Sub-Saharan Africa remains at an early stage of artificial intelligence infrastructure development, but the scale of the gap also highlights a significant opportunity for strategic investment and regional collaboration.
According to the 2025 Government AI Readiness Index by Oxford Insights, no country in Sub-Saharan Africa scores above 56 out of 100 on AI infrastructure. By comparison, the United States scores 89.27 and China scores 76.92.
The index evaluates 195 countries across 69 indicators and shows that many countries in the region face structural constraints, including unreliable electricity supply, limited data center capacity, shortages of computing hardware and insufficient high-speed internet connectivity.
Kenya, South Africa, Mauritius and Nigeria rank as regional leaders, placing 65th, 67th, 71st and 72nd globally, respectively. South Africa leads the region on AI infrastructure with a score of 55.23, followed by Mauritius at 46.19, Seychelles at 41.22, Botswana at 40.80 and Ghana at 40.60.
At the lower end of the rankings, countries including Burundi, Chad, Niger and the Republic of Congo score below 20, reflecting weak foundational infrastructure. Overall, half of Sub-Saharan African countries score below 35, underscoring the urgency of targeted interventions.
The findings highlight not only technology gaps but also broader development challenges, such as limited talent pipelines and evolving policy frameworks. Addressing these issues presents an opportunity to align investments across digital infrastructure, energy systems, education, research and regulation. With improved coordination, such efforts could accelerate AI adoption and unlock productivity gains across multiple sectors.
There are signs of growing momentum. Ethiopia allocated $7.7 million to AI initiatives in 2025. Rwanda partnered with the Gates Foundation to launch an AI Scaling Hub and hosted the 2025 Global AI Summit on Africa. Nigeria introduced its own AI Scaling Hub and national roadmap, while Kenya’s startup ecosystem continues to attract regional and international investment. Although these initiatives have not yet translated into major gains in infrastructure scores, they reflect increasing political commitment and institutional learning.
The African Union’s continental AI strategy, adopted in 2024, builds on this momentum by calling for greater policy harmonization and shared infrastructure. The strategy highlights the potential benefits of regional supercomputing facilities and joint data center development to pool resources, reduce costs and speed up progress.
Globally, other emerging economies, including India, Brazil and Indonesia, already score above 56 on AI infrastructure. Smaller countries such as Estonia, Uruguay and Lithuania demonstrate how focused national strategies can deliver strong results. In the Middle East, countries including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have rapidly built AI ecosystems through coordinated investment, offering models that could be adapted to African contexts.
The index emphasizes that infrastructure remains central to AI readiness. Reliable electricity, affordable computing capacity and robust connectivity are essential for deploying AI in public services, supporting research and enabling startups to scale. While 29 African countries have developed or are drafting national AI strategies, translating ambition into impact will require sustained investment and deeper regional cooperation.
The 2025 index makes clear that while Sub-Saharan Africa faces a real AI infrastructure gap, it also has a clear opportunity. With coordinated action and long-term commitment, the region could emerge as an active participant in the global AI economy rather than remaining on its margins.
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