Africa and Korea Put AI at the Heart of a New Push for Jobs and Digital Investment

The declaration recognises that reliable power, telecommunications networks and computing capacity are essential foundations for businesses and public institutions seeking to put AI to practical use.

Africa's growing technology ambitions are moving into a new phase through a partnership with the Republic of Korea that connects artificial intelligence with everyday needs, from better healthcare and stronger harvests to new employment opportunities. At the eighth Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC) Ministerial Conference in Seoul on 9 September, African countries and the African Development Bank Group adopted a Joint Declaration and a 2027–2028 Action Plan centred on AI, digital infrastructure and investment in people.

Government representatives from 45 African countries joined Korean officials, business leaders, start-ups and development institutions at the four-day gathering, held under the theme "Harnessing Artificial Intelligence and Digital Infrastructure for Africa's Transformation". Their shared commitment places African countries in a more active role in developing technology, with support for systems that respond to local languages, cultures and economic needs.

Building the Foundations for a $1 Trillion Opportunity

Partners citing African Development Bank data estimate that AI could contribute as much as $1 trillion to Africa's GDP from 2035 onwards, a possibility that depends on substantial investment in electricity, connectivity, data centres, digital skills and frameworks that build trust. The declaration recognises that reliable power, telecommunications networks and computing capacity are essential foundations for businesses and public institutions seeking to put AI to practical use.

Korean and African leaders committed to supporting modular data centres suited to local conditions, promoting safe and responsible AI, and developing models that reflect Africa's linguistic and cultural diversity. Plans to mobilise more public and private financing address infrastructure gaps that could limit participation in the digital economy, with human capital development receiving attention alongside physical investment so that people can help create and use these technologies.

Bringing Technology Closer to Farms, Clinics and Classrooms

Agriculture is among the priority sectors identified for practical benefits, with precision technologies expected to improve productivity and food security as farmers face pressure from climate change. Healthcare cooperation will focus on opportunities such as AI-assisted diagnosis and smarter information systems, which could expand access to care and help health services respond more effectively to demand. Education, public governance and skills development are other areas selected for cooperation.

The action plan identifies 13 initiatives across five key areas, including a regional 'Data Embassy' project in Sierra Leone, computing credits for African AI start-ups, a smart city platform in Kigali and an urban digital governance project in Kenya. An AI talent accelerator in The Gambia will focus on skills, and an agency in Egypt will deploy AI to strengthen African supreme audit institutions and modernise public audits, bringing technology into the oversight of public resources.

Turning the Partnership Into Projects and Investment

Other planned projects cover telemedicine in Central Africa, digital agricultural systems in Zimbabwe and Angola, a Digital Water Academy in Egypt, and stronger electricity and digital infrastructure in Zambia and Rwanda. These initiatives connect the partnership's broad ambitions with specific services and investment needs, creating a programme whose value will depend on implementation and the benefits it delivers to communities, businesses and public institutions.

Participants welcomed the growing role of the New African Financial Architecture for Development, a pillar of African Development Bank Group President Dr Sidi Ould Tah's 'Four Cardinal Points' strategic vision. Tah led the Bank's delegation to the conference, where the institution signed several agreements to strengthen investment and co-financing for major African projects. Twenty years after KOAFEC's creation, the partnership is placing greater emphasis on turning technological progress into development, industrialisation and shared prosperity.