AGP Executive Report

AI & Geopolitics: A new US push is pressuring countries to pick sides between American and Chinese AI ecosystems, turning chips, data centres and standards into a competition for influence. Clean Energy Investment: South Africa’s Ramaphosa is set to keynote the Africa Green Hydrogen Summit, aiming to move green hydrogen from “PowerPoint to Gigawatts” and unlock financing and projects. Tax Modernisation: SARS says it must build trust and modernise compliance systems to sustain revenue gains, not just chase collections. Election Tech Dispute: South Africa’s ANC challenges IEC rules, arguing that if candidate data was already captured on the IEC system, a later electronic step shouldn’t block contesting. Women’s Safety & Tech Gaps: A report on women murdered in Kempton Park renews calls for better crime-fighting tech and faster action on GBVF. Climate Science: A study warns drylands could expand to about 40% of Earth’s land by 2100, reshaping ecosystems and farming risk. Agritech Solar Irrigation: Nigeria’s FCAIB gets a solar-powered irrigation system to support cassava agroforestry learning and year-round production. Health Research: Research compares tirzepatide and semaglutide in adults with asthma and type 2 diabetes, finding smaller differences in asthma exacerbation risk than expected. Renewables Scale-Up: Lake Energy says its Africa renewable portfolio has hit 5GW, spanning solar, wind and battery storage. BRICS Strategy: Commentary on the New Delhi Declaration highlights how external pressure is helping BRICS align on sanctions, institutions and developing-country representation.

Cybersecurity Recognition: Meru Land’s housing and planning executive Joy Karwitha won “Cyber Security Woman of the Year” at the Africa Digital Economy Awards, spotlighting county-level leadership in digital safety. Digital Tax Modernisation: South Africa’s SARS says it will use digitised, data-driven tax administration to boost compliance and revenue, while tackling an ageing workforce and funding gaps. Space Ambitions: Africa’s space budgets have surged to about $800m, with more than 20 countries now running space programmes and a new AU space agency in Cairo. AI Governance at BRICS: China’s Xi proposes an open-source AI zone for BRICS, while South Africa pushes for an independent AI oversight mechanism under BRICS. Health Tech & Care Access: Kenya is testing a solar-powered ambulance for remote communities, and Kenya’s Social Health Authority sets new digital readiness requirements for providers ahead of a 2026-2029 contracting cycle. Mobility & Energy: Spiro partners with Yadea to expand affordable electric two-wheelers across seven African countries using its battery-swapping network. Wildlife Conservation: African wild dogs complete a record 2,485-mile trek, but GPS-tracked deaths in snares underline ongoing human threats. Energy/Industry Finance: Billionaire-backed DNI plans to invest R2.1bn into tech firms to double its size, betting on telecom and digital ecosystems.

BRICS Global Governance Push: Nigeria’s Tinubu, via Shettima, urged BRICS to overhaul global governance and reform the UN Security Council and international finance as the summit spotlights trade, security and Global South cooperation. Dangote IPO: Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery begins a landmark IPO today, offering 4.1bn shares at N525 each to raise about N2.15tn, aiming to broaden African ownership of major industrial infrastructure. Education Policy: Nigeria’s WASSCE result controversy is reigniting calls to strengthen NECO as a credible national exam option, not a “second choice.” Mobility Regulation: Nigeria’s Uber exit is being framed as a warning sign for gaps in transport rules, especially around airport operations and consumer protection. AI Governance & Security: South Africa is pushing for an independent AI oversight mechanism under BRICS while warning against misuse of AI for biological weapons. Energy Transition in Conservation: Kenya’s Maasai Mara is testing electric motorcycles to cut noise and fuel use while tracking wildlife and poachers. Finance Compliance: South Africa’s Capitec and Ninety One Assurance were fined over administrative non-compliance with anti-money laundering reporting rules. Public Safety Probe: South Africa’s police dog “Sky” death is triggering an NSPCA investigation into kennel welfare and treatment records.

AI Governance at BRICS: South Africa’s Ramaphosa urged BRICS to set up an international mechanism for independent scientific evaluation of AI, warning that capabilities must not outpace human control, alongside calls for safeguards like incident reporting and human oversight. BRICS Tech Push: Xi backed a “Greater BRICS” agenda including an open-source AI community, plus cooperation on digital industries and intelligent manufacturing. Nigeria’s Global Governance Pitch: Tinubu called for UN Security Council and international financial system reform, pushing BRICS to move from dialogue to measurable delivery and positioning Nigeria as an AfCFTA gateway. Health Tech in Kenya: Novo Nordisk launched Ozempic and Wegovy in Kenya for type 2 diabetes and obesity, stressing proper medical assessment as diabetes awareness remains low. Smart Mining Spotlight: China’s mining expo showcased greener, data-driven operations like autonomous trucks and remote monitoring, including a Zimbabwe gold project citing major cost cuts via cleaner power. Education & Sports Research: Egypt hosted the Cairo 2026 university sports conference with 130 research papers spanning AI, governance and e-sports. Local Tech Skills: Nigeria’s Kaduna South senator is building a 700-capacity ICT/CBT centre to expand computer access and exam readiness.

BRICS Tech Push: At the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India’s PM Modi urged a cross-border startup corridor, calling for support to 100 BRICS startups yearly and a plan to cut the bloc’s top trade barriers, with the New Delhi Declaration backing safe, ethical AI use. Health Security: BRICS health talks spotlight a proposed integrated early warning system to help Africa strengthen disease surveillance, diagnostics and outbreak response. Mining Green Transition: China’s mining expo showcased autonomous, clean-energy smart mining systems, including a Zimbabwe gold project that reportedly cut costs by about 75% via clean power. Infrastructure Delivery: South Africa’s Sidssa 2026 symposium stressed turning infrastructure demand into bankable projects—water, power, transport and municipal services—so investment can translate into outcomes. Safety & Security: Nigeria’s Fani-Kayode renewed alarms over attacks on Nigerians in South Africa after two deaths, while officials called for probes. Space & Earth Monitoring: NASA imagery captured a massive dust plume over Mali drifting toward the Atlantic, linked to haboob conditions. Policy-to-Action: Central Africa’s think tank forum in Yaoundé urged governments and partners to move from policy talk to implementation.

Nigeria–South Africa Xenophobia: Nigeria’s Fani-Kayode and the Foreign Affairs ministry condemned the killing of two Nigerians in South Africa, calling for transparent probes and warning that continued impunity could strain ties. Cybersecurity & Fraud: South African police extradited six alleged Black Axe members to the US over a $6m+ romance-scam scheme, highlighting how cyber-enabled fraud keeps growing. Agriculture Skills Gap: Nigeria’s AGCOMS launched an academy to train tractor operators and technicians, arguing machines fail without skilled people. Sci-Tech Cooperation: South Africa’s science minister urged deeper research and innovation links with China at the Pujiang Innovation Forum, including AI, space science and quantum. BRICS Finance & Tech: At the BRICS summit, leaders flagged illicit financial flows and said there’s no plan for a common BRICS currency yet, while pushing local-currency trade and science/startup cooperation. AI for African Languages: South African researchers’ open-source TextAugment tool is being used globally to help build language tech for low-resource languages. Public Financial Management: Ghana hosts an IPSASB forum focused on moving from standards to working public financial systems.

AI Capacity Building: Côte d’Ivoire says it wants to build a high-performing, responsible AI sector, pointing to data, compute, cloud, energy, skills, financing, cybersecurity and governance as key pillars. BRICS Industrial Push: South Africa’s Ramaphosa urges BRICS to back manufacturing and value addition in the Global South, warning against repeating a raw-minerals-only future. Digital Infrastructure & Data: Cassava Technologies, Vodafone Business and Elsewedy Electric plan Africa Data Centres Egypt, including Egypt’s first sovereign AI data centre powered by Nvidia GPUs. Cybercrime Shift: A report flags a rise in AI-driven deepfakes and impersonation in Africa, even as some identity fraud rates fall in South Africa. Spam Call Crackdown: South Africa’s National Consumer Commission seeks tech partners to support an opt-out registry to curb spam calls. Clean Mobility: Clicks targets Africa’s first retail distribution centre run on a fully electric truck fleet, backed by solar and charging infrastructure. Public Health Alert: Africa CDC warns DRC’s Ebola outbreak is spreading beyond its epicentre, with insecurity and displacement complicating response. Trade & Value Chains: Gabon moves to update its AfCFTA roadmap to help SMEs and young entrepreneurs plug into intra-African trade. Illicit Markets: South Africa estimates billions lost to counterfeit cosmetics, unregistered skincare and grey-market medicines, stressing weak import controls. Xenophobia Fallout: Nigeria’s parliament suspends official visits to South Africa over reported xenophobic killings of Nigerians.

BRICS Summit Watch: Modi, Putin and Pezeshkian (with Ramaphosa and others) walked side-by-side at the BRICS Business Forum in New Delhi, as leaders push for investment in manufacturing, beneficiation, energy systems and climate-resilient infrastructure. Health Security: DR Congo confirmed an Ebola case in South-Ubangi, expanding the outbreak beyond its previous eastern provinces. Telecom & Tech Rivalry: The US Exim Bank approved a $99.6m loan for Africell to expand in Angola using American and allied tech, as Washington seeks to counter Huawei’s dominance. Science & Research Infrastructure: Anritsu installed a 220 GHz sub-terahertz measurement system at the University of Pretoria, doubling the lab’s previous capability and boosting next-gen wireless and radio astronomy work. Clean Cooking: Cleaner induction stoves are helping households in Kenya cut smoke and costs, with nearly 1 billion Africans still relying on wood/charcoal. Energy Access & Climate: South Africa’s BRICS push also includes disaster-resilient infrastructure as extreme weather worsens. Fraud Crackdown: Six Nigerians accused of romance scams face extradition to the US after South African police moved them for transfer. Rare Disease Breakthrough: Retina South Africa reported milestones including finding a child with the ultra-rare LCA4 condition in time for sight-saving treatment.

BRICS Summit Watch: Leaders gather in New Delhi for BRICS’ Sept 12–13 agenda on global governance, trade, tech, food and energy security, with Delhi under heavy security. Critical Minerals Value-Grab: Africa is pushing to capture more value from copper, cobalt and lithium as the battery and AI boom intensifies competition. South Africa Green Hydrogen Push: Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina highlights moving projects “from PowerPoint to gigawatts” and media accreditation opens for the Sept 15–16 Africa Green Hydrogen Summit in Cape Town. Digital Transformation in Industry: Siemens and Redington expand Siemens Xcelerator industrial software access to Egypt, Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Morocco and Tanzania. Energy Tech in Nigeria: NNPC launches Abuja’s smart self-service filling station and plans 50–70 more nationwide. Health Policy & HIV Financing: Stakeholders call for youth-focused, sustainable HIV funding beyond 2030, including a possible Youth Trust Fund. Reverse Medical Tourism: Nigeria’s IVF demand is rising as patients seek lower costs, but experts urge stronger regulation and local fertility drug production. Security & Tech: AFRICOM leaders spotlight defense innovation at NDIA, while Nigeria faces aviation technical staff shortages. Conservation Tech: 30 elephants collared in Hwange as science and technology support conservation.

Public Health: A CDC-backed review of 7,558 stillbirths and child deaths in seven African and South Asian countries found 80.7% were preventable or possibly preventable, with hospital-linked bacteria and pregnancy complications highlighted. Digital Governance: South Africa’s GovTech 2026 in Durban marks 20 years of digital transformation and pushes “digital sovereignty,” aiming for home-grown solutions and better access to education and services. Cross-Border Finance: Africa Capital Week 2026 in Nairobi adopted the Nairobi Declaration to deepen capital markets, calling for harmonized rules, a regulators association, and faster intra-African trading. Climate Risk: New research shows extreme heat seasons are expanding beyond traditional summer, with more events spilling into spring and fall—making them harder for people and cities to prepare. Mobility & EVs: Chinese electric motorcycle and three-wheeler imports to Africa jumped 60% in H1 2026, led by North Africa, while East and Central Africa see more local assembly and battery-swapping plans. Wildlife Tech: Zimbabwe collared 30 elephants with GPS satellite collars in Hwange to improve monitoring and early-warning for human-wildlife conflict. Education: Ghana’s WAEC results sparked calls for an urgent national conversation after low credit passes in core subjects and placement problems for BECE candidates.

US-Kenya Minerals Deal: The US says it will back Kenya’s critical minerals push with local processing, skills transfer and community investment, warning against “extract and ship” deals as Kenya also pressures Tata Chemicals over Lake Magadi operations. Aviation Growth: Boeing projects Africa’s passenger traffic to rise nearly 6% annually to 2045, with fleets more than doubling to 1,625 aircraft and 1,165 new deliveries as intra-African routes expand. Land Restoration: Kenya is racing to restore 10.6 million hectares and grow tree cover to 30% by 2032, aiming to cut drought risk and boost green jobs. Digital Connectivity in Ghana: USTDA and CSquared Africa will fund a feasibility study to lay fibre along existing power infrastructure to lower broadband costs. Agriculture Finance (Nigeria): Sterling Bank reports HEART-sector financing up 39% to N331.7bn in 2025, backing agribusinesses ahead of Agriculture Summit Africa. Solar Compliance (South Africa): Eskom Distribution sets a 30 September 2026 deadline for registering behind-the-meter solar and battery systems, intensifying the fight over who regulates customer-side energy. Côte d’Ivoire Digital Skills: Cybastion and THEYA Foundation train technical-vocational educators in cybersecurity and AI using a train-the-trainers model. Public Health Tech: Researchers report a nanobody-based antivenom with broad protection against Indian cobra venoms, published in Science Translational Medicine. Human Origins Research: New molecular work using paleoproteomics suggests a possible link between Homo erectus and modern humans.

AI Skills Push: Namibia’s NOVA launches programmes in AI/ML, robotics and 3D fabrication to close Africa’s AI talent and job-absorption gap. Digital Inclusion Reality Check: A new look at Africa’s “next digital divide” argues connectivity alone won’t pay off without trusted payments and earning pathways. Connectivity Infrastructure: Kenya’s LuLu coastal submarine cable officially launches, aiming to strengthen links along its 500km Indian Ocean coastline. Fintech & Compliance Tech: Shufti rolls out Transaction Trust Monitoring to turn plain-language risk scenarios into regulator-ready anti-fraud and anti-money laundering workflows. Health Research Warning: A Nigerian neuroscientist warns Africans risk consuming medicines not properly tested on local populations, calling for more Africa-led clinical research. Public Health Access: Research highlights that fewer than 2% of Africans who need hearing aids have them, with major knock-on effects for education and dementia risk. Climate & Disasters: Eastern Africa braces for El Niño-driven heavy rains and floods, with Kenya and Tanzania stepping up preparedness. Conservation Tech: Zimbabwe fits six elephants with GPS satellite collars to improve movement tracking and reduce human-wildlife conflict. Entrepreneurship Funding: The EU and EIB back Boost Africa with €108m to support entrepreneurs, aiming for up to 15,000 jobs.

EACOP Local Supply: Uganda’s EACOP pipeline project is pushing farmers to form SACCOs and get certified via UNBS or district offices so they can meet quality and safety standards for contractor food supply. Drug Security: Botswana’s president called for an intelligence-led AU alliance to tackle synthetic drug trafficking, warning networks are moving faster than traditional policing. Space Science: Using South Africa’s MeerKAT, astronomers detected an ultra-faint ancient hydrogen radio signal, advancing hydrogen intensity mapping to chart the Universe more efficiently. South Africa Finance Integrity: After exiting the FATF greylist, South Africa is still running national risk assessments for money-laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing to avoid backsliding. Telecom Costs: South Africa’s regulator ICASA launched another inquiry into communication costs, with critics saying repeated probes have not delivered consumer certainty. UN Map Shift: India backed a UN move toward equal-area maps that better reflect Africa’s true size, framing it as a technical cartography principle. Nigeria Aviation Environment: Nigeria’s aviation authority joined a UN/ICAO/UNEP mission to replace PFAS “forever chemical” firefighting foams with fluorine-free alternatives.

Ghana Mining Push: Lands Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah urged Zijin Mining to use Ghana as a “springboard” for wider African expansion, pitching a long-term partnership as Zijin grows its local footprint. Ghana Youth Tech: Ghana’s Communication Minister Samuel Nartey George called on parents and teachers to keep supporting young innovators after an AI and robotics bootcamp for 100 students across 19 schools. South Africa Power Rules: South Africa rolled out new electricity pricing rules for the first time in 18 years, aiming for clearer, fairer bills and grid-cost recovery as solar and private power producers reshape the system. Solar Fire Risk: A South African report warns 1 in 4 building fires are linked to solar equipment, stressing proper installation and maintenance. Medical Tourism Deal: Ghana Tourism Authority partnered Africa’s Brain Bank Global to promote medical tourism and investment via a Medical City push in Accra and Ada. East Africa Climate Finance: IFAD and Equity Group launched a Sh25.9bn ($200m) climate adaptation mechanism for smallholders across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda. Child Safety Online: UNICEF says Kenya’s children face high levels of tech-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse, with over 1.29m cases among ages 12–17.

Climate Risk: A new study warns Earth’s drylands could expand to over 40% of land by 2100, worsening water scarcity and desertification even as rising CO2 may slow the spread in some areas. Wildlife Tech for Security: Tanzania’s Apopo is training African giant pouched rats to detect landmines, TB, trafficked wildlife products and trapped people—turning smell into lifesaving capability. Satellite Internet Policy: Starlink remains unlicensed in Ethiopia despite service elsewhere in Africa, highlighting a licensing gap as regulators weigh sovereignty and rural connectivity needs. Media Measurement Upgrade (SA): South Africa’s Broadcast Research Council details Total Video Measurement (TVM) launching Jan 1, 2027, combining linear TV, connected TV and online video in one system. Skills & Industry Pipeline (Ghana): Skills for Progress Africa and ELAF launch a 10-fellow inaugural fellowship to bridge technical training and workplace readiness for industrial development. Health Data Infrastructure (WHO): WHO Africa rolls out a Regional Health Data Hub to connect fragmented health systems and help countries use data for outbreak response and planning. Public Safety (ECOWAS): ECOWAS urges members to stop diversion of legally acquired arms, citing security risks alongside stockpile management efforts. AI & Work (Opinion): A South Africa-focused take argues AI may create jobs in construction and data-centre buildout, but the long-term impact still needs careful planning. Agriculture & Gender (Sahel): Research from Niger shows gendered inequality in who benefits from climate-smart farming tools in peri-urban communities.

Critical Infrastructure Security: Senior African officials meeting in Nairobi urged stronger protection of roads, bridges, ports, airports and digital systems as terrorism threats intensify across sub-Saharan Africa. Mining Safety Tech: Hexagon rolled out a Vehicle Intervention System for surface mining, adding wider coverage and improved precision as part of its broader safety stack. Public Funds Accountability: Nigeria’s ANEEJ demanded a refund of over ₦14bn allegedly paid for the Benin–Asaba road, calling for contract and payment transparency after claims that only about 40% of work was completed. Plastic Levy Scrutiny: South Africa’s plastic bag levy has raised R6.56bn, but Treasury says it isn’t ringfenced for environmental programmes, raising questions about impact. Health & Nutrition Research: A new study links eating a handful of nuts daily with lower high-blood-pressure risk. Digital Regulation: South Africa’s ICASA plans probes into OTT services like Netflix and WhatsApp and into telecom pricing, amid affordability concerns. Food & Pharma Supply Chains: Ghana joined Africa CDC’s African Pooled Procurement Mechanism to expand market access for locally made vaccines and medicines. Climate & Energy: Ethiopia says it will scale clean power to boost exports across the East African Power Pool. Cancer Care Capacity: CEANA and UHAS plan a state-of-the-art cancer research and treatment centre in Ghana’s Volta Region.