhere.
Cassava Technologies is building a 110,000-kilometre fibre optic network linking Cairo to Cape Town, with plans for AI data centres in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt and Morocco.
However, the expansion of data centres will depend on reliable electricity supplies, with AI infrastructure requiring large amounts of uninterrupted power.
DLO Energy Rerly-stage financing was holding back renewable energy projects, particularly funding for feasibility studies, permits and grid assessments
She called on African governments to establish clear regulations and energy plans to give investors confidence to fund new projects.
Mabhena-Olagunju also urged governments to support local energy developers and manufacturers, arguing that this would keep more investment returns and jobs within African economies.
She said the growth of AI would make electricity grids, power supply and water increasingly important to the continent’s digital economy.
