Op-Ed: Tapping into Africa’s 230-million AI-powered job opportunities

By Winnie Karanu, Microsoft AI Skills Director at Microsoft By 2030, AI is projected to unlock 230 million digital jobs across Africa – a transformation comparable to South Korea’s post-war rise or India’s IT boom in the 1990s. Realizing this potential requires bold investm..

✨ Key Highlights

An op-ed by Microsoft AI Skills Director, Winnie Karanu, highlights that Africa has the potential to unlock 230 million AI-powered digital jobs by 2030, provided there is bold investment in digital skills and a coordinated, inclusive skilling ecosystem. Kenya's AI Skilling Initiative (AINSI) serves as a promising model, emphasizing collaboration between government, industry, education, and civil society to achieve this transformation.

Africa is projected to unlock 230 million AI-powered job opportunities by 2030.
The Kenya AI Skilling Initiative (AINSI) has already trained over 600,000 people since its launch.
Kenya’s Regional Centre of Competence for Digital and AI Skilling has trained approximately 1,500 public servants and registered almost 6,500 public sector officials across the country.
The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) has trained over 70,000 organizational leaders, professionals, and SMEs in AI and cybersecurity.