Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform Africa’s energy sector and modernize electricity systems across the continent, according to industry experts at the Africa Energy Week conference in Cape Town.
Benoit Foubert, vice president of digital and integration for Europe and Africa at SLB, warned that the pace of technological change in oil and gas is accelerating so rapidly that companies that fail to adapt risk being left behind.
“Regulations written decades ago do not support the data-driven transformation needed today,” Foubert said. “We must develop modern legal frameworks and build the right talent with appropriate training to reuse intelligence technologies across the continent.”
He identified three key challenges to AI adoption: infrastructure readiness, outdated regulations, and a shortage of skilled talent. Foubert added that expanding electricity access, data centers, and cloud capacity will be essential to modernizing Africa’s energy ecosystem.
Emerging Markets Can Leapfrog Legacy Systems
Foubert pointed to countries such as Uganda and Namibia, where developing oil and gas sectors can bypass older technologies entirely.
Tawanda Chihota, communications lead at AIQ, said the company spent its first two and a half years co-developing solutions with subject matter experts to address specific pain points across the energy value chain.
“AI is not a nice-to-have — it’s a must-have,” Chihota said. “We’ve identified areas where AI delivers real impact, from upstream operations to strategic boardroom decisions.”
AI Streamlines Energy Permitting and Operations
Rob Schapiro, senior director for energy partnerships at Microsoft, said generative AI could reduce permitting times for large energy projects, including nuclear, by as much as 40%, saving both time and millions of dollars.
“Instead of asking what AI can help with, I’d ask what it can’t,” Schapiro said. He added that predictive maintenance, grid optimization, and AI-driven resiliency would become essential capabilities for energy infrastructure globally.
Permitting delays in Africa can stretch to 12 years, Schapiro noted, underscoring how automation could help accelerate progress.
Driving Investor Confidence Through Efficiency
Jessica Stang, head of investor relations at Calvert International AG, said AI could make African energy projects more attractive to financiers by improving efficiency and de-risking investments.
“Loss of energy translates directly to lost revenue,” she said. “AI drives smarter investments and enhances returns in this complex sector.”
She also emphasized that countries should retain local control over their energy grids and that greater collaboration among governments, the private sector, and universities is needed to build innovation capacity.
AI Enhances Safety and Environmental Monitoring
Craig Bebee, senior business development manager at Halliburton, highlighted AI’s role in improving safety and emissions monitoring. He cited projects where sensors on high-pressure fracturing equipment provided data to detect potential failures before they occurred.
Real-time data from drilling rigs, he added, helps operators avoid unsafe drilling zones through a traffic-light-style warning system, improving both safety and operational awareness.
Urgency to Act
Panelists stressed the importance of moving quickly to integrate AI into energy operations. Schapiro pointed to ChatGPT’s rapid growth to 100 million users in two months as evidence of how quickly technology can evolve.
“AI is the new lubricant powering the entire energy value chain,” Bebee said. “Ignore AI at your peril — or embrace it safely and efficiently.”
