Emma Okonji
Against the backdrop of a new AI performance report showing that 82 per cent of organisations across Africa are experimenting with artificial intelligence through pilot projects, but only a fraction have achieved enterprise-wide adoption, PwC has urged African countries to move beyond experimentation and scale the right AI solutions to unlock business growth, boost productivity, and drive economic transformation.
The PwC in its AI performance findings, which was released yesterday, stated that organisations across Africa were demonstrating strong intent in adopting AI but falling behind global leaders in translating that ambition into measurable returns.
The latest AI performance research showed widespread experimentation, yet only moderate progress in scaling AI and using it to drive growth and reinvention.
Speaking about the report findings, PwC Africa CEO, Dion Shango, was quoted to have said, “Africa’s challenge is both adopting AI at scale and implementing it fast enough to remain competitive.
“While more than 82 per cent of organisations are running AI pilots, this is not yet translating into enterprise-wide impact. The organisations that will win are not those running the most pilots, but those that scale the right AI to transform how they create value.”
According to Shango, many organisations continue to treat AI as a series of isolated experiments, adding that while the approach builds capability, it does not deliver transformation.
“Without scale, AI remains incremental rather than a driver of sustained value creation,” Shango further said.
Consulting and Risk Services Leader, PwC West Market, Olufemi Osinubi, said:
“Focusing AI only on efficiency is a narrowing strategy. The real opportunity lies in using AI to unlock growth, expand into underserved markets, and create entirely new business models.”
Chief AI Officer, PwC Nigeria, Christopher Ogirri, said: “Africa’s structural complexity—fragmented markets, infrastructure gaps, and a growing youth population—positions it well for AI-enabled convergence, if organisations design for ecosystems rather than sectors.”
The findings highlighted some of Africa’s most pressing challenges to include: Financial inclusion, Energy access, and Healthcare, adding that AI enables organisations to address these ecosystem challenges, yet adoption of this approach remains limited.
Addressing the foundation’s gap that constrains scaling, the report findings said scaling AI would require strong foundations, including trusted data, modern technology architecture, and clear governance frameworks.
Africa Cloud and Digital Leader, PwC South Africa, Mark Allderman, highlighted that without these elements, organisations struggle to move beyond experimentation and realise consistent returns, adding that gaps in investment, data modernisation, cloud adoption, and access to AI talent continue to constrain progress.
The PwC’s AI performance study gathered survey responses from 1,217 senior executives—all director-level or above—primarily from publicly listed companies with $1 billion or more in revenue in 25 sectors across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and South America. Fieldwork was conducted in October and November 2025.