The African Union’s Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy, was adopted in July 2024. It outlines a vision for harnessing AI to drive Africa's Agenda 2063, and advance the Sustainable Development Goals. It emphasises a people-centred, ethical, and inclusive approach prioritising Africa's unique challenges and opportunities.

The strategy identifies five focus areas:

1. Maximising AI benefits,
2. Building AI capabilities and infrastructure,
3. Minimising associated risks,
4. Stimulating investment and
5. Fostering regional and international cooperation.

It proposes 15 policy action areas, including governance, ethics, education, startups, data infrastructure, and public-private partnerships. It also calls on member states to develop national strategies, invest in talent, research, and infrastructure, and ensure responsible, Africa-centric AI development.

Benin’s National Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Strategy (2023–2027) aims to position the country as a regional leader in AI. It leverages big data and AI technologies to address national development challenges across key sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture, and governance.

Anchored in the National Development Plan and other sectoral strategies, the initiative promotes a phased, iterative implementation through four strategic programs: 

1. Deploying impactful AI solutions, 
2. enhancing human capital, 
3. fostering research and private sector innovation, and 
4. establishing a robust governance framework.

It emphasises public-private collaboration, ethical standards, and regulatory readiness to create a sustainable, inclusive, and locally adapted AI ecosystem. The strategy also outlines funding mechanisms, institutional responsibilities, and monitoring tools to ensure effective implementation and long-term success.

The 1st Egyptian National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2021) aims to harness AI to support sustainable development, improve public services, and position Egypt as a regional leader in AI.

It is structured around four key pillars: 

1. AI for government (enhancing efficiency and transparency), 
2. AI for development (applying AI in key sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and economic planning), 
3. capacity building (fostering AI education and workforce readiness), and 
4. international cooperation.

The strategy, supported by governance, data, infrastructure, and ecosystem development enablers, emphasises ethical, inclusive, and locally relevant AI applications. It outlines phased implementation, investment in talent, public-private partnerships, and integration with Egypt’s broader digital transformation and reform initiatives.

Kenya’s National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy (2025–2030) outlines a comprehensive vision to establish the country as Africa’s leading hub for AI model innovation, economic development, and inclusive growth. The strategy emphasises ethical, inclusive, and citizen-centred AI adoption, developed through extensive stakeholder engagement.

It is built around three key pillars: 

1. AI digital infrastructure,
2. sustainable data ecosystems, and
3. AI research and innovation.

This is supported by fourenablers: 

1. governance, 
2. talent development, investment, and 
3. ethics

It targets priority sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education, and public service, aiming to boost service delivery and national competitiveness. The strategy proposes a phased implementation focused on infrastructure, governance, skills development, pilot projects, and monitoring, aiming to harness AI’s transformative potential while safeguarding rights and aligning with national values.

Lesotho’s Artificial Intelligence Policy and Implementation Plan outlines a strategic vision to ensure AI's responsible development, deployment, and use for inclusive growth and societal benefit. Developed through a UNDP-supported project, the policy focuses on building a sustainable governance structure with an AI policymaker, regulator, and a multistakeholder Data and AI Committee.

It emphasises

1. legislation, 
2. ethical standards, and 
3. capacity-building through education, technical training, and public awareness.

The strategy also promotes digital infrastructure and AI integration in key sectors (healthcare, agriculture, education, and public services) and fosters research, innovation, and global cooperation. With a comprehensive implementation and monitoring framework, the policy seeks to align with global standards, support job creation, improve public service delivery, and position Lesotho as a regional AI leader.

The Mauritius Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2018) outlines the country's plan to position AI as a core pillar of economic development. Recognising the transformative power of AI, the strategy focuses on sector-specific AI integration in manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, fintech, and transport, among others.

Key recommendations include, 

1. establishing a Mauritius Artificial Intelligence Council (MAIC) to oversee implementation, 
2. fostering public-private partnerships, 
3. developing AI talent through skills training and education, and 
4. incentivising innovation through grants and tax benefits.

The strategy also addresses challenges such as a lack of skilled labour, ethical concerns, and data privacy, and proposes fostering an ecosystem that supports innovation, attracts investment, and aligns with Mauritius’s vision of becoming a smart, inclusive, and high-income economy.

Rwanda’s National Artificial Intelligence Policy (2023) aims to leverage AI to drive inclusive economic growth, improve quality of life, and establish Rwanda as a responsible global innovator in AI. It is anchored in the Vision 2050 and national digital strategies.

It is structured around six priority areas: 

1. 21st-century skills, and AI literacy,
2. infrastructure and computing capacity, 
3. robust data strategy, 
4. trustworthy public sector AI, 
5. broad private sector AI adoption, and 
6. practical ethical guidelines.

The policy outlines comprehensive initiatives such as skills training, AI-focused education, cloud infrastructure, data governance, and ethical AI use. It also includes plans to establish a Responsible AI Office to oversee implementation, promote international collaboration, and integrate AI into key sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and finance. Rwanda aims to be a leading African hub for AI development and governance by creating a strong regulatory and innovation framework.

The Senegal National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2023–2028) envisions AI as a catalyst for national development aligned with the Plan Sénégal Émergent (PSE), emphasising ethics, trust, and inclusivity.

The strategy is built around four key objectives:

1. Using AI to boost economic performance and job creation, and improve living conditions,
2. advance the SDGs,
3. Strengthen Senegal’s role as a regional AI leader, and
4. Ensure responsible and ethical AI use. 

These are operationalised through six strategic orientations;

1. developing AI talent, 
2. fostering innovation and data economy ("from lab to market"), 
3. creating a public-private AI cluster, 
4. promoting regional and international collaboration, 
5. ensuring societal inclusiveness, and 
6. establishing ethical and regulatory governance.

It includes 52 actionable measures targeting education, infrastructure, entrepreneurship, research, regional cooperation, and public trust to position Senegal as a model for ethical and impactful AI deployment in West Africa.

Zambia’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2024–2026) sets a vision to position the country as a regional hub for "AI for development," aiming to harness AI’s potential to drive inclusive economic growth, improve public services, and address development challenges. The strategy focuses on priority sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education, mining, and public administration.

It outlines strategic objectives, including 

1. fostering innovation, 
2. developing human capital, 
3. building digital infrastructure, 
4. ensuring ethical and responsible AI use, and 
5. strengthening governance through a National AI Council and sector-specific Technical Working Groups.

The strategy emphasises international collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and alignment with global ethical standards like AU and UNESCO. A phased implementation plan spans two years, with initial actions focused on governance, pilot projects, and capacity building, followed by broader adoption, infrastructure investment, and ecosystem development.