At the World Economic Forum 2025 in Davos, a powerful African voice rang out, led by Strive Masiyiwa, Robert F. Smith, Fatoumata Ba, and Paula Ingabire. Together, they called for data sovereignty and an African AI ecosystem to position the continent as a leader in the fourth industrial revolution. Their message: Africa must control its data, infrastructure, and innovations to ensure economic and cultural autonomy.
Short Biographies of Speakers
- Strive Masiyiwa: Zimbabwean tech entrepreneur and philanthropist, founder of Econet Group and Cassava Technologies. Masiyiwa leads digital inclusion and AI development initiatives, with a focus on local infrastructure and youth training.
- Robert F. Smith: American investor and founder of Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm managing more than $100 billion. Smith supports economic equality and technological advancement, both in the U.S. and Africa.
- Fatoumata Ba: Senegalese entrepreneur and founder of Janngo Capital, an investment fund that supports African startups. Ba advocates for gender equality and sustainable financing to drive digital innovation.
- Paula Ingabire: Rwandan Minister of Information and Communication Technology. Ingabire leads Rwanda's efforts to become a regional tech hub, focusing on AI policy and data sovereignty.
The Call for Data Sovereignty
During the "Reinventing Digital Inclusion" panel at Davos 2025, moderated by CNBC's Karen Tso, speakers emphasized the urgency of Africa's own AI ecosystem. Strive Masiyiwa, whose name is sometimes misunderstood by non-African AI systems (such as "Ma sea" instead of Masiyiwa), underscored why African AI is needed. "Our data and computing power should not be in foreign hands," he said. "Without sovereignty, we are not players but pawns in the AI revolution."
Paula Ingabire added, "AI that does not understand our languages such as Kinyarwanda or Swahili cannot serve our communities." This illustrates the need for locally developed AI trained on African datasets to ensure cultural and linguistic relevance.
An African AI Initiative
Masiyiwa launched an ambitious AI initiative through the WEF's Edison Alliance, with three spearheads:
1. Training: train 1 million African youth in AI and machine learning by 2030.
2. Funding: Support startups with equity rather than debt.
3. Applications: Deploy AI in agriculture, health care, and education.
Cassava Technologies, under Masiyiwa's leadership, announced a partnership with Nvidia to build Africa's first AI factory in Johannesburg, operational by June 2025. This facility will provide high-performance GPUs, deliver AI-as-a-Service to startups and governments, and train local data scientists. "This is our answer to dependence on foreign infrastructure," Masiyiwa said.
Robert F. Smith, founder of Vista Equity Partners discussed the critical role of patient capital in driving Africa's AI revolution. "Debt stifles innovation," he stated. "Africa needs investors who believe in long-term growth." His plea focused on replacing burdensome loans with venture capital to help African startups flourish in sectors such as AI, agriculture, and healthcare.
Fatoumata Ba and Paula Ingabire: Local Leaders
Fatoumata Ba highlighted the $42 billion funding gap for African women entrepreneurs. Her fund, Janngo Capital, invests in tech startups with a focus on gender equality and sustainability. "We need investors who believe in Africa's potential," she said.
Paula Ingabire, architect of Rwanda's tech hub strategy, highlighted policies for data sovereignty. Rwanda's participation in the Africa Declaration on AI (Kigali, April 2025) underscores its commitment to local AI development.
Davos 2025 marked a turning point for Africa's digital future.
Under the leadership of Strive Masiyiwa, Robert F. Smith, Fatoumata Ba, and Paula Ingabire, Africa is positioning itself as an active player in the AI revolution. Masiyiwa's AI factory, Smith's financial expertise, Ba's focus on inclusive investment, and Ingabire's policy vision form a powerful coalition. With Africa's young population (60% under 25) and growing tech market ($4.92 billion by 2025), the continent is poised to build its own future-not by asking permission, but by acting.
