According to industry reports, South Africa is working on an AI policy that is supposed to solve challenges such as uneven access to technology, education, and infrastructure while promoting technological harmony within Africa and worldwide.
Dumisani Sondlo, acting director of information society evaluation and effect assessment at the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT), cautioned the continent in his opening keynote speech at this year’s ITWeb AI Summit 2025 on Thursday in Bryanston, Johannesburg.
Sondlo highlighted that the South African AI policy is still in the draft stage (based on stakeholder input) and will be evaluated by parliament in April of this year.
Nonetheless, he believes Africa should play an active role in developing AI technology.
“If you don’t know how to govern AI today, you are playing by other people’s rules. Africa’s voice regarding AI cannot be ignored,” Sondlo said.
Sondlo went on to say that his country’s AI policy is similar to those of many other countries, such as Rwanda, Egypt, and Ethiopia, as well as the African Union’s AI plan.
He underlined that AI presents challenges and opportunities, such as regulatory battles to keep up with technological innovations, social demand, societal equity, sustainable development, the digital gap, historical imbalances, and global leadership.
Regarding framing South Africa’s AI strategy, he stated: “We have the contribution of all stakeholders and the public… we are not going to have politicians dictate how things must be done. So, we’ve brought questions directly to stakeholders.
“This is based on a policy-making cycle. So rather than taking potshots at the government, we’d rather have people contest ideas.”
He continued: “The intention is to foster economic growth and societal improvements while addressing historical inequalities and reform regulatory frameworks to align with global standards.”
Furthermore, Sondlo pointed out that South Africa’s AI policy framework rests on numerous strategic pillars, including professional responsibility, promoting cultural and human values, safety and security, and human control over technology.
“We’ve adopted a human-centric approach in AI systems,” he said.
