South Africa is one of only three African Commonwealth countries judged ready to help young people benefit from AI, according to the 2026 Commonwealth Youth AI Readiness Index published by the Ayre Think Tank.
South Africa ranks 13th of 56 member states, behind Mauritius in eighth and ahead of Nigeria in 15th. Singapore tops the index, followed by Malta, Australia, the UK and Canada.
Only 15 countries met the study’s readiness benchmark of 53 out of 100. The other 41 — including most of Africa’s Commonwealth members — fell below it.
What it measures
The index looks at conditions that shape whether people aged 15 to 29 can benefit from AI: access to technology, digital skills, education, jobs, enterprise and safeguards. Researchers reviewed 1,128 sources and scored countries on 102 indicators across seven pillars. An eighth, on critical judgement and human agency, was left out of the rankings for lack of comparable evidence.
A widening divide
Under the study’s moderate scenario, the 15 countries above the benchmark could see a combined AI-related boost to GDP of $389.2 billion after 10 years, against $29.2 billion for the other 41.
The figures apply IMF estimates of AI’s potential impact to World Bank GDP data. The researchers stress they are illustrations, not forecasts, and say nothing about how much of any gain would reach young people.
Connection isn’t the same as use
The study finds gaps between infrastructure and actual use. In Togo, 4G reaches 99.7% of the population, but only 44.9% of young people reportedly use the internet. In Malawi, electricity reaches just 15.6% of people, according to the World Bank.
Reliable data on young people’s AI skills is scarce: of 1,128 sources, only 59 beyond population statistics covered the full 15–29 age group.
Five priorities
The report calls for affordable access to technology, practical digital skills, stronger links between education and work, AI tools suited to local languages and needs, and safeguards that let young people challenge automated decisions.
Professor C. Justin Robinson of the University of the West Indies said young people should be equipped not only to use AI built elsewhere, but to question, improve and build systems suited to their own needs.
