Africa has embraced gen AI with remarkable speed, and its institutions are quickly catching up with and in some instances leading global developments. However, the continent’s progress so far with both gen AI and AI more broadly is only the tip of the iceberg, say Partner Mayowa Kuyoro and coauthors. Gen AI adoption varies widely by sector, with digitally mature sectors such as technology, telecommunications, and financial services leading the way. The authors estimate that at-scale deployment of gen AI could lead to $61 billion to $103 billion of additional economic value across Africa.
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A horizontal stacked bar chart displays the potential economic impact of gen AI across various sectors in Africa, measured in billions of dollars. Each sector is represented by a bar, divided into 2 sections. One section represents a lower bound of the estimated economic impact, while the other section represents the range of potential additional economic impact. The chart lists the sectors vertically, from largest to smallest impact overall. Retail shows a potential economic impact ranging from $6.6 billion to $10.4 billion. Telecommunications shows a range of $6.0 billion to $9.6 billion. Consumer packaged goods show a range of $5.4 billion to $8.9 billion. Mining, heavy industry, and energy show a range of $5.3 billion to $8.5 billion. Banking shows a range of $4.7 billion to $7.9 billion. Travel, transport, and logistics show a range of $4.4 billion to $7.3 billion. Education shows a range of $3.0 billion to $5.5 billion. Construction shows a range of $2.8 billion to $5.2 billion. High tech shows a range of $2.6 billion to $5.0 billion. The public and social sector shows a range of $2.9 billion to $4.8 billion. Advanced manufacturing shows a range of $2.1 billion to $3.6 billion. Real estate shows a range of $2.0 billion to $3.4 billion. Agriculture shows a range of $1.6 billion to $3.3 billion. Insurance shows a range of $2.1 billion to $3.2 billion. Administrative and professional services show a range of $1.9 billion to $3.0 billion. Healthcare shows a range of $1.4 billion to $2.4 billion. Chemical shows a range of $1.4 billion to $2.2 billion. Media and entertainment shows a range of $1.1 billion to $1.9 billion. Advanced electronics and semiconductors show a range of $0.6 billion to $1.0 billion. Pharmaceuticals and medical products show a range of $0.5 billion to $0.8 billion. Lastly, “others” (which includes manufacturing of items not classified under the rest of the categories, and water supply, sewage and waste management, and remediation activities, shows a range of $2.9 billion to $4.8 billion.
Note: This image description was completed with the assistance of Writer, a gen AI tool.
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To read the report, see “Leading, not lagging: Africa’s gen AI opportunity,” May 12, 2025.