iAfrica’s AI Insider

Your Pulse on Africa’s AI Revolution

Welcome to your weekly dispatch diving into the vibrant world of artificial intelligence across Africa. From classrooms embracing local languages to startups rewriting global hiring, we’re unpacking the innovations, policies, and bold ideas driving the continent’s digital leap. Strap in as we spotlight how AI is crafting Africa’s future, one brilliant solution at a time.

Quote of the week

“AI is not a luxury—it’s a necessity for Africa’s competitiveness, resilience, and long-term prosperity,” Solomon Quaynor, AfDB Vice-President for Private Sector, Infrastructure & Industrialization, said on the sidelines of the African Development Bank’s 2025 Annual Meetings.

Policy Watch: Where does the continent stand on AI?

We’re excited by the African Union Commission’s move to elevate AI under its Continental Strategy. During a high-level dialogue, heads of State and ministers from over 40 nations were rallied to commit AI as a central pillar for Agenda 2063 and the UN SDGs. The host, Commissioner Lerato Mataboge highlighted glaring disparities: over 83% of AI startup funding is penned to Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt, while Africa holds just 3% of global AI talent. Experts say pan‑African cooperation, expansion of local data research, and reinforcement of home‑grown AI initiatives can ensure equitable digital transformation.

Spotlight: Africa AI Week Starts Now

Africa AI Week 2025, kicks off June 21, with the rallying cry: “AI in My Language, My Classroom, My Future.” Running through to June 28, the initiative will train 700 educators across the continent to integrate AI into everyday teaching. The comprehensive training spans hubs in Kenya, Zambia, Senegal, and Togo, facilitated by registered educators through their national Teachers Service Commissions, ensuring the programme feeds directly into formal curricula. By empowering teachers at the source, Africa AI Week aims to seed the next generation of AI-ready students—in their own languages, in their own classrooms, for their own futures.

Startup Star: Egyptian Startup LyRise

LyRise is flipping the script on AI hiring—by putting North African talent on the global stage. Their platform blends smart AI agents with a handpicked network of elite engineers from Egypt, Nigeria, and Kenya. The result? A faster, smarter way for SMEs and startups (mostly in the EU, UK, and US) to plug into world-class AI expertise—at budgets starting from $3,000/month per role. It’s premium talent meets precision hiring, minus the recruitment drama.

Quick Bites

• AI solutions to health challenges: From Cape Town’s labs to Kampala’s university halls, startups and researchers are crafting algorithms that stand in for scarce specialists.

• AI’s Next Frontier: Africa’s AI market is booming, projected to reach $6.4 billion by 2025, but global investors are still sleeping on the youngest, smartest continent. Not Meta, this week they launched a Sub-Saharan Africa-wide initiative to accelerate the development of impactful, open-source AI solutions.

• Competition Call: If your company is using AI and advanced data analytics to boost efficiency, reduce waste, and deliver scalable impact, then the Milken-Motsepe Prize in AI and Manufacturing is looking for you.

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Keep sparking the AI revolution. Together, we’re shaping Africa’s digital destiny.

Stay sharp,
The iAfrica AI Insider Team