South Africa crowned as the most prepared African country for AI

The country scores 0.5 in AI readiness, leading the continent. Following closely are Tunisia at 0.47 and Kenya at 0.45. Rwanda, Ghana, Botswana, and Namibia also show promising readiness. On the other end of the spectrum, the Central African Republic and South Sudan have the lowest scores, at 0.18 and 0.11 respectively.

This achievement comes from the latest AI Preparedness Index published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which evaluates countries based on their readiness to adopt and integrate AI technologies across various sectors.

The IMF's index assesses AI readiness across four critical dimensions: digital infrastructure, human capital and labour market policies, innovation and economic integration, and regulation.

In March 2024, the South African Department of Communications and Digital Technologies announced a national AI plan which acknowledged the importance of AI in Africa.

"AI has the potential to deliver more benefits to humanity than any new technology in the last century. This AI benefit is also matched by great global and human potential harms," part of the report reads.

The IMF report, however, shared that AI could endanger 33 percent of jobs in developed countries.

“Our research has already shown how AI is poised to reshape the global economy. It could endanger 33 percent of jobs in advanced economies, 24 percent in emerging economies, and 18 percent in low-income countries,” the IMF said.

On the other hand, the IMF advised that the loss of jobs could be overturned when policymakers engage and invest in extensive AI training for workers.

“For policymakers, those in advanced economies should expand social safety nets, invest in training workers, and prioritise AI innovation and integration. Coordinating with one another globally, these countries also should strengthen regulation to protect people from potential risks and abuses and build trust in AI,” the IMF added.