This blog post is a part of USGLC’s Intern Blog Series.

In an increasingly digital world, technological access translates to power, prosperity and security. The proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) in the past five years alone has led to breakthroughs in human productivity, transforming global industries from healthcare to finance, government and education. With only 16% of the global population accessing generative AI tools, major technology powers, primarily the U.S. and China, are engaged in an intensifying race to secure market control and global influence.

 Global disparity in AI access creates emerging markets that are strategic leverage points in an era of great power competition. In particular, Africa is redefining its role in the global AI ecosystem; initiatives such as the African Union’s Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy demonstrate the continent’s impetus towards technological transformation. Yet, the region faces substantial bottlenecks. Although Africa is home to 17% of the world’s population, only 5% of Africa’s talent has access to advanced computers. With just 53% of Africans accessing electricity in 2023 and less than 40% of Africans accessing the internet in 2024, the lack of basic infrastructure creates staggering barriers to technology usage, underscoring Africa’s urgent search for global partnerships.

Why is Global Attention Pivoting Towards Africa?

Africa is the most rapidly growing continent on Earth. By 2050, 1 in 4 of the world’s population will be African. Furthermore, 60% of Africa’s 1.25 billion people are under 25, making Africa home to the world’s youngest population. Accordingly, there has been a push for African policymakers to secure a demographic dividend through enacting policies that stimulate economic growth and harness the power of the rising generation to shape Africa’s future. Africa represents a significant growth market and important economic partner to secure as it anticipates heavy digital transformation.

China is eagerly closing in on African market opportunities. China’s interest in African technological development aligns with its expanding Digital Silk Road Initiative, which aims to secure technological infrastructure in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner states. Additionally, DeepSeek, a China-based AI platform, is gaining traction in African marketsas a cheap, accessible AI model. DeepSeek usage is roughly 2-4 times higher in Africa compared to other regions. Beyond AI exports, firms like Huawei and ZTE have built roughly 70% of Africa’s 4G networks and are involved in 5G rollout, giving China disproportionate control over the continent’s digital infrastructure. As China-Africa economic partnerships pivot to the digital domain, serious concerns have surfaced regarding African data privacy, cybersecurity and long-term technological dependency. While convenient in the short term, Chinese investment in Africa’s digital development furthers the country’s geopolitical influence, undermining U.S. interests in the region.

U.S. Momentum Towards Investing in Africa

Given Africa’s geopolitical significance, investment in AI adoption alongside broader support for digital infrastructure is not only necessary for Africa’s economic future but also mutually beneficial for the United States. Market penetration of American technologies abroad—creating jobs and economic growth here at home—is a priority for the current administration, as seen in the AI Action Plan that emphasizes the export of American AI as a national security imperative. At the same time, the U.S. government has taken bold steps to invest in African digital infrastructure. Since the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the U.S. government has spent over $65 billion in African development and currently surpasses Chinese spending in the region.

U.S. development finance agencies also play an essential role. Notably, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) fund key digital infrastructure projects in Africa. For example, USTDA collaboration with AFR-IX Telecom, an African telecommunications operator, aims to provide high-speed internet access across the Atlantic coastline through strengthening subsea cable infrastructure.

The private sector is another major player in the development sphere. Since the 2025 U.S.-Africa Business Summit, U.S. companies pledged over $900 million towards advancing telecommunications, cybersecurity, and energy generation in countries like Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and Angola. Additionally, Google and Microsoft have committed billions of dollars towards digital transformation, upskilling, and empowerment of local AI innovation in Africa. Projects such as LINGUA Africa, committing $5.5 million to strengthen AI models for underrepresented languages, and the AI for Good Lab, leveraging AI to enhance food security across Sub-Saharan Africa, highlight this commitment. The story of AI development in Africa, thus, is a story of partnerships, requiring public and private sector commitments to bridge the AI gap.

Ultimately, Africa is an emerging frontier of global economic power which will shape the future of the technology sector. Exporting American technologies, however, can only go so far; African countries lack the infrastructure essential to fully participate in the global digital economy. Strategic tech investments in Africa are crucial for America to effectively out-compete China and create long-term partnerships in the region, advancing both Africa’s and America’s economic futures.