AI Infrastructure Gap in Africa

Welcome to building better developers, the developer podcast, where we work on getting better step by step professionally and personally. Let's get started. Well, hello and welcome back. We are continuing our season of building better developers developing our podcast. This season we are focused on getting unstuck moving forward, forward momentum, progress, all of those things that are basically getting you from here to somewhere forward. I am Rob Broadhead, one of the founders of development, or also one of the founders, actually the founder of RV Consulting, where we help you with a technology reality check when you're about to step into a big project. We're going to have you sort of like set your foundation and your basis first, talk about where you're at and where you want to go so that now you have a lot more likelihood of project being successful and not being yet another statistic where somebody spent a lot of money on a project that they then wish they hadn't or wish they'd done it a little bit differently. Good thing and bad thing. Good thing is I am in a finally in the spring, I'm going to see some I spent a weekend that was like actually, it's literally I guess on the beach, even though we're like 20 feet away from it, but got some good sun. The bad thing of all of this is that I tend to burn as opposed to tan as opposed to somebody else that was with me that gets incredibly like awesome color tan like that. So you know, we all have our cross to bear as it were. One of mine is having my co host Michael, so go ahead and introduce yourself. Hey everyone, my name is Michael Moulache. I'm one of the co founders of building better developers, also known as developer. I'm also the founder of InvisiQA, where we build custom tests and application softwares to help streamline your business, remove the bottlenecks and help you basically scale up so that you can work on your business instead of working in your business. Good thing, bad thing. Good thing, it's been a while because I've been so busy heads down working and things of that nature. I finally cleaned my office. My office has been bad for months and Rob knows this. I'm like kind of like the clean desk guy. So my desk is like the only thing that's clean in my office. Everything else is kind of became clutter. So I was finally able to organize everything, get it cleaned up. Bad side to that was it was actually cold yesterday, beautiful day outside and I actually wanted to be outside more than cleaning my office, but at least I got the office clean. Yes, sometimes we have to do that. So today we have a guest with us again and I'm going to let Dr. James go ahead and introduce yourself. Hey everyone, I'm Dr. James Miseri, all the way from Southern Africa, specifically Zimbabwe, although I spend most of my time in South Africa. I'm a researcher. I'm very interested in how AI, integer things, robotics affect the labor market within the African context. Good thing, bad thing. Let's see. The good thing is I'm visiting home, finally home for Easter weekend. It was great to see my parents. The bad thing, I miss going back to work. I really miss going. I really have that itch to get things done and to get back into it. But yeah, you know, one day at a time. I know that feeling very well where you're just like, you know, it's great to have a vacation and some time off, but then also, especially when you love your work, as actually I think a lot of people in the audience may be where you're like chomping at the bit to get back to getting that next project done. Now, you're in a world that is like that is the hot topic right now. It's like, well, artificial intelligence, AI is, but I love your little bit different perspective is really about like, how does AI and all these emerging technologies, how do they impact the workforce? How do they in fact, you know, what is the human side of these new technology advances? Especially when you've got, which I think we'll start with this because my impression is that when you start with you've got the African context, basically, is you don't have as much infrastructure, even though this, you know, you're still shooting ahead with high end technology, modern technology, we'll call it, but you're still maybe the infrastructure isn't there. And so I guess we'll start with that is where do you see what are some of like the unique problems that you see in like, let's just start with our artificial intelligence in the workforce in the African environment in that context. So a lot of governments within the African context see AI as an opportunity to leap forward to solve all their problems. But as you have mentioned, the infrastructure there is beyond, it's just horrible. I mean, 90% of the computing power is controlled by America and China globally, and Africa, all 53 countries contribute 1% of the computing power. So how do we even train our own AI's build our own AI's or develop our own AI's in that regard? We have an electricity problem, a serious electricity problem. Nigeria's data centers, pulling up electricity for four hours a day, and the rest of the day for the data systems, they use generators that run on diesel. So this is, you know, this is just not a sustainable way of infrastructure to build AI systems. Eight out of 10 people in the world that do not have access to electricity belong or stay in the African continent. So infrastructure is a serious problem. But I can say that we are, governments have been thinking hard about it. I'm not sure if you know, I'm familiar with Strive Musiwa. So he's a dollar billionaire. He was born in Zimbabwe, but he now stays in America. And he has made a deal with Nvidia to get those chips, those chips ready for five African regions so we can now start trying to build our own AI systems. So we are negotiating, governments are trying to partner with each other, partner with the private sector to try and build infrastructure so we can build our own AI systems. Because right now, because we can't, we end up importing AI systems from the global north. And when those AI systems enter our society, it doesn't serve well in our context. It's like adverse effects in our context in many cases like that. So yeah, I think that's where we're at right now. Wow, that's, there's a whole world to unpack. Sometimes we get this, there's a season worth of content right there alone. So let's start with the, so one of the things that we talk about regularly is that AI is a tool and sometimes people jump to the tool before they're dealing with the actual problem to be solved. I'm wondering if this is like what you're talking about is a perfect example. Is it while these countries, and it makes sense that they want to use AI to sort of like leapfrog, jump back into modern or to beat the competition. There's also some foundational stuff that is missing because they do that but then they really don't have the resources to do it. Now from a workforce point of view is the, where are we at in the African workforce as far as being able to actually leverage AI to solve problems? I mean, once you get rid of it, you talk about the infrastructure, the physical infrastructure is not, it's just not there right now. But is there, are there think takes, are the governments working on trying, sort of both sides of this, trying to get people that are, get a workforce that is AI ready, that is comfortable with AI, that is going to be able to use it so that when the infrastructure is there, then they'll have the knowledge workers to be able to dive in and actually leverage that AI. So it's extremely, the context is extremely fragmented right now because there's some industries that have just not technologically evolved or even within the space to adopt AI and technology. And then there's some areas where they are. I mean, in countries like Zimbabwe, for example, like 66% of the entire population are still in the rural areas. So they're not even at the AI stage or the ICT stage. They're far behind. But in those fragmented waves, we are seeing promise of a lot of workers being absolutely interested in getting ready to use AI, whether the government is preparing workers or not for it. So for a lot of employees. And a lot of individual Africans, they see AI as an opportunity to change their circumstance, whether it's unstable employment or fluctuating life conditions. So they look at AI to solve whatever problem, to think of a new problem or to to to to step forward. I think I was reading 64% of workers reported using AI at work in Africa, according to PWC 2025 survey, which is much higher than the global workforce. So what we're seeing is that the global workforce sees AI and kind of gets a sense of fear, like it could take jobs and all that type of stuff. But for the African context, because of their conditions, there's a sense of optimism that this technology could change the situation that I'm in specifically. Maybe that's because they don't have secure employment as you would see as often as you would see within the within the global north. African governments themselves are lagging behind in terms of AI literacy and getting the population together. Right now, conversations are within academia and think tanks. So just the whole chat to be explosion, just individual employees tend to adopt those AI's to step and move forward. Well, that makes a lot of sense, because that's one of the things we're seeing, you know, also in other countries in that the there are knowledge workers that are finding it as a as a tool that is allowing them to really become productive and to advance and almost become it definitely leads to more an entrepreneurial kind of side, because now people are able to solve their own problems with the help of AI and build something that they otherwise would have had a higher level of entry. It would have been a higher cost of entry. So it makes complete sense. And it's it's actually it's great to hear that that you have these Africans that are saying that this is not a threat. This is an opportunity. If I can add, you must also consider the demographic of Africans. Right. We have a large young population compared to other spaces in the world. I think 40 percent of the working population is by will be in Africa, will be African by 2030. And that number increases a lot by 2050. Right. So we have a large, enormous youth, unlike in other countries where the fertility rate has been going down and, you know, they've been struggling with their population. So these young people were born in the were native to technology and to technology and social media and this phase are eager to explore more what this is about. This is what can change my life compared to previous generations. Maybe my parents, my grandparents. This is this is it. This technology. So we're seeing a lot of research that suggests that. Well, that lines up with what I'm experiencing just personally as well, is that there's a lot of I've found a huge explosion in the media in general. There's a lot of a lot of African based podcasts that are very they're you know, they're talking about some very complex topics or they're looking at entrepreneurial stuff. They're looking at business driven stuff. And it is usually younger, you know, 20s, 30 somethings that are out there that are really driving this wave and are very I think for some people that think that maybe the infrastructure may not be there, but the the knowledge to work with technology obviously is because they're you know, they're embracing this wherever they can. Now, is this coming from the the push besides the individuals that are there that are just they're diving in. They see this as an opportunity to maybe better themselves or escape a situation they'd rather not be in. Is there any is there any support that's coming from companies and governments? And if so, where what is that mix? Is there more governmental help? Is there more business and industry where they're seeing the help or is it sort of a 50 50 split? So there's a lot of companies that are coming forward. I think in the last four years, AI ecosystem startups have increased by 240 percent. This is that that came out last year. Right. So a lot of companies are seeing opportunities. I mean, look at it this way. If there are subsistence farmers or agricultural farmers, small farmers that have been farming for a long time but may not have the expertise to handle pests and all that type of stuff. AI startups have been introducing AI apps such as smart scouting, right, where you take a picture of a leaf and it tells you what pests are there and how to do it. A good example being Malawi, an AI app called Mlangwazi. I'm sure I mispronounced that. I'm sorry to my Malawians. But yeah, see, such unique opportunities are like that in Africa where subsistence, raw or small farmers need those technologies, need a PhD AI app in the agricultural field to advise them to like the Mlangwazi app. And a lot of customer base is coming up for that. So because Africa's specific problems, unique problems, AI is finding its cracks into there to create those specific African solutions. Right. So a lot of push has been coming from companies. I must admit that there are governments that are governments that are supporting this push. Zimbabwe just released a national AI strategy, I think about two weeks ago. South Africa is there, Kenya, Nigeria. But these are just a small fraction of the entire continent. You know, it's a handful of the entire, the country's a handful of the entire continent. So it's still a bit fragmented. A lot of companies are still staying behind. From my observation, from where I stand, I would say companies are leading the way, the private sector leading the way right now. Universities also are pushing. Universities, I must give them credit, are also doing research, seeing, partnering with companies in some instances. But I would say if you look at the whole African puzzle, only a handful of African governments are actively voicing our strategies to go forward and the pushes by private companies. So interestingly enough, you mentioned how in other countries, like in the US, there's a bit of a fear of AI within some of the younger workers, you know, taking their jobs. My daughter and I had a conversation just the other day, I guess there's studies being done about how there's been a decline in quantitative thinking and problem solving because of AI. As your country starts to adapt, as you mentioned, you know, you have the energy problem. Is there a concern that as you start kind of bringing everyone on, you know, using AI more, that your infrastructure is not going to be able to support it and that could actually cause a more detrimental effect to your younger generation than without AI? Honestly, I think that concern is not loud enough. I think that a lot of governments are using the AI propaganda or narrative to help with their own political power to show that they are leading the country to the future. Vote for me. You know, let's take Africa forward. So the conversations around the energy crisis is definitely not loud enough at all. It's still silent in the background. From my observation, it looks like, let's get this sorted now. We'll solve that. We'll figure out how to solve that energy crisis when we get there. Right now, let's just focus on the promises of the economic growth that this particular technology offers the continent. So that conversation is not loud enough. I mean, right now, we're even struggling with the transition into going to renewable energy, right? Because a lot of countries are still dependent on coal. And there's a fight around that, like in South Africa already, of the consequences of that. So before we even get to the technology, we're not thinking about it. I don't think that conversation is loud enough, I would say. Yeah, I understand, you know, Africa has a lot of different provinces, a lot of different ideas, and you know, you have some internal strikes going on. So hopefully none of that's near you. But a lot of the I hear that a lot, though, about how governments are, especially in Africa. I love this is how they're trying to put the people first or trying to or at least from you said, from the Placo perspective, they're trying to push this forward. I love the positivity about how it's like here, this will help, you know, this let's try to use this tool to bring people together, bring, you know, advance, bring the advancements. Where do you see some of the additional challenges or maybe not even challenges? Where do you see some of the advances or advantages that Africa has to make this work? I realize you don't necessarily have the infrastructure, but given, you know, the fears of the US, you know, problems of the rest of the world, how can Africa take this and become the front runner? Without the concerns or problems facing the other countries. That's a good question. Before I answer that question, I just want to add, I want to create a universal image that no African is no African is fearful about their job being taken up from AI. I mean, I've done research in pack houses where they have seen their jobs be taken by these technologies and robotics and those workers I fear. So it's not a universal blanket statement. I just wanted to add that. But to answer your question. Is there a world where Africa can adopt these technologies without having the infrastructural crisis? My opinion on this is not as popular, I would say, but I think a unification of all African countries to operate kind of like how in America you have states under, you know, on one soil. I think that's the only way to do it, because we need we have we need to gather up enough resources and have a unified strategy for it. Some countries don't have electricity, but some countries have abundant resource for electricity. But because these are separate from each other in different continents, they don't communicate with each other. They don't partner with each other enough to actually take the step forward. So I think right now, if it was up to me, it's very unpopular. You know, there's a whole remove the borders for African narrative in this pushback and the arguments on that. I think that's the that may be the only real way for Africa to compete within the AI race against China and America, because you guys are way far ahead, like your galaxy is ahead. And one individual country, which you can think about as one individual state, is just not going to do it. It's not going to catch up any time soon at all. So, yeah. Understandable. And thank you for, I understand. You know, there are people in any of the populace that there's fear of AI in general. Unfortunately, thanks to popular media, we've had that for generations. Right. You have the Terminator. Data Matrix. Inception. However, I love your enthusiasm here. So what are some of the challenges or what are some of the ways that you see getting the young people engaged right now? How do you envision getting the AI to them, getting them trained in the current situation? Granted, you don't have a unified Africa yet, but how can you get this momentum going on a smaller scale to a bigger scale? I know the universities are trying this, but what is your vision to get it to the to basically those not a university, but just get to the younger generation first so that, you know, it can trickle, you know, the trickle up effect. So for me, I'd grade out of the universities, I'll copy something like what China did. I know Beijing has done it, but they're spreading it across the whole of China. They have a rule where in the education system, from six years old, it's supposed to be learning AI literacy. So from the age of six, you're already familiar with technology, how the technology works, even if they're not the greatest, you know, technical element of it. But you know it, you're familiar with it. I mean, there's many places in Africa right now you go and say AI and they have no idea, what you're talking about. In fact, in my research in citrus migrant workers, seasonal workers specifically had no idea what I was talking about when I was trying to investigate how AI affects their workplace. Right. So if you have a base like China, six years old, you're growing up with this technology, have this in the back of your mind, you're solving problems like this. And I think this can be done in two ways, because I also do studies with the, oh, I'm looking at research on how AI affects the educational sector. AI tutors are very effective. We're seeing extreme, extreme well-paid results within the African context. Right. So if you were in countries where there's teacher shortages, specifically in STEM fields, right. So AI tutors work. I was at a conference the other week and I met a company that is VRSIS that they introduce into Zimbabwe. And they're specifically going into rural places where there's no labs, there's no nothing. So those emerging technologies now, when they're doing those chemicals and learning those things, they immersed in it and they actually get to practice and learn and get concept and see like the chemicals explode in the VRSIT type of thing than to just theoretically read it on their textbooks. Right. So we're seeing how AI software as a technology and these VRSITs as a technology can assist in making the skills more accessible to different people within the African context. So I'd say something aggressive as what China did, getting it into primary schools, getting into a mandatory subject for you to wrestle and tussle with. Because otherwise it's just going to end up in conferences and universities. That's where the conversation is going to start and end. Now, is that the level? I'll start with that. Because you mentioned that universities were helping in some of the educational sides or helping sort of push and train in AI. Is that where it stops? Is it sort of at the university level or are there places where it's getting down into the primary and secondary school levels? So from my observation, if there's like a private school or international school, you will be exposed to AI and all of these technologies. But if it's like a normal school, it doesn't infiltrate in terms of training. But the students themselves, because they are young, they know about CHPT, they are curious, they'll use AI. They may look up AI for maybe teaching assignments, but they have some familiarity to it. It's not a stranger. It's not a stranger to them. But I find that a lot of private schools that have specific training and courses, especially wild resource schools, to tell the parents, this is the future, make sure your kids learn this. So that's the scene right now. But the public schools are lagging far behind. Now, is that also the teachers and instructors, the professors, are they, is that part of it because they have not been exposed to AI or is it something where it just hasn't been pushed into the curriculums yet? No, no, it hasn't been pushed. From my observation, it hasn't been pushed into the curriculums yet. And professors, yes, but not your secondary math teacher. You know, I remember, I don't know the year, I think it was 2023. It might have been 2023. I had a visit to my home country, which is Zimbabwe, and CHPT was banned from Zimbabwe. So if you're in Zimbabwe, you couldn't use CHPT. There are many reasons. I can't tell you the reason why, but it is common knowledge that it's always under sanctions due to its political history and all that type of stuff. So when I came here, I found like two students who had found a VPN system to use get to CHPT and they would write their essay using CHPT and add it to the teachers. And the teachers had no clue that I could even write an essay or AI could even exist, you know. So that was a good year for them. I think I'm getting that point to say, no, there's still a long way to go with secondary school teachers and primary school teachers. I mean, these are also older people who may not, you know, who may be behind on technology in general. So, yeah. And that is where we're going to pause for right now because we have more to come. Dr. Masuri was great. I love this conversation. If this is not a great pool of thought for you to just think of like some of the challenges and problems that are out there that maybe we don't think of in our normal days, there's a big difference between some of the stuff he's describing versus like how do I make my spreadsheet calculate these numbers a little better or a little faster or something like that. So hopefully this opens you up to be maybe even a little bit more of a big thinker in some of the things that you're looking at. But never fear. We are not done. We are coming back with another episode next time around. We will continue our discussion with Dr. James and we'll see where that goes. I think you'll find that it will be very useful. And, you know, one of the things that maybe it's points a couple seeds for some solutions that you can put together. Maybe it helps you think a little bit more about what is the actual cost behind using AI to generate a goofy picture of yourself and some of those kinds of things that are out there. As always though, I want to thank you for your time, for hanging out with us. We love so much that you do this with us on a regular basis. Go out there and have yourself a great day, a great week. We will talk to you next time. Next Step Forward. Also sponsored by Envision QA. They help businesses take control of their software by focusing on what matters most quality, reliability, and support you can count on. Find out more at EnvisionQA.com. Thanks for tuning in to the Develop the Newer Podcast where we're all about building better developers and better careers. I'd love to hear your thoughts or feedback so drop a note to info at DeveloptheNewer.com. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you listen. And remember, a little bit of effort every day adds up to a great success. Keep learning, keep growing, and we'll see you in the next episode.