Kenya Ranks 8th in Africa for AI Readiness Amid a $2.9 Trillion Opportunity

Kenya has been ranked eighth in Africa and 93rd globally for its readiness to adopt and benefit from artificial intelligence (AI), according to the 2024 Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index. The findings, highlighted in a new white paper by Cisco and Carnegie Mellon University, position Kenya as one of the continent’s “primary digital powerhouses” but also underscore the significant challenges that must be overcome to unlock AI’s transformative potential.

The report, titled “AI and the Workforce in Africa,” reveals that while Africa currently accounts for just 2.5% of the global AI market, the technology could boost the continent’s economy by an astounding $2.9 trillion by 2030.

A Continental Leader with Room to Grow

The AI Readiness Index assesses a country’s capabilities across three core pillars: Government (including national strategies and governance), Technology Sector (maturity and innovation), and Data & Infrastructure (broadband access and compute capacity).

Kenya’s ranking places it among the leading nations on the continent, alongside South Africa, Nigeria, and Egypt. These countries are recognized for pioneering AI solutions to address local challenges in critical sectors like healthcare, agriculture, education, and governance.

A separate study from Access Partnership, highlighted in the paper, estimates that AI could unlock up to KES 17 trillion ($136 billion) in economic value by 2030 across just four Sub-Saharan countries: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.

Africa’s Greatest Asset: A Young, Tech-Engaged Workforce

The report identifies Africa’s massive and growing youth population as its “arrow in the quiver” and its greatest advantage in the global AI race.

Key demographic strengths include:

• By 2030, Africans will account for 42% of the world’s youth, with 75% of the continent’s population under the age of 35.
• The continent is projected to host one-quarter of the world’s working-age population by 2050.
• Young Africans are already highly engaged with technology, with 78% reporting weekly use of AI tools—a higher rate than in Europe or the United States.

This demographic dividend presents a unique “leapfrogging” opportunity for the continent to build a formidable AI-ready workforce.

Significant Hurdles Remain

Despite the immense potential, the report outlines several significant challenges that are hindering widespread AI adoption and impact across Africa, including in Kenya:

• The Digital Divide: A majority of Africans still lack reliable internet access, which is a fundamental prerequisite for developing and benefiting from AI technologies.
• The Skills Gap: There is an urgent need to invest in a skilled workforce capable of building and deploying AI solutions.
• Lack of Local Language Content: With only 0.02% of digital content available in African languages, the development of locally relevant and inclusive AI models is severely hampered.
• Inadequate Infrastructure: A lack of sufficient data centers and compute capacity could slow down the adoption and scaling of AI solutions.

The report concludes that the economic benefits of AI will only materialize if they are supported by coordinated investment in an AI-ready workforce, resilient digital infrastructure, and policies that encourage innovation. For Kenya, the path forward involves leveraging its position as a digital leader to address these challenges and fully capitalize on the AI revolution.