As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to shape global economies and redefine social systems, two recent reports have emerged as significant guides for how Africa and countries like Botswana in particular can strategically position themselves in the age of intelligent technologies.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released its Technology and Innovation Report 2025, a wide-reaching document that paints a sobering picture of the global AI landscape. According to the report, just one hundred companies account for over forty percent of all research and development investment in AI worldwide, with firms like Microsoft, Alphabet (Google), and Nvidia dominating global investment. Most of these companies are based in the United States and China, which also file two-thirds of all AI patents and produce a third of peer-reviewed research publications.
Africa, by contrast, remains largely on the periphery of this rapidly expanding sector. The report notes that only a handful of African nations—such as South Africa, Egypt, and Kenya—have shown signs of progress in digital infrastructure and AI innovation. The vast majority of countries across the continent, including Botswana, lack dedicated AI strategies, large-scale data centers, or supercomputing facilities. For instance, the report reveals that the United States alone houses more than half of the world’s supercomputing capacity, while Africa as a whole accounts for less than two percent.
UNCTAD identifies three critical leverage points that need urgent attention in developing nations: infrastructure, data, and skills. It recommends aligning national science, technology, and innovation policies around these pillars to create inclusive and worker-centric AI ecosystems. As examples, the report highlights successful AI applications in agriculture across developing nations, such as the use of AI-powered pest detection tools in Rwanda and precision irrigation systems in India that optimize water usage in farming—initiatives that could be mirrored in Botswana’s own agricultural sector.
In contrast to the global scope of the UNCTAD report, the Made in Africa: An African Perspective to the Design, Deployment and Governance of AI report offers a deeply localized vision. Produced by Qubit Hub and a collective of African technologists, policymakers, and researchers, it calls for the development of an AI framework rooted in the continent’s unique socio-political and economic contexts.
The Made in Africa report is grounded in the belief that Africa must actively shape its digital future by asserting control over its data and developing home-grown technologies. It introduces a four-pillar framework focused on Data and Data Systems, AI Infrastructure, Talent Development, and Market Building. One example it cites is the Lagos-based startup 54gene, which uses AI to unlock insights from African genomic data to improve health outcomes. Another is Tunisia’s InstaDeep, an AI company that has attracted international investment for its high-performance solutions tailored to logistics and healthcare on the continent.
Rather than adopting imported governance models that may not fit local needs, the report recommends an Afro-centric approach grounded in Africa’s markets and cultures. It warns against prematurely applying rigid regulatory frameworks from Europe or North America, which may inadvertently stifle innovation in Africa’s still-growing tech ecosystems. The report emphasizes digital sovereignty, highlighting the danger of over-reliance on foreign platforms, as seen in the widespread adoption of American-developed AI models like ChatGPT without any African-centered alternatives.
While Botswana is not named specifically in either report, their findings and recommendations speak directly to the country’s current position and ambitions. Botswana has been gradually investing in smart technologies, with projects ranging from the Ministry of Agriculture’s digital livestock tracking initiative to pilot programs using drone imaging to monitor crop health. The country has also shown interest in developing its digital infrastructure and enhancing the technological skills of its youth through initiatives like the Botswana Innovation Hub and partnerships with universities.
However, both reports suggest that more focused investment and strategic policymaking will be necessary if Botswana is to move from a passive adopter of technology to an active innovator. Drawing from these reports, Botswana could benefit from launching a national AI strategy, expanding partnerships with local tech startups, and promoting open data standards that encourage innovation while safeguarding privacy.
Experts believe that Botswana, and Africa at large, does not need to choose between the global insights offered by UNCTAD and the locally-driven strategies of Made in Africa. Instead, the synthesis of these two perspectives offers the most promising path forward. UNCTAD provides a global macro view, identifying where the continent currently stands in relation to the rest of the world. The Made in Africa report brings the conversation home, urging African nations to build from within while engaging with global technological shifts on their own terms.
The AI revolution is not a distant phenomenon. It is unfolding now, reshaping jobs, economies, and even governance. The challenge for Africa is not simply to catch up, but to lead in areas where it can—by deploying AI ethically, inclusively, and innovatively. For Botswana, this means putting people first, building sustainable infrastructure, investing in local talent, and ensuring that its voice is heard in the international AI discourse.
As Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of UNCTAD, writes in the foreword of the 2025 report, “History shows us that technology alone does not ensure inclusive development. Only deliberate, people-centered policies can.” For Botswana and Africa, the moment to act is now.
