Former Nvidia executive predicts transformative growth as continent positions itself at forefront of AI development
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — As global tech giants race to dominate the artificial intelligence landscape, a former Nvidia executive is making a bold prediction that could reshape perceptions of Africa’s economic future. Kate Kallot, who once led emerging areas at the chip-making behemoth, believes AI will inject $2.9 trillion into Africa’s economy by 2030, positioning the continent as both a consumer and creator of transformative AI technologies.
Speaking at Fortune’s Global Forum in Riyadh late last month, Kallot, now founder and CEO of data infrastructure company Amini, painted a vision of African nations treating computing power and data infrastructure with the same strategic importance as roads and hospitals. Her forecast aligns with recent estimates from the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), which projects AI could increase Africa’s GDP by 3% annually through the end of the decade.
The Infrastructure Imperative
The prediction comes at a critical juncture. While AI systems worldwide are trained on internet data, nearly one billion Africans remain offline—a digital divide that threatens to leave the continent behind in the AI revolution. This disconnect has sparked a growing demand from African governments for large language models that actually reflect local realities, rather than simply importing Western-trained systems that may miss crucial cultural, linguistic, and economic contexts.
“Governments are demanding that large language models deployed in Africa actually reflect local realities,” Kallot explained, highlighting the tension between global AI development and local needs. Her company, Amini, which she founded after leaving Nvidia in 2022, is working to build computing infrastructure specifically designed to enable purpose-built AI solutions for the continent.
The challenge is formidable. Africa’s digital economy currently represents just 5.2% of GDP, though this figure is expected to grow to 8.5% by 2050. To capture even 10% of the global AI market by 2030—which some analysts like SAP predict could add $1.5 trillion to the African economy—the continent must overcome significant infrastructure gaps, including limited internet access, insufficient data centers, and a critical shortage of AI-specific expertise.
A Continent Uniquely Positioned
Yet despite these obstacles, experts argue Africa possesses unique advantages. Boris Kodjoe, speaking at the same Fortune forum, emphasized the continent’s demographic dynamism: “Africa is the only region where population is getting younger, more connected, and more entrepreneurial all at the same time.”
With the world’s youngest and fastest-growing workforce, Africa has a demographic tailwind that few other regions can match. The GSMA report suggests AI adoption could create 230 million new digital jobs by 2030, though this will require massive investment in skills training—potentially reaching 650 million citizens who will need digital reskilling in the coming years.
The economic potential spans multiple sectors. In agriculture, which employs nearly 40% of Nigeria’s population and contributes a quarter of its GDP, AI promises to enhance resource efficiency, boost productivity, and improve market access for smallholder farmers. In healthcare, AI systems like Google’s AlphaFold—which can predict protein structures—could accelerate medical research and drug development tailored to diseases prevalent on the continent.
Clean energy and climate action represent another frontier where AI could deliver transformative impact. As Africa grapples with both energy access challenges and climate vulnerability, AI-powered solutions for grid management, renewable energy optimization, and climate modeling could prove game-changing.
The Risks of Inaction
The stakes extend beyond economic growth. According to projections presented at the Global AI Summit on Africa, successful AI adoption could lift 11 million Africans out of poverty and create 500,000 jobs annually. Conversely, failure to act could widen existing inequalities and cement the continent’s position as a technology consumer rather than creator.
International institutions have begun sounding warnings. While the International Monetary Fund and Bank of England recently cautioned about potential bubbles in AI-driven stock valuations—concerns highlighted by Nvidia’s historic rise to a $5 trillion market valuation—the greater risk for Africa may be missing the opportunity altogether.
Google’s Africa leadership echoed this sentiment, noting that “the greatest risk is missing these benefits.” The company has emphasized that leveraging AI is “vital” and requires “concerted action on infrastructure, talent, research, and collaboration.”
Building Local Solutions
The push for locally relevant AI extends beyond economic considerations to matters of sovereignty and cultural preservation. As Kallot and others have noted, LLMs trained predominantly on Western internet content may perpetuate biases or simply fail to capture the nuances of African languages, many of which have limited digital footprints.
This has sparked initiatives to build African-specific datasets and models. Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa—identified as the continent’s tech leaders—are at the forefront of deploying AI solutions focused on addressing socio-economic and environmental challenges unique to Africa. Over 90 use cases have been documented across these countries, spanning agriculture, food security, energy, and climate action.
The Path Forward
Realizing the $2.9 trillion opportunity will require what the GSMA calls “concerted efforts” from multiple stakeholders. African governments must invest in digital infrastructure and create enabling policy frameworks. Private sector players need to commit capital and expertise to local startups and innovation hubs. Academic institutions must scale up AI research and training programs. And development partners must support capacity building that ensures AI adoption benefits all segments of society.
The question is not whether AI will transform Africa’s economy—most experts agree it will. Rather, the question is whether Africa will shape that transformation on its own terms, building AI systems that reflect its realities, serve its needs, and amplify its unique strengths.
As Kate Kallot’s prediction suggests, the continent may be on the cusp of an unprecedented economic acceleration. But turning that potential into prosperity will require treating data and computing not as afterthoughts, but as the critical infrastructure of the 21st century—as essential as the roads, hospitals, and schools that have defined development for generations past.
The AI revolution is here. Africa’s challenge, and opportunity, is to ensure it doesn’t merely happen to the continent, but is built by it and for it.
