At the Africa Soft Power Summit 2026, leaders discussed how Africa can gain a larger share of the global AI economy, moving beyond being just a consumer market.

• Leaders emphasized the need for Africa to control its own AI infrastructure, data, platforms, and capital, rather than solely consuming technologies developed elsewhere.
• Key figures like Alex Okosi (Managing Director for Africa at Google) and Snehar Shah (CEO of iXAfrics Data Centers) highlighted the continent's underrepresentation in digital infrastructure, despite vast untapped resources like Kenya's geothermal energy.
• Experts stressed that Africa must build its AI foundations around data, compute, and talent to address existing biases and capture long-term value, with financial institutions like Standard Chartered Bank Kenya exploring new financing models.