African governments are increasingly focusing on how to govern artificial intelligence, alongside efforts to expand its adoption across economies and public services.
Bonface Orucho, bird story agency
Mozambique has drafted a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy as it moves to formalise the legal, institutional, and regulatory frameworks that will shape how AI systems are deployed across public and private sectors.
“This is not about stifling innovation, but rather about creating clear rules that ensure these tools are used safely, transparently, responsibly, and with respect for consumer rights,” Bank of Mozambique Governor Rogério Zandamela said during the opening of the central bank’s 17th Scientific Conference on June 16.
Zandamela said artificial intelligence is already embedded in financial systems and institutional decision-making processes, adding that its use is now part of daily economic activity in Mozambique, particularly in payments, fraud detection, and customer-facing digital services.
The comments came days after Mozambique concluded public consultations on its draft National Artificial Intelligence Strategy. The document positions governance, cybersecurity, data systems, and regulatory oversight as core components of the country’s approach to AI development.
The strategy was presented by Lourino Chemane, chairman of the National Institute of Information and Communication Technologies (INTIC), during the International Telecommunication Union’s AI for Good workshop held in Kenya in May 2026, where several African countries outlined emerging national approaches to AI governance and deployment.
According to INTIC, the strategy is in its final drafting phase and is expected to be submitted to the Council of Ministers after technical review and consultations involving government agencies, academia, civil society organisations, and private sector actors.
A central component of the framework is the introduction of artificial intelligence regulatory sandboxes.
These controlled environments are designed to allow regulators and developers to test AI systems under supervision before wider deployment, identifying risks linked to safety, data use, accountability, and system performance.
According to Chemane, the sandboxes are intended to inform policy development while supporting the controlled rollout of AI applications across sectors including education, healthcare, agriculture, energy, climate monitoring, financial services, and digital public administration.
The strategy is embedded within a broader digital transformation agenda that extends beyond artificial intelligence.
Mozambique has recently adopted cybersecurity and cybercrime legislation and introduced regulations governing data centres and cloud computing infrastructure, establishing legal foundations that policymakers say are intended to support future AI systems and digital services.
The country is also positioning itself within the regional data infrastructure market.
During the ITU workshop, Chemane highlighted Mozambique’s electricity generation capacity, water resources, coastal geography suitable for submarine cable landing points, and a growing technical workforce as factors supporting investment in data centres and cloud computing facilities.
Institutional architecture is expanding alongside the policy framework.
Mozambique has established a National Artificial Intelligence Commission tasked with reviewing the final draft of the strategy before its submission to government.
The initiative is supported by international partners including UNESCO, the International Telecommunication Union, the African Union, the European Union, and the World Bank, reflecting the multilateral nature of emerging AI governance frameworks.
Mozambique’s approach reflects a broader shift across African states toward structured governance of artificial intelligence, alongside earlier efforts focused primarily on digital skills, innovation hubs, and research capacity building.
Recent policy activity suggests increasing emphasis on regulatory systems, accountability mechanisms, and institutional oversight as AI becomes more integrated into economic and public systems.
In Southern Africa, several countries are developing national frameworks to guide AI deployment and oversight.
Lesotho and Malawi are working on national AI governance frameworks, while South Africa is revising its draft AI policy after withdrawing an earlier version from public consultation following the discovery of AI-generated citation errors in the document.
The developments highlight the increasing importance being placed on procedural credibility and institutional capacity in AI policy design, alongside technical content.
Kenya is also advancing formal legislation on artificial intelligence.
Its Artificial Intelligence Bill, introduced earlier this year, seeks to define rules governing the development, deployment, and oversight of AI systems, while clarifying institutional responsibilities across regulators and service providers.
The proposed legislation reflects broader efforts to align AI development with legal accountability structures as AI applications expand across financial services, healthcare, agriculture, and public administration.
In West Africa, governments are pursuing parallel governance and implementation strategies.
Ghana launched its National Artificial Intelligence Strategy in April 2026, combining policy direction with efforts to build public sector capacity and institutional expertise for AI integration.
The strategy outlines pathways for embedding AI into government systems while establishing governance structures to guide deployment and risk management.
Across North Africa, AI policy is combining infrastructure development, research investment, and regulatory planning.
Algeria launched its first artificial intelligence and cybersecurity startup cluster earlier in 2026, designed to connect universities, research institutions, and emerging companies within a structured innovation system.
The initiative aligns with a broader national focus on digital sovereignty and long-term AI capability development.
A 2026 assessment of Algeria’s AI ecosystem indicates more than 57,000 students are enrolled in artificial intelligence master’s programmes across 52 universities, with a national target to train 500,000 ICT specialists by 2030.
Morocco launched the Nexus AI Factory in April 2026, integrating computing infrastructure, skills development, and innovation systems aimed at positioning the country as a regional AI hub linking African and European markets.
Mauritania has adopted a national framework titled “Artificial Intelligence in the Service of the Republican School,” which focuses on integrating AI into education systems while setting standards for ethical and responsible deployment.
The framework emphasises teacher training, digital literacy, and coordination between public institutions, private actors, and academic bodies.
Regional coordination is also emerging as a secondary layer of Africa’s AI governance architecture.
In March 2026, Algeria and Tunisia launched a joint digital platform connecting universities, laboratories, and research institutions across both countries.
The platform enables data sharing, research collaboration, and joint development of AI applications in sectors such as healthcare, education, and industrial systems.
According to researchers involved, the initiative is intended to strengthen scientific visibility while supporting applied solutions to shared regional challenges.
The emergence of governance frameworks reflects a broader policy response to both opportunity and risk as artificial intelligence expands across African economies.
Governments are increasingly balancing potential productivity gains with concerns around data protection, cybersecurity, consumer rights, and institutional oversight.
Artificial intelligence is projected to add up to US$1.5 trillion to Africa’s economy by 2030 if the continent captures 10% of the global AI market, according to a 2025 SAP report, underscoring the scale of economic stakes shaping current policy decisions.
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