Who Really Controls Africa's AI Infrastructure?

Johannesburg, South Africa – In April, African Union ministers met in Tangier, Morocco to discuss artificial intelligence as many governments across the continent race to build AI strategies, attract investment, and expand digital infrastructure.

Behind the excitement, a foundational question emerges: When foreign tech companies invest in data centers, cloud services, and AI systems across Africa, how much control will local nations have over the infrastructure those technologies depend on?

The debate reflects a shift in how policymakers view AI. For years, discussions centered on adoption: how governments, businesses, and public services could use the technology. Now, attention is turning to ownership, governance, and the terms under which AI systems are developed and deployed.

Many governments have already framed the issue this way. Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and Ghana have all released national AI strategies in recent years, emphasizing the need to build local capacity and reduce dependence on foreign tech providers. Ghana's strategy, launched in April, describes AI as a “sovereign capability.” 49 countries along with the African Union have endorsed the African Declaration on Artificial Intelligence, calling for more investment in AI infrastructure, talent, and innovation, alongside proposals for coordinated financing mechanisms.

However, turning ambition into policy is not always smooth. In South Africa, a draft national AI policy was withdrawn earlier this year after officials discovered unverifiable references that appeared to be generated by AI tools, highlighting the practical challenges governments face in regulating fast-moving technology.

Global competition, local leverage

The discussion unfolds amid intensifying global AI competition. Big tech companies, cloud providers, and governments are vying for access to data, computing power, and new markets. For African countries, that competition could create room for negotiation.

Priyal Singh, a geopolitical analyst at Signal Risk, said the fragmented nature of the global AI industry could strengthen that position. “African countries will have more room to maneuver on AI and data infrastructure precisely because the sector is contested and fragmented among global leaders,” he said. He pointed to regulatory tensions around Starlink's expansion in parts of Africa as an example of governments becoming more assertive in dealings with global tech companies. “Big tech companies will have to accommodate local concerns far more often than they anticipate,” Singh said.

Infrastructure gap

Leverage in the AI era is not only political. It is also infrastructural. Africa remains significantly underrepresented in the physical infrastructure of the global digital economy. Industry estimates suggest the continent accounts for less than 1% of global data center capacity, despite being home to roughly 18% of the world's population. Research by McKinsey indicates that the five largest African data center markets combined have less capacity than France. In many parts of the continent, unreliable power supply remains a major barrier to expansion. These limitations help explain why negotiations over data centers and cloud infrastructure are increasingly sensitive.

Controversial data center deal in Kenya

One of the most closely watched projects is a proposed $1 billion data center development involving Microsoft and tech company G42 (United Arab Emirates) in Kenya. The project drew attention after Kenyan President William Ruto highlighted the scale of its energy needs, warning that such large-scale infrastructure would require significant additional electricity generation. Reports also indicated discussions about trade agreements and long-term commitments related to computing capacity. Kenyan officials maintain that negotiations around the project are ongoing. Whatever the outcome, the situation illustrates the trade-offs governments face: attracting investment in AI infrastructure while weighing energy demands, financial costs, and long-term strategic dependence.

What countries gain and lose

The question of who builds Africa's digital future extends beyond Western tech companies. Sanusha Naidu, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Global Dialogue, argued that debates about diversification are often more complex than they appear. “Whether it's about diversifying away from Western tech companies or shifting toward Chinese companies, I think it's generally part of a cost-benefit calculation,” she said. For governments, the key issue is what is gained through these partnerships. “Whether it's a US, European, or Chinese company, policymakers must weigh the broader development impact of those investments.” She compared the current AI infrastructure debates to earlier waves of foreign investment. “What we saw in the 1990s around the textile industry was that investment came, but there was a lot of subsidization from the host country. With data centers, it's even more acute. It's also about how much water these data centers consume, and how that impacts socio-economic issues in African countries.”

Data, surveillance, and sovereignty

Concerns about dependence extend beyond data centers. Over the past decade, African governments have adopted a range of foreign-built digital systems, from cloud computing platforms and digital public services to surveillance technology and smart city initiatives. At the same time, debates about data governance, digital sovereignty, and where sensitive information is stored and processed have become increasingly prominent across the continent. Similar arguments are made by proponents of a planned African Credit Rating Agency, which aims to provide Africa-led assessments of sovereign creditworthiness rather than relying solely on established international rating agencies.

Missing public voice

Yet much of the discussion about AI governance remains confined to policymakers, regulators, and tech companies. Joseph Asunka, CEO of Afrobarometer, argued that the debate is still far removed from ordinary people. “These negotiations should not just be conducted at the elite level and imposed on people,” he said. “If citizens do not trust government actions in this area, it will create a trust gap, which could negatively affect the adoption of fintech, e-commerce, and e-government tools.” He added that concerns about data protection and digital security are already common among African citizens, even if AI itself is not yet widely understood.

Beyond dependence

The debate echoes older questions about economic sovereignty that have shaped African politics for decades. Independence-era leaders argued that political freedom meant little without control over economic resources. Today, similar questions are emerging around data, computing power, and digital infrastructure. Alongside large-scale investments, governments and development agencies are also seeking to build local capacity. Projects like the United Nations Development Programme's timbuktoo initiative aim to strengthen Africa's tech ecosystem through support for innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital infrastructure. Such efforts remain modest compared to the scale of global AI investment, but they reflect a broader attempt to ensure that African countries participate not just as consumers of AI systems, but as contributors to their development.

Africa is unlikely to become self-sufficient in artificial intelligence, and that is not the goal of most governments. The continent remains deeply integrated into global technology supply chains and will continue to rely on international investment, expertise, and partnerships.

The question facing policymakers is therefore not whether Africa will use AI, but under what terms. As governments negotiate new investments, draft regulations, and build digital infrastructure, the decisions made now could shape who controls the technologies increasingly influencing economies, public services, and daily life. “These negotiations should not just be conducted at the elite level and imposed on people,” stressed Afrobarometer's Asunka. “If citizens do not trust government actions in this area, it will create a trust gap, which could negatively affect the adoption of fintech, e-commerce, and e-government tools.”