Forgive us, we are not too late!: The AI Sector in Africa.

With a global vision, Africa is expanding and opening up on all fronts. This expansion  has ostensibly heralded a confluence of interests between Africa and other world  powers and added new elements to the concept of AI governance. However, Africa’s digital existence is simultaneously being reshaped by colonial legacies: the  mental reality of being African has consequently been sent into a state of cognitive  dissonance. This means that on collective and individual levels, denizens of this  continent are faced with having to reconcile new realities and actions with hugely  discrepant self-understandings. This article will not present a state-by-state  overview of digital colonialism or AI readiness: Nor will it seek to paint the continent  with one brush by prescribing uncalibrated recommendations for such a diverse  continent. Instead, it will take a regional approach to analyzing its institutions and  data-driven technological instruments. This is a useful vantage point because it  addresses the demand for continental consensus while acknowledging that  regional and national implementation will differ. Visions of enhancing science, technology and innovation (STI) driven through the strategy for (STI) for Africa  needs to be pulled forward with an eye to decolonial and post-pandemic realities.