Emerging Regulatory and Policy Developments on AI in Africa

In the past quarter, discussions on artificial intelligence (AI) in Africa have shifted from high level declarations and planning to regulatory and governance strategies. There has been an increase in countries moving to develop national AI strategies, action plans or policies in Africa, with Burkina Faso, Uganda and South Africa taking action.

In August 2025, Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Digital Transition, Postal and Electronic Communications convened a National Situational Analysis workshop to prepare a National AI Action Plan for 2026-2028. The workshop drew in various stakeholders across government ministries, civil society, academia, and the private sector. This is an early step toward a national framework with the goal of promoting innovation while setting up the required infrastructure, data governance, ethics, skills, and legal frameworks.1 Similarly, Uganda is developing its national AI policy under the auspices of the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance,2 with plans to launch a national AI task force appointed to lead AI governance efforts.3

In South Africa, regulation has extended beyond the national level to the provincial levels. The policy framework for the application of AI in public healthcare was approved by the Western Cape Province in September 2025. The framework, now being tested in clinical settings, sets out ethical guidelines covering patient safety, openness, fairness, and human oversight over AI use cases in public healthcare.4 For instance, in one trial, nurses in Khayelitsha’s basic clinics use AI-enabled retinal screening, where algorithms help them spot early indicators of diabetic retinopathy and other eye conditions.5 The aim is to increase access to care in facilities with limited resources by hastening diagnosis and guaranteeing quicker referrals to specialists. 

Alongside these steps in AI policy and regulatory development, governments in Africa are beginning to deploy AI in governance itself. Tunisia has become a standout example. In July 2025, the government confirmed that AI tools helped draft its National Development Plan (2026–2030).6 In such uses, it is necessary to interrogate the risks that may arise in using AI to shape national priorities, while ensuring human oversight over the outputs of AI tools. Further, Tunisia is also developing its comprehensive AI Roadmap, which states the objectives and proposes an action plan for development of AI in Tunisia.7

In Kenya, the Judiciary is in the process of developing the “Judiciary Artificial Intelligence Adoption Policy Framework”, which is intended to guide responsible integration of AI tools within judicial processes. Specifically, the policy will be aimed at guiding the use of AI in case management, legal research, predictive analytics as well as administrative support.8

Meanwhile, at the wider regional level, capacity-building is helping to embed AI into governance. As part of the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063’s Second Ten-Year Plan, the African Development Bank organised a workshop in August 2025 to train AU member states on the use of AI tools for monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.9 In line with Agenda 2063, Africa’s long term development plan focuses not only on experimentation but also on making sure AI can improve reporting and accountability.

Taken together, these advancements show Africa’s positive progress towards incorporating AI into the public sector whilst considering policy frameworks to guide such adoption. In Burkina Faso, Uganda, Kenya, Tunisia and the Western Cape (South Africa), policy frameworks are being set up, and AI is now being used in varying capacities within the public and private sector. 

  1. iAfrica, ‘Burkina Faso Launches National AI Action Plan Workshop to Shape Digital Transformation’ (27 August 2025) https://iafrica.com/burkina-faso-launches-national-ai-action-plan-workshop-to-shape-digital-transformation/ ↩︎
  2. iAfrica, ‘Uganda begins drafting national AI policy to balance innovation and data privacy’ (4 July 2025) https://iafrica.com/uganda-begins-drafting-national-ai-policy-to-balance-innovation-and-data-privacy/ ↩︎
  3. Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, ‘Uganda Champions Ethical AI at UNESCO Global Forum in Bangkok’ (26 June 2025) https://ict.go.ug/media/news/uganda-champions-ethical-ai-at-unesco-global-forum-in-bangkok
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  4. World Health Expo Insights, ‘South Africa charts an ethical path for AI in public services’ (2 September 2025) https://www.worldhealthexpo.com/insights/medical-technology/south-africa-charts-an-ethical-path-for-ai-in-public-services
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  5. Digital Health Africa, ‘Western Cape Approves First AI Policy for Public Healthcare: Prioritising Ethics, Equity and Access’ (2025) https://digitalhealth-africa.org/western-cape-approves-first-ai-policy-for-public-healthcare-prioritising-ethics-equity-and-access/ ↩︎
  6. We Are Tech Africa, ‘Tunisia harnesses AI to shape 2026–2030 development plan’ (2025) https://www.wearetech.africa/en/fils-uk/news/tunisia-harnesses-ai-to-shape-2026-2030-development-plan ↩︎
  7. OECD, ‘Tunisia AI Roadmap’ (OECD.AI Policy Navigator, added 09 July 2025) https://oecd.ai/en/dashboards/policy-initiatives/tunisia-ai-roadmap-1825 ↩︎
  8. The Kenyan Judiciary, ‘Judiciary to leverage AI to enhance justice’ (August 2025) https://judiciary.go.ke/judiciary-to-leverage-ai-to-enhance-justice/
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  9. African Development Bank, ‘African Development Bank backs AI training to boost Agenda 2063 implementation across Africa’ (2025) https://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/african-development-bank-backs-ai-training-boost-agenda-2063-implementation-across-africa-86004 ↩︎

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