File photo: Artificial intelligence
Africa’s ambitions to become a major player in the global artificial intelligence economy could be constrained by persistent power shortages and weak infrastructure capacity, a senior Schneider Electric executive has warned.
The warning comes as African governments and private investors increase focus on digital infrastructure, even as power shortages and grid instability continue to challenge long-term technology expansion plans across the continent.
Speaking at the IDC CIO Summit 2026 in Sandton, Johannesburg, Vice President for Secure Power, SSA, at Schneider Electric, Steven Santini, said global technology firms are increasingly positioning Africa as an emerging frontier for AI-driven investment but warned that infrastructure gaps could slow the pace of adoption if not urgently addressed.
“The question becomes: is Africa ready? Global AI players increasingly view Africa as the next frontier, the new gold rush,” Santini said in a statement, pointing to rising data centre investments across markets such as Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.
