United Nations — From data embassies to AI “factories,” policymakers say control over data will define the continent’s economic future. African leaders are sharpening their focus on digital sovereignty, warning that the continent’s economic future will depend not just on connectivity, but on who controls its data–and where it is stored. At a high-level roundtable…
For generations, Africa has exported its wealth and imported its future. From copper and cobalt to crude oil and natural gas, the continent has supplied the raw materials that power global industries while receiving only a fraction of the value generated from them. The result has been a paradox that has defined Africa’s economic story…
Didier Ongena, VP for global government and EMEA public sector. Today, businesses are being asked to navigate profound disruption on two fronts. On the one end, there is artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (GenAI), which have already had an intense impact on industries, economies and society at large. On the other, widespread geopolitical uncertainty…
Siya Madyibi, executive director for Microsoft’s corporate, external and legal affairs in South Africa. As a lawyer for Microsoft, Siya Madyibi, executive director for Microsoft’s corporate, external and legal affairs in South Africa, has a keen interest in geopolitics. One of the situations he is watching closely is the deterioration in relations between South Africa…
African leaders have called for a major rethink of how the continent finances development, manages natural resources and positions itself within the global economy, saying Africa must strengthen economic sovereignty and reduce dependence on fragmented financing systems and raw commodity exports. Speaking during the ongoing African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Annual Meetings 2026 in Brazzaville,…
Physicists have a term for systems that look simple but behave badly: the three-body problem. With two bodies in space, gravity is predictable. Add a third, and the system turns chaotic. Tiny changes cause big swings. Stability becomes rare and fragile. That is exactly where Africa’s health sovereignty agenda sits today. The African Union Strategic…
Africa has to make a critical shift towards self-sufficiency in addressing its HIV challenges, emphasising the need for ownership, sustainable financing and strengthened health infrastructure for lasting impact. The recent Second Global Edition of the African Public Square (APS) open debate, convened during King’s Africa Week at Bush House, King’s College London, on 2 March…
Bramley Maetsa, IT digital and innovation enablement lead at Sasol. South Africa’s first draft AI policy did more than stumble over a credibility problem. Even before it was withdrawn, it exposed a deeper national question: can a country govern AI responsibly if it does not have sufficient control over the layers on which scaled AI…
The second edition of Shaping the Future of African Media, organised by Africa News Agency (ANA) on April 29 and 30 in Accra, brought together media leaders, policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, digital experts, communication professionals and African creators around an issue that has now become central: transforming African narratives into levers of economic power, global influence…
On April 29 and 30, 2026, Accra will host the second edition of Shaping the Future of African Media, a pan-African event dedicated to the future of the continent’s media. Organized at GI-KACE, this gathering will bring together media executives, journalists, economists, business leaders, public and institutional officials, investors, and creators around a central theme:…
