Africa is seeking to increase its influence in the development, testing, and regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The continent is currently dependent on foreign expertise to assess AI systems that are increasingly shaping its economies and public services. This dependence has raised concerns among experts, who argue that Africa needs to develop its own capacity to evaluate and govern AI systems.
The launch of an AI Safety and Standards Centre of Excellence in Eswatini on October 27 is a step towards addressing this concern. The centre, established through a partnership between AICE Africa and the Eswatini Standards Authority (ESWASA), aims to build African expertise in AI governance, technical assessment, and safety standards. The centre will train professionals, strengthen institutional capacity, and develop a proposed AI research and testing laboratory.
The AI Safety and Standards Centre of Excellence will help address Africa's limited capacity to independently determine whether AI systems are safe, fair, and suitable for local populations. The use of AI is expanding in various sectors, including healthcare, education, agriculture, and financial services. The centre's proposed laboratory will develop shared assessment methods, benchmarking resources, and an African AI Standards Baseline Report to guide regulators, businesses, and standards institutions.
The partnership between AICE Africa and ESWASA will see ESWASA provide institutional leadership and standards expertise, while AICE Africa contributes technical implementation, AI governance, and skills transfer. A training programme will target standards officers, auditors, regulators, and technical personnel, with universities expected to support academic programmes and applied research. The centre also aims to help African businesses adopt AI responsibly and strengthen consumer protection.
The initiative seeks to incorporate African experiences into global standards development, drawing on international frameworks such as ISO/IEC 42001 on AI management systems and ISO/IEC 23894 on AI risk management. The partners plan to convene an AI Safety and Standards Summit in Mbabane in July 2027 to advance continental cooperation. The success of the initiative will depend on whether it translates its ambitions into sustainable African testing capacity and institutions capable of shaping global AI governance.
According to John Kamara, Chief Executive Officer of AICE Africa, "AI sovereignty requires institutions that can evaluate, govern and improve the systems they depend on." The launch of the centre is a significant step towards achieving this goal. The centre will also help reduce Africa's dependence on external assessments and promote responsible AI adoption.
The AI Safety and Standards Centre of Excellence is a significant development in Africa's quest for AI sovereignty. The centre's success will depend on the collaboration of various stakeholders, including governments, businesses, and academic institutions. With the centre's launch, Africa is taking a crucial step towards shaping its own AI future and ensuring that AI technologies are developed and used in a way that benefits the continent.
Key points
- Africa is seeking to increase its influence in AI development, testing, and regulation.
- The AI Safety and Standards Centre of Excellence was launched in Eswatini to build African expertise in AI governance and safety standards.
- The centre aims to develop sustainable African testing capacity and institutions capable of shaping global AI governance.
