At the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC) Kigali 2025, Vivek Badrinath, Director General of the GSMA, has called for a new wave of inclusive artificial intelligence (AI) development that recognises and reflects Africa’s vast linguistic diversity, warning that the continent risks being left behind in the global AI race if its languages and voices remain underrepresented in the data shaping the technology.
Speaking on Tuesday during the opening session of the continental technology gathering, Badrinath says Africa must not only be a consumer of AI, but a builder of systems that understand and serve its people.
“In Africa, there are over 2,000 languages, but they make up altogether only 0.02% of online content,” he says. “If models are trained only by those who are connected, how will they be relevant for the unconnected?”
The GSMA chief warns that this imbalance in data representation risks perpetuating digital inequalities across the continent, as AI systems increasingly shape decisions in governance, business, and daily life. He cautions that Africa’s exclusion from the AI knowledge base would mean its cultures, expressions, and values are left out of the technology defining the 21st century.
“In Africa, there are over 2,000 languages, but they make up altogether only 0.02% of online content,” he says. “If models are trained only by those who are connected, how will they be relevant for the unconnected?”
Building African AI Models
To bridge this gap, Badrinath unveils a continent-wide initiative that the GSMA is launching with African mobile industry leaders to develop inclusive AI language models trained on African languages.
“AI cannot, and should not, be a luxury for the few,” he stresses. “It must be accessible to all.”
He admits that while building models supporting every African language “will not be easy,” it is necessary to ensure the continent becomes “not just a user of AI, but also a builder—developing solutions that boost the economy and drive growth across Africa.”
Badrinath frames his remarks around three pillars: intelligence, investment, and inclusion, which he says will define Africa’s digital future.
Citing GSMA projections, he notes that AI could contribute $2.9 trillion to Africa’s economy by 2030. Across the continent, emerging innovation hubs such as Rwanda’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Rwanda AI Scaling Hub are already producing practical use cases — including drones delivering blood to remote hospitals and Internet of Things (IoT) devices helping farmers measure soil conditions to improve yields.
Telecom operators, he adds, are also taking the lead in AI-driven solutions.
“MTN has partnered with Microsoft to deliver AI-enabled early warning alerts to more than 300 million Africans,” he notes. “Safaricom has developed a chatbot for farmers to access real-time information on weather patterns, fertiliser use, and market prices.”
These examples, according to Badrinath, underscore how AI can transform essential services — from healthcare to agriculture — when designed with inclusivity and local relevance in mind.
However, Badrinath warns that AI innovation and digital expansion cannot thrive without significant investment in telecom and energy infrastructure.
He observes that while Africa’s digital penetration continues to expand, 2G and 3G networks still account for more than half of the continent’s mobile connections, even as 4G and 5G are projected to reach 75% of total connections by 2030.
By the end of the decade, African operators will have invested an additional $77 billion in capital expenditure. Yet, with mobile data traffic expected to double by 2030, these investments may still fall short of meeting future demand.
He says that while 416 million Africans currently use mobile internet, nearly three-quarters of the population remain offline, including 790 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa who live within coverage areas but are not using mobile data services.
“Without the right infrastructure in place, we have no connection,” he says. “And even if we get this right, without energy, infrastructure is useless.”
The GSMA chief calls for regulatory frameworks that incentivise long-term investment while ensuring fair, predictable market environments. He urges governments to support the industry with consistent policies, streamlined land access, and building rights to accelerate rollout efforts.
Badrinath highlights GSMA’s collaboration with Mission 300, an initiative backed by the World Bank and African Development Bank, which aims to connect 300 million more Africans to electricity by 2030, linking digital access with power reliability.
On inclusion, Badrinath points to a persistent usage gap — the disparity between those covered by mobile broadband and those who actually use it.
He says that while 416 million Africans currently use mobile internet, nearly three-quarters of the population remain offline, including 790 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa who live within coverage areas but are not using mobile data services.
“The usage gap is one of the biggest challenges of our time,” he explains. “But it’s also one of the biggest opportunities. If we close it, we can add around $625 billion to Africa’s economy and allow millions more to be part of its digital future.”
Badrinath commends ongoing affordability initiatives such as the Handset Affordability Coalition, which has led operators like MTN and Vodacom to introduce low-cost smartphones priced between $5 and $14. He also praises South Africa’s government for scrapping luxury taxes on entry-level devices, calling it “a real lead that other African governments can follow.”
The GSMA’s Mobile Internet Skills Training Toolkit has already trained 80 million people globally, while its Connected Women Commitment Initiative has enabled another 80 million women to access mobile internet and mobile money services since 2016, according to him.
Reflecting on Africa’s four-decade mobile journey — from Miko Rwayitare’s first mobile call in Rwanda to the continent’s present-day digital ecosystem — Badrinath says Africa stands at the threshold of a new technological era, one defined by AI systems that understand its people and languages.
“As we look at the next 40 years with all of their possibilities,” he says, “if we focus on AI, invest in infrastructure and energy, and ensure inclusion so nobody is left behind, Africa can accelerate its journey towards a more innovative, sustainable, and connected digital future.”
At MWC Kigali 2025, that message echoes across the continent’s telecom and tech corridors: for Africa to lead in the global digital economy, it must first make AI speak its languages, reflect its people, and bridge the divides that still hold millions offline.
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