Specno calls on the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies to embark on an expedited process to finalise a comprehensive national policy on artificial intelligence.  

In October last year, the Department published a draft National Artificial (AI) Intelligence Policy Framework for public comment, a crucial first step in developing a final comprehensive policy around the use of the technology within South Africa to drive infrastructure, digital, economic and social growth, pinning the country on the global map in AI innovation. 

“According to the Institute for Security Studies, while South Africa is the second largest economy on the African continent and while it would have ordinarily been expected to lead the charge in AI development, other African countries such as Nigeria, Mauritius and Rwanda are already on their way to developing their own AI strategies and policies. Rwanda for one will be hosting Africa’s inaugural AI Global Summit in April this year to discuss Africa’s role in the global AI economy,” says Daniel Novitzkas, Chairman at Specno. 

With the AI industry expected to generate $1.2 trillion by 2030 across Africa, representing a 5.6% rise in the continent’s GDP, South Africa needs to shift gears timeously to reap the rewards of this growing technology. 

Novitzkas continued that “the draft policy recognizes various challenges that continue to obstruct South Africa’s digital technology growth. These include a prevalent digital divide, that is further augmented by existing historical inequalities, while government and department and entities, consumed by bureaucracy, will have a stubborn resistance to change.” 

Nonetheless, the technology continues to develop around the world, creating the urgency for South Africa to adopt a framework to leverage these innovations to the maximum. As the draft policy indicates, AI can address many social demands in critical economic sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education and public safety. The industry alone can create many new job opportunities, alleviating South Africa’s unemployment crisis. 

“AI can also go a long way in future proofing South Africa with its current challenges. The country remains a water scarce nation, with changing climate patterns threatening the sustainability of water supply. AI-powered sensors installed in pipelines can detect leaks and predict failures before they get out of hand, while machine learning models can analyse past data to optimize water usage. In other instances, AI technology has the capability to process satellite images to predict droughts ahead of time, enabling the agricultural sector to plan,” added Novitzkas.

South Africa’s private sector remains ready to fully leverage AI technology for the benefit of the country. Microsoft has committed to training one million South Africans in AI and cybersecurity by 2026, while MTN has entered into a partnership with China Telecom and Hauwei to enhance its 5G, cloud, services AI capabilities and business solutions. 

“While AI is nowhere near at advanced stages such as building and developing applications on its own, and this has been the subject of much discussion around the future of AI, it nonetheless underscores the need for industry experts to play a primary role in leveraging its full value. Therefore, the government has its role to play; expedite a policy framework, with the inputs and endorsement of industry stakeholders so that South Africa can maintain a competitive edge against its counterparts on the African continent and continue building a name for itself,” Novitzkas concluded.