South Africa’s Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, has called for a unified national approach to artificial intelligence that reflects local realities and benefits all citizens. Speaking at Google’s AI in Action event on Tuesday, Malatsi urged industry, academia, and government to work together to build an inclusive AI ecosystem rooted in South African priorities.
“AI is no longer on the horizon — it is here,” said Malatsi. “The promise of AI must reach everyone, not just the few. No one should be left behind in this revolution.”
Malatsi likened AI’s transformative power to previous industrial revolutions, noting its ability to drive change in key sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and tax administration.
“AI is already being used by SARS to detect fraud and prevent illicit tax refunds, protecting billions in public funds,” he said.
AI That Speaks South Africa’s Language
A key theme of the minister’s address was the importance of developing “South African AI for South Africa.” He emphasized the need for tools built on local data, capable of supporting national objectives like food security, job creation, and public health.
Malatsi praised initiatives such as Google’s work on African language models and encouraged more technology development that “speaks our languages, solves our problems, and tells our stories.”
From Draft Policy to Shared Action
Malatsi highlighted South Africa’s Draft National AI Policy, released earlier this year, as a roadmap for inclusive digital transformation. The strategy prioritizes expanding broadband infrastructure, integrating AI into education, and scaling support for local startups and institutions like the AI Institute of South Africa.
He also urged deeper public-private collaboration, positioning partnerships as central to building skills and trust in AI.
“Let us not merely consume AI developed elsewhere,” Malatsi said. “Let us build it — together.”
A Collective Future
Malatsi closed his keynote by calling for a shared commitment to ensuring AI serves humanity.
“Technology must serve humanity — not the other way around,” he said. “Through partnerships and collective efforts, we will ensure the promise of AI delivers real progress for all our people.”
The AI in Action summit brought together leaders from across Africa’s digital ecosystem, underscoring the continent’s rising ambitions in the global AI race — and South Africa’s push to lead with both innovation and inclusion.
