Pet-parents can rest easy: thanks to AI, pet technology is being rewritten with smart wearable tools and services emerging–tailored to each pet’s needs–to understand and care for them better.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-medium-font-size is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
“These come in handy for raising alerts when something needs a pet parent’s attention.” – Andrey Klen
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Dottie, a well-loved Boston Terrier, was losing weight. She looked healthy, had no prior medical conditions, ate regularly and was an active dog. Her caregivers were as confused as the vet who couldn’t figure out why Dottie was slowly diminishing in size. Boarding at an animal hospital, the vet decided to fit her with a smart collar. What they discovered was surprising–Dottie’s vital signs were great but at night, when all the staff went home, she was incredibly active, burning a lot of calories. Her activity score was 17.2, which is high when you consider that 11 is average for a healthy dog. Luckily, the fix was easy. Dottie simply needed more food to match her boundless energy yet without a smart collar, no one would have caught the problem.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Andrey-Klen-image-supplied-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-65632" style="width:570px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Andrey-Klen-image-supplied-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Andrey-Klen-image-supplied-300x300.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Andrey-Klen-image-supplied-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Andrey-Klen-image-supplied-768x769.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Andrey-Klen-image-supplied-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Andrey-Klen-image-supplied-2046x2048.jpg 2046w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Andrey Klen; image supplied</figcaption></figure></div>


Using smart devices, we’re constantly monitoring our own metrics but when it comes to our pets, it’s a little different. One of the main frustrations of veterinarians (and pet owners) is that when a medical condition is picked up, it’s often too late. “You come in for an annual check-up to get shots for your dog and in the exam, something comes up. It could be cancer that’s already spread or chronic kidney disease that’s already destroyed half of your dog’s kidney capacity… in other words, by the time we identify what is wrong with our pets, it’s already very advanced,” says Dr Asaf Dagan, the Co-Founder and Chief Veterinary Scientist at PetPace, a smart collar company with head offices in Burlington, Massachusetts in the United States. Pets cannot tell us how they feel. In fact, their natural survival instinct is to hide pain, discomfort and weakness. But for Dagan, this wasn’t enough. He wanted a way to monitor pets continuously, like they could in a hospital setting. “To identify things as early as possible–it will not only to prevent pain and suffering for the pet, it’s going to make a world of difference when trying to treat them,” adds Dagan. “You’ll have more options and a better chance of turning things around.”



Early detection



Creating a wearable for dogs wasn’t straightforward. In a vet setting, fur is shaved off and a sensor is attached. “We had to develop everything from scratch,” says Dagan. Today, PetPace’s patented collar is lined with sensors that measure temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate and–like with Dottie–activity levels. “We also measure a very interesting feature called HRV (heart rate variability) which is a measurement of pain and stress,” he says. All of these metrics are taken every two to five minutes which means PetPace is collecting an extraordinary amount of data. There is so much data that they’re using artificial intelligence to collate the information, identifying disease patterns and predicting outcomes. “It’s not just about telling you that your dog has a pulse of 72 and two minutes ago, it was 74. That would be meaningless to the average user,” continues Dagan. The idea is to analyze the data in two ways. First, to compare it to your dog’s historical and baseline levels. “Over time, we use machine learning to create a biometric profile of your pet. We know the numbers in each metric so as soon as they deviate from this, we can raise a flag that something’s not right,” he explains. The second way PetPace is using this data is by comparing your dog’s data with those of other dogs of the same age, weight and breed. Dog breeds have varying physiological characteristics. A toy poodle, for example, will have a different heart rate to a German Shepherd. Brachycephalic breeds like pugs, French bulldogs and Boston Terriers are prone to eye, skin and breathing issues.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-medium-font-size is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
“To identify things as early as possible–it will not only to prevent pain and suffering for the pet, it’s going to make a world of difference when trying to treat them.” – Dr Asaf Dagan


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Dr-Asaf-Dagan-image-supplied-1024x768.png" alt="" class="wp-image-65633" style="width:624px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Dr-Asaf-Dagan-image-supplied-1024x768.png 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Dr-Asaf-Dagan-image-supplied-300x225.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Dr-Asaf-Dagan-image-supplied-768x576.png 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Dr-Asaf-Dagan-image-supplied-1536x1152.png 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Dr-Asaf-Dagan-image-supplied.png 1890w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dr Asaf Dagan; image supplied</figcaption></figure></div></blockquote>



Understanding pet behavior is something that Petcube, an American smart pet care company, has been looking into for nearly 14 years. “Back in 2012, pet tech was more of a novelty than a necessity,” says Andrey Klen, Petcube’s Co-Founder. “But things have changed. Pets aren’t just animals anymore; they are family. We want to understand pets better, care for them better, and yes, use smarter tools to do it.” What started as a way to peek in on your pet during work has grown into a holistic ecosystem of smart devices layered with intelligent algorithms. “And we use the data to power personalized tools and services tailored to each pet’s needs,” he adds. Once a simple nanny cam, Petcube now has AI-powered monitoring that is so advanced, it can pick on different behavior categories like running, chewing or crying. “These come in handy for raising alerts when something needs a pet parent’s attention,” says Klen. What’s really interesting is the data Petcube is collecting around demographics (or what Klen calls, ‘petrographics’). Looking at smart motion alerts, they’ve seen that 69% are triggered by dogs, 26% by cats, 1.8% by guinea pigs and 0.9% by rabbits. “Sure, this reflects our petrographics, distribution-wise, but it also shows that dogs tend to be more curious around the interactive cameras, especially when some of them toss treats.”



Rewriting vet tech



Like PetPace, Petcube too works with vets, offering services like telemedicine to access medical support when needed instead of resorting to answers on the internet. “They can start a vet chat, get a full video assessment and immediately know whether it’s an emergency or something that can be handled at home,” says Klen, who adds that quick, effective and reliable care is key when every second matters. For Klen, pet tech is a win-win because both pet parents and veterinarians can benefit from better data–data that previously impossible to obtain. PetPace, for example, is launching an epilepsy program because with their smart collar, they can identify seizures in dogs.



“It’s about getting a lot more data without having to bother the animal or your staff,” says Dagan. “And when a pet is home, you have objective, accurate data. After doing surgery and sending a pet home, instead of calling to ask how your dog is doing, I can see every moment of every day what is going on and I can set alerts if something is not right.”



But there’s another aspect of PetPace’s story that extends far beyond a smart collar and their next focus, felines–they’re actually rewriting medical textbooks. According to Dagan, the company now holds the largest biometric database in the world for pets. He tells the story of a meeting he attended with veterinary cardiologists where he shared that the pulse rate of a small dog is different from a medium and a large dog. “And they said, they had always suspected this but never had proof. They suspected it, but didn’t know it,” he continues. What these specialist vets were ultimately missing is long-term dog data, within a natural environment. They lacked the continuous, contextual insights that only come from tracking animals beyond the clinic walls. “And that’s our main effort now–to identify more and more disease patterns. There&#8217;s a lot to do, and it&#8217;s endless. We have enough work for the next 100 years!”



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The nose knows



Worldwide, it is estimated that there are over 400 dog breeds. But what type of dog you have is not it’s only distinguishing factor. Dog nose prints (DNP) are often compared to fingerprints as they’re made up of lines and creases, creating a unique pattern. While microchips and collars with tags are the most common form of identification, there are a few startups looking into nose-print recognition using AI. At the University of New England, Australia, they’re already doing something similar with cattle and muzzles. One researcher tested his model on 300 cows and the AI managed to identify them with a 99.11% accuracy. In Cape Town, Raman Rajoo, has created an app called IntelliPaw that uses DNP. “Volunteering at rescues, I noticed that lost dogs made up a significant portion within animal welfare,” says Rajoo, who founded a company called CoBaTech named after his two dogs, Coda and Bailey. “I wanted a non-invasive, affordable and less traumatic way to help ID pets with snouts–an alternative to technology like chip tech.” Using AI and machine learning with animal biometrics, Rajoo’s goal is to help decrease how many pets end up in the system. “It will help reduce both pet and owner trauma,” he adds.

Petcube Play (image supplied)

This Is Fur Real: The AI That Knows If Your Pet Is Okay

&nbsp;As an entrepreneur, or even otherwise, are you looking to build a very basic website?



The tools: You don’t have to use ChatGPT, you can also use <a href="https://grok.com/">Grok</a>, <a href="https://claude.ai/new">Claude</a>, <a href="https://gemini.google.com/app">Gemini</a> or <a href="https://copilot.microsoft.com/chats/ikYTC1JgCzdQDTcSdPucc">Copilot</a>.



The prompt: Please help me build a basic website ‘About Me’ page. I have never done this before, so kindly provide me with detailed steps.



Note: Different AI tools will give you different answers. Copilot, for example, will give you a very basic answer that sends you to other tools to create your code. Grok will provide you with two options–the code to create your page and a preview of how this page will look. Gemini offers you a combination of Grok and Copilot, giving you the option to use a website builder tool or to create your own HTML. ChatGPT and Claude will take you through the tools you need, how to create your files, and the HTML code itself. If you want to create your own code and get more detailed support, your best bet is to go with Gemini, Grok, ChatGPT and Claude.



For the purposes of this walkthrough, we will use the ChatGPT version. The prompt will give you a clear route to creating this page across eight steps: Understand what you need; What tools you’ll need; Create your first files; Basic HTML template; Add your photo; View your page; Make it look nicer with CSS; Summary: Key steps.



The AI does all the work for you here, giving you the exact code you need to create your site. Now, you can dig deeper into this prompt to expand your own skills in web development, using AI as a teaching tool.



The next prompt: Please show me the steps to add graphical elements to the page that highlight my skills.



This prompt will help you to create an About Me page that isn’t made up entirely of words. It shows you how to add in icons, access a free icon library, add in skill bars and use CSS to balance spacing and design.



Learn as you build: Your next prompt is ‘Please show me how I can learn HTML while I build my own website’.



The AI will now give you a comprehensive tutorial on the different ways in which you can learn HTML, how you can access the source code on websites to learn how they’ve been designed and gives you a free HTML practice playground where you can test your code.



The final prompt: Please show me how to publish my website online.



This last prompt will give you several free hosting options such as <a href="https://github.com/">GitHub Pages</a> and talk you through how to use them.



In just three prompts, you have learned how to create, customize and publish a website. AI simplifies and demystifies the process to the point where you can learn how to write code. &nbsp;Bear in mind that this is a very simple website design–you can do a lot more with deeper prompts that capture your features, colors, identity and brand.

Businessman hold virtual rocket launch investment growth, planning and starting corporate business start up aiming objective value development leadership and customer target group.

Starting Your Own Company? Tips And Tricks To Help Build Your Own Website Using AI

The lithium-manganese-rich cell, developed with LG Chem, uses far less cobalt and nickel than current lithium-ion cells. It’ll be produced in the U.S. and show up in large pickups and SUVs in 2028.



General Motors, which sells the biggest lineup of electric vehicles in the U.S., plans to slash the cost of its rechargeable pickups and large SUVs by thousands of dollars thanks to a new type of battery that uses more of the cheap material manganese and much less of expensive metals cobalt and nickel while still offering a long driving range.



The lithium-manganese-rich (LMR) cathode, which has been in development by GM and battery partner LG Energy for a decade, will cut the cost of battery packs in electric vehicles like the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Hummer and Cadillac Escalade by more than $6,000, GM’s vice president of battery propulsion Kurt Kelty told&nbsp;Forbes. It has nearly the same driving range as “high nickel” lithium-ion cells now used in most EVs while competing on price with cheaper lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) cells from Chinese battery makers that are heavier and offer less range, he said. The new batteries are also durable enough to be recharged frequently for at least eight years.



“We look at this as a game-changing battery for EV trucks, and that&#8217;s really going to set the new bar for performance in this particular segment,” said Kelty, who built up Tesla’s battery operations for over a decade and previously worked for battery maker Panasonic. “With LMR we can actually deliver over 400 miles of range while reducing our costs.”



The LMR packs will be made by Ultium Cells, the GM-LG Energy battery joint venture, in Michigan and Ohio, with a goal of getting most of the lithium, manganese and other raw materials from non-Chinese suppliers. GM also plans to cut battery costs by shifting to a flat “prismatic” cell instead of the traditional cylindrical form. “That alone is going to reduce the number of parts in our battery packs by over 50% and that makes a huge difference,” Kelty said.



GM significantly trails Tesla as the largest seller of EVs in the U.S., but that could change in the next few years as it continues to build out its lineup and finds ways to make them more affordable. It can also take advantage of its rival’s sagging sales thanks to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2025/03/27/things-are-bad-at-tesla-theyre-about-to-get-much-worse/">many of its core buyers being increasingly turned off by CEO Elon Musk</a>. Though Tesla currently tops U.S. electric sales–delivering 128,100 in the first quarter versus GM’s 31,887–GM estimates it now makes more battery cells than any other automaker in the U.S., including Tesla. It also supplies batteries for Honda and Acura brand EVs, in addition to a dozen Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC models. (Tesla makes more battery packs overall, mainly using high nickel lithium-ion cells supplied by Panasonic.)



Using less cobalt and nickel, which can respectively cost more than $30,000 and $16,000 a ton, and more manganese–which is less than $1,000 a ton–could be a major boost for EV sales. That’s because reducing costs, while simultaneously improving performance is critical to getting more American drivers to shift to EVs from gasoline-powered cars and trucks, especially as the Trump Administration works to eliminate federal incentives to buy them.



Since he arrived at GM in 2023, Kelty has focused on helping the company build up both its battery production operations as well as finding new domestic sources of key components such as lithium, rare earth metals and other critical minerals needed for the market that China now dominates.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lithium-ion-alternatives">Lithium-ion Alternatives</h3>



Over the past two decades, EV makers have dramatically improved the energy density and reduced the cost of lithium-ion batteries, but the range of those gains is becoming more incremental, said Kelty, who’s worked in the industry for more than 30 years. While GM is the first automaker to announce plans for LMR, other alternatives include lithium-sulfur cells, which Stellantis is experimenting with; sodium-ion batteries that China’s CATL and BYD are developing; solid-state cells that Toyota and Volkswagen want to commercialize; and lithium-metal batteries, a chemistry GM, Ford, Mercedes-Benz and other companies see as a longer-term low-cost, high-powered option.



The LMR cells are going to heavy, large EVs first as that will likely be the biggest opportunity for big cost savings, Kelty said. New electric models like the Chevrolet Equinox, Blazer and revamped Bolt hatchback, due later this year, won’t initially get the new chemistry as those models are already designed to be price-competitive with LMC packs, Kelty said. Over the next two years, before the LMR packs go into production, GM and LG Chem will continue to refine their chemistry.



“One reason we&#8217;re not going to market next year is because there&#8217;s a few more little tweaks we can do,” Kelty said. “We know we can get that last little bit out of it. And in 2029 and 2030 you&#8217;re going to see even further improvements.”



Separately, the Energy Department said on Tuesday that Ultium Cells, the GM-LG battery venture, paid off its low-interest $1.8 billion loan about seven years ahead of schedule. The loan, which closed in December 2022, was used to build battery cell factories in Ohio and Tennessee.



GM shares rose about 1% in Tuesday trading to $50.17. They’re down about 6% this year.

Inside the Shanghai Auto Show

GM’s New Battery Will Cut The Cost Of Its Electric Trucks By Over $6,000

Starting with a $38 computer, they amassed over 50,000 downloads in the first five months.



Where there is a will, there is a way, even if it’s in a little village in South Africa’s Limpopo province.



Childhood friends Shibambu Mikhongelo Marvel (22) and Malunghelo Mathonsi (25) are defying the odds here, creating an African solution for an African problem.



In rural Gumbani, where the internet connection is as stable as the stock market, and where orange dust swirls over rondavels (traditional African circular mud homes), and innovation is a mirage, they are the brains behind the free, interactive e-learning app called NOVAR that’s gaining ground. &nbsp;



Officially released in December last year, it took two years before Mathonsi began developing NOVAR&#8217;s software, teaching himself code via YouTube tutorials and any free online resources he could get his hands on while battling &#8220;poor internet connection and frequent power cuts&#8221;, he tells FORBES AFRICA.



A R700 ($38) computer facilitated the process, which sometimes took three hours to open the necessary files.



Simultaneously, Marvel, studying Applied Mathematics at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and living on R310 ($17) a month, was in the Mother City unraveling the fundamentals to make NOVAR succeed.



&#8220;I was here at UCT researching its concept, like how this company should look like, how the app should look like, where do we go after building the app,&#8221; Marvel explains.



Split by 1,909km of South African terrain, their mission remained binding: provide free education to all of Africa&#8217;s children.



&#8220;My dream is for all learners—including my daughter–no matter where they are, to have access to quality education,&#8221; said Mathonsi.



When it is free, such an offering typically comprises basic tutorials and guides. NOVAR is lightyears beyond that.



It includes subjects such as quantum computing, AI, business, medicine, and advanced mathematics that coincide with our technologically evolving times, connecting rural Africa&#8217;s youth with the resources to not only adapt, but also solve global issues.



&#8220;NOVAR is a platform institution, even if you&#8217;re coming from a village, you can learn about AI, how to code, agriculture, mining, the economy and where the world is going, understand what&#8217;s happening on Earth and stick on top of technology. NOVAR is so flexible,&#8221; Marvel adds.



Within the app, are a medley of interactive features, including pre-recorded lessons, live learning, and learning hubs focused on high-school subjects, from mathematics to science, all of which have been manually taught, recorded, and uploaded by co-founders Marvel and Mathonsi.



There&#8217;s also a live feed enabling students to interact and discuss, along with NOVA Shorts, a Tik-Tok-like feature comprised of quick educational videos, exposing learners to worldwide innovation and on-the-go content. &nbsp;



&#8220;Learning has to be exciting,&#8221; says Marvel. &#8220;There needs to be a reason to come back and receive education in a much better projection than other people.&#8221;



NOVAR, which is available on Android and scheduled to be released on iOS in late May, has amassed over 50,000 downloads in its first five months. Even so, it’s future hangs by a thread.



With operation costs rising and no revenue stream, it was nearly wiped away in late April until South African news content creator @coolstorybru_za, shared their mission, raising R80,000 ($4,333) in 24 hours.



More than a week later, they received R193,500 ($10,482) in donations, allowing the dream to soar.



Education and Africa have a sour past, the former offered mostly to those who can afford it while much of the latter remains uneducated, undervalued, and without the resources to thrive in a society where one&#8217;s university degree is the golden ticket to a better life.



For centuries, rural Africa has lived inside a bubble where breaking the poverty line means pulling miracles from dry ground while others coast on smooth roads.



Technologically, socially, and agriculturally, the continent is experiencing an unprecedented transformation that could, for the first time, place it on equal footing with the Western world.



Modern, tech-driven cities are rising from Kigali to Cairo—but how can Africa seize this moment if its people are left behind?



Over six hundred million Africans live without electricity, and as AI continues to revolutionize industries, the need to educate rural regions on modern advancements has never been greater. If not, the damage could be irreversible.



Like decentralized finance to traditional banks, NOVAR is positioning itself to test the status quo of established schools unbothered by their inability to cater to those without the financial means or access to education.



By 2030, reportedly 42% of the world&#8217;s youth will live in Africa. This should sound alarm bells for education departments across the continent.



Experts agree that the current neglect of rural education cannot continue if Africa is to become the global force it has the potential to be.



Education shouldn&#8217;t come with a price tag. From Kakuma to Limpopo, NOVAR&#8217;s betting it can deliver what the system never did.



&#8220;Imagine having more young people in Africa with the mentality of problem-solving… who want to solve global issues,&#8221; Marvel says.



&#8220;Let&#8217;s prepare for what&#8217;s coming. What&#8217;s the next big thing on Earth…. If we want to stay relevant in this world, we have to build young people that are capable of innovating and solving the many problems this world is facing.&#8221;

It takes a village; NOVAR co-founders Shibambu Mikhongelo Marvel and Malunghelo Mathonsi; Image supplied1

Meet The Founders Of A Village-Born App That Could Educate A Continent

The wearable tech space is transforming with smart rings emerging as a promising new category since the release of the Samsung Galaxy Ring.



The smart ring arrived in South Africa in April with a price tag of ZAR8,000 ($438), making it the first mainstream launch by a smartphone brand.



It is reported that the South Korean smartphone maker had to increase production from 400,000 units to 1 million, based on pre-order numbers.



Until now, South Africans could get their hands on the lesser-known NexRing for under ZAR5,000 ($274), while cheaper options can be found online. Apple is also rumored to be developing a smart ring.



The Galaxy Ring works the way a typical smart ring would; it tracks health and wellbeing, like sleep, heart rate, blood oxygen, skin temperature, stress levels and select fitness activities.



Meanwhile, South African company Vezo Pay introduced a chargeless smart ring focused on payments, which supports Visa and Mastercard and is gradually rolling out to more banks beyond Nedbank.



According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), the smart ring space is currently dominated by specialists like Oura and Ultrahuman, but now larger brands are beginning to compete by incorporating rings into their existing ecosystems of devices.



The research firm believes the wearables market is evolving, with new form factors and innovative products driving growth. As consumer preferences shift, vendors will need to adapt their strategies to stay competitive in this dynamic landscape, it says.



Jitesh Ubrani, Research Manager for Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers at IDC, says: “The rate of technological innovation among smartwatches along with consumer interest has certainly slowed in recent quarters leaving vendors to innovate across price points instead.”



“Smart rings and glasses without displays are going to be the most interesting categories in the coming quarters as new entrants and new use cases help these products outshine other wearables,” says Ubrani.



The wildly popular Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses sold two million pairs by February 2025, according to its financial year end results, with plans to increase production to 10 million units by 2026.



According to Horizon Grand View Research, the smart ring market in the Middle East and Africa region is expected to reach a projected revenue of $46 million by 2030.



It adds that payment is the most lucrative application segment registering the fastest growth during the forecast period.



Smart rings are indeed promising and could become indispensable tools for personal health insights and effortless financial interactions.

Tracking health and wellbeing, like sleep, heart rate, blood oxygen, skin temperature, stress levels and select fitness activities; Photo supplied

From Tracking Better Sleep To Payments, Smart Rings Are Ringing In Change In South Africa’s Wearable Tech Space

Your cheat sheet to working smarter with machines.



AI is rapidly disrupting Africa’s job market, many becoming redundant at a rapid rate while other roles are at risk because of AI’s ability to process large volumes of tasks across multiple skillsets and fields. It’s a challenging time–one that the World Economic Forum (WEF) has said will result in the loss of 85 million jobs. However, the WEF has also said AI will create 97 million new roles, particularly in the areas of AI development and human-AI collaboration.



Which means…learning how to use AI is fast becoming a critical skillset. The problem is that while the amount of information about AI is extensive, there aren’t very clear pathways to learning how to use it, tap into it, code with it, and make it your own. What AI platform should you use? How do you get it to work more efficiently? What constitutes a good prompt?



Mandla Mbonambi, CEO of Africonology, tells FORBES AFRICA why being polite to your AI is crucial: “Your AI pays attention to how you talk to it. If you speak harshly, it will give you a harsh answer. Mine, however, has been trained on politeness and warmth so it answers my questions with more detail, more insights.”



How to talk to your AI: Simple steps



It doesn’t matter which AI platform you use–the Meta chatbot in WhatsApp, Claude, Grok, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, the Wix chatbot–you want to start your relationship with the platform on the right foot. While some, like Claude, don’t hold long-term memory, they do respond to politeness.



Negative remarks and poor communication will teach the AI that this is how you want to be treated. Your results won’t be poorer, they will just be direct. You ask for the code to build a website; it will give you the code. That’s it, though. It won’t try harder. So, be nice, it makes you feel nicer and your AI work harder.



Use these prompts:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Take a deep breath and let’s work on this problem one step at a time – supportive prompts like these <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/should-you-be-nice-to-ai-chatbots-such-as-chatgpt/#:~:text=The%20tone%20of%20a%20prompt,that%20require%20basic%20reasoning%20skills.">actually make an LLM more capable of solving problems</a>.</li>



<li>Please can you…Thank you…Researchers are calling this the ‘performance premium of politeness’. Your responses will have fewer mistakes and will be more thorough.</li>



<li>Could you please generate a report vs Generate a report</li>



<li>It’s so amazing that you can…Tell your AI that its abilities are amazing, and it will respond in kind.</li>



<li>I appreciate how much you know about Africa; can you tell me more about the Sahara? Start your prompts with praise.</li>
</ul>



Test it: Try using rude, polite, harsh or distant prompts and see how your AI responds.

AI chatbot conversation using artificial intelligence technology smart robot AI, Generative AI, Answer, Businessman using AI to generate something, Customer support, laptop, assistant, Chat interface.

‘I Appreciate How Much You Know About Africa’; Why It’s Important To Be Nice To Your AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is creeping into every walk of life these days and the world of sport is no different, with data and the use of science behind the numbers becoming more prevalent. But that is not just at the elite level.



Could AI help uncover the next superstars in South Africa’s talent-rich Gauteng province by analyzing and exposing the most promising players in the region?



Swiss tech company Talnets AG have partnered with the Gauteng Development League (GDL) to implement their technology to provide young players with the opportunity not only to be seen by local clubs but also win a contract overseas.



It follows a successful one-year trial period where the technology features the youth teams of Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, the three biggest clubs in South Africa.



Talnets AG’s technology uses AI to analyze a match based on over 60 different data points from video of GDL matches and turn this into useable numbers to create a detailed profile for each player over time.



This ‘player card’ becomes a CV for the player which lives online and is publicly shareable to scouts, coaches and clubs around the world.



But numbers never tell the whole story and the platform also creates short video highlights of the player that is assigned to their card and gives scouts the opportunity to visually see their actions as well as read their numbers.



Fungai Mapondera, originally from Zimbabwe but now based in Switzerland as CMO with Talnets AG, explains the concept to FORBES AFRICA.



“It is about extracting the data from the match video and assigning the different data points based on what the player is doing in the game,” Mapondera says. “In essence, you end up having a digital player card with all your data from all your games, plus the highlights from all those games, in one place.



“It makes it easy for you as the player to share that profile with anybody that may be scouting you.”



There have already been successes. One player was scouted using the system and has had trials in Spain. And there are many others who are set to have their talent exposed to the world through the platform.



Behind it all is a meeting between technology and sport, something that has been rapidly accelerating in recent years, and is set to develop even further into the future as the cost of such platforms come down and therefore become more widely available.



Pin-pointing exactly what makes for useable and readable data has been important.



“There are so many things you can analyze in a game,” says Talnets’ Chief Executive Officer Darko Stanoevski. “Our focus is on individual performance analysis, which requires a bit more of a specific approach.



“That framework could be simple things like goals and goalkeeper saves, to more intricate detail like the different kinds of passes, passive passes, passes that break the (defensive) line and so on.



“Grounded on the FIFA Football Language Model and built with top football experts, we have developed our framework with over 60 different data points to help us spot and identify young talents in an efficient, transparent and scalable way. Analyzing a full game based on this framework would give us around 600 data points for one team, and then it will be, on average, around 15-20 data points per player.”



This data collection used to be done manually by an analyst, taking days or even weeks. But that has been now cut down to a few hours.



“The AI is an enabler to lower time dramatically, to automate this entire analysis process and make it more scalable and more efficient,” Stanoevski says.



“It gets players visibility and access to clubs, to scouts and coaches that have access to the platform, and even more importantly, enabling the players themselves to share their profiles with anyone, so they can build a ‘CV’ and pursue their dream.”

Photo supplied by GDL

Could AI Help Uncover The Next Football Stars In South Africa? This Tech Firm May Have The Answer

The digital horizon for Africa can be bright, especially if the <a href="https://au.int/sites/default/files/documents/44004-doc-EN-_Continental_AI_Strategy_July_2024.pdf">Continental Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy</a> and the <a href="https://au.int/en/documents/20240809/african-digital-compact-adc">Africa Digital Compact</a> are implemented.



We are witnessing the rapid rise of technologies like Edge and Cloud AI that have the potential to reshape everything, from healthcare in remote clinics and more innovative farming tools for smallholder farmers, to more efficient urban planning and greater financial inclusion for underserved communities.



These are not abstract promises. They are real possibilities for a continent rich in talent and innovation. However, no matter how powerful the AI or how sophisticated the algorithm, true progress will not materialize unless we invest in something more tangible—local data centers.



Edge and Cloud AI: Better Together



Let’s begin with the basics.



<a href="https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/edge-ai">Edge AI</a> processes data close to the source, in the hospital, on the farm, in the phone, allowing for real-time decision-making–think of it as having a mini brain where the action is happening.



<a href="https://research.google/teams/cloud-ai/">Cloud AI</a>, by contrast, handles heavy lifting, analyzing vast datasets, training large-scale models, and powering services seamlessly across platforms.



These are not competing technologies; they complement each other. However, both need reliable, secure, and close-to-home infrastructure. This is where data centers come in.



The Digital Detour Problem



Much of Africa’s digital traffic still makes a long and unnecessary journey. Data often travels to servers in Europe or the U.S. and then back again. This round trip creates delays, inflates costs, and puts sensitive data, health records, and financial transactions under the control of foreign jurisdictions. That is not just inefficient, it is risky.



Africa must shorten the distance between data sources and AI decision-making to build an inclusive digital economy. That starts with creating more data centers in Africa.



Why Local Data Centers Matter



Investing in homegrown infrastructure comes with serious upside:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Speed that saves lives–Local processing slashes latency. That means faster telemedicine, smoother mobile payments, more intelligent irrigation, and emergency services that can respond in real time.</li>



<li>Digital sovereignty and security–Maintaining data within national borders places control appropriately at home, reinforcing privacy protections, supporting compliance with local laws, and fostering greater public trust in digital systems.</li>



<li>Lower costs, wider access–Sending data across the globe is expensive. Local data centers cut those costs, making digital services more affordable for everyone, from entrepreneurs and educators to everyday users.</li>



<li>Resilience against global shocks–International connectivity is not always reliable. Local data centers help keep systems running even when external networks falter, whether due to cable cuts, power outages, or geopolitical tensions.</li>



<li>Jobs and innovation: The construction and operation of data centers generate jobs for highly skilled individuals across the engineering, construction, and information technology sectors. They also lay the groundwork for a thriving startup ecosystem, where homegrown companies can use locally hosted AI to build solutions for local problems.</li>
</ul>



Progress Is Happening—But We Need More



The momentum is unmistakable. Countries such as <a href="https://datacentremagazine.com/top10/top-10-data-centre-leaders-in-africa">South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Egypt</a> are emerging as hubs for investment in hyperscale and edge data centers. Policymakers increasingly recognize digital infrastructure as a critical priority, on par with roads, railways, and energy systems.



What is even more exciting is Africa’s renewable energy potential. With abundant solar, wind, and hydro resources, Africa has a unique opportunity to power its digital future sustainably. Green data centers are a future goal and a present-day strategic imperative.



The Way Forward: Collaboration Is Key



To scale this vision, we need public-private collaboration. Governments must create the right regulatory environments, invest in connectivity and clean energy, and de-risk infrastructure projects through innovative policies. The private sector must contribute capital, technical know-how, and a long-term commitment to building Africa’s digital backbone.



The Bottom Line



Africa cannot rely on borrowed infrastructure to lead in AI. It needs to build infrastructure, locally, sustainably, and strategically. That means investing in data centers, not as a nice-to-have but as a non-negotiable foundation for everything we want digital technology to achieve.



This is about more than technology. It is about sovereignty, resilience, and giving African innovations the infrastructure they need to flourish, on African soil, for African realities, and with African leadership.



The opportunity is now. The need is urgent. Let us build the future from the ground up.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) concept. Electronic circuit. Communication network.

Africa’s Artificial Intelligence Future Needs Local Roots

Africa’s agricultural landscape, often vulnerable to the harsh elements and varied weather patterns, is seemingly evolving into a hub of innovation that reaches far beyond its traditional roots.



It was not long ago that farmers on the continent had to rely on birds like the Red-billed Quelea and African Cuckoo for rain predictions. Now, various types of technology are taking their place, equipping agricultural stakeholders with the tools they need to weather the proverbial storms.



For example, thousands of people in West Africa, in particular, are able to receive hyperlocal weather forecasts, via SMS, from sources like Ignitia, to combat the changing climate.



“Extreme weather is becoming more frequent and intense across Africa, and unfortunately, conventional forecasting weather models—optimized for temperate regions like Europe—struggle to capture heat-driven rainfall dynamics and extremes such as heavy thunderstorms,” explains Andrew Lala, CEO at Ignitia, a company specializing in weather and climate intelligence across Africa, Latin-America and South-East Asia.



“You need to get rainfall forecasting correct at different time horizons, if you’re going to help farmers understand how good or bad the upcoming rainy season will be and how to mitigate any in-season rainfall challenges like a delayed rainy season onset or erratic dry spells.”



Staying alert to problematic weather patterns has profound ramifications.



The floods in Senegal towards the end of 2024 were severe, reportedly submerging 16,000 hectares of crops, including rice, corn, and okra. A report from the Senegal River Delta, stated, at the time, that around 250,000 people were left facing food insecurity.



Meanwhile, the United Nations Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) Humanitarian Situation Report from October 2024 indicated that a drought in Zambia has caused food shortages for around 4.95 million people.



The need enrich farmers with information to adapt—while minimizing the risk of yield collapse—and to identify optimal conditions for planting and harvesting is crucial.



“By equipping farmers with six-month rainy season insights, you can help them identify planting windows, and identify drought or flood conditions and pest pressures early so that they can build resilience either through planting shorter cycle crops, investing in drought tolerant seed, or connecting them with crop insurance products in the case of extremes,” Lala tells FORBES AFRICA.



Africa has a history of food insecurity. According to Professor David Luke in How Africa Eats: Trade, Food Security, and Climate Risks, over 340 million people are suffering from this.



UNICEF also reports that one in three children in Africa, under the age of five, lives in food poverty.



This challenge has plagued the continent, with climate change, a lack of resources, and conflict as the main protagonists, highlighting the need for modern tools and predictive technology to counteract potential calamities.



South African-based Aerobotics combines thermal-imagery drones and satellites with artificial intelligence (AI) to identify areas of underperformance caused by irrigation issues, nutrient



deficiencies, pests, and diseases. This provides farms with precision data focused on economically maximizing yield.



Producers can target specific areas of concern through per-plant analyses, resulting in more efficient use of fertilizers and pesticides, while optimizing irrigation, and enabling strategic labor deployment.



“Thermal-imagery drones and satellite analytics are reshaping the future of farming across Africa. By turning invisible stress into actionable data, this technology allows farmers to detect issues like water stress, disease, and nutrient deficiencies earlier than ever before,” says Aerobotics Chief Commercial Officer, Vic van den Berg.



Also among the latest in agritech is smart sensors. Able to measure soil moisture, temperature and pH levels, farmers need no longer play the guessing game as they are supported by real-time data to make informed decisions.



For agricultural stakeholders, knowledge is priceless—spotting disease, optimizing growing conditions, and preparing for harsh weather could even mean the difference between widespread food shortages and national stability.



However, a challenge to the use of tech in Africa is digital literacy and limited access to power and smartphones in rural regions, which can then hinder the potential of smart farming, particularly at the smallholder level.



Without the necessary education and infrastructure, farmers may struggle to adopt modern techniques aimed at boosting productivity and resilience. This digital divide leaves rural communities more vulnerable than ever.



“Millions of farmers can benefit from technology,” notes Lala.



While the revolutionary capabilities of smart farming won’t materialize overnight, the growing trend of equipping farms of all sizes with yield-boosting technologies signifies a noteworthy shift in agricultural practice across Africa.



The seed has been planted; now is the time to support its growth.

Empowering Farming: Farmer’s Technological Touch – Managing and Analyzing the Farm through Virtual Screen on Tablet

When Agri Meets Tech: How Data Is Shaping The Future of Farming

The next wave of Artificial Intelligence doesn’t wait for your prompts. It watches, decides, and acts on its own. Here’s breaking down the difference between today’s AI and tomorrow’s agentic systems- and what may go wrong when AI agents go rogue.



Meet agentic AI–the autonomous evolution of artificial intelligence that’s already trans- forming how businesses operate. Unlike the chatbots and image or video models that sparked the generative AI revolution, these systems don’t just create content when prompted. They independently monitor situations, make decisions and take actions across multiple systems with- out human intervention.



Regular AI tools need you to tell them exactly what to do every time. Agentic AI is a little different. “There will be as many agents as there are business processes. And there is an enormous amount of business processes in the world,” says Richard Riley, General Manager, low-code and agent platforms, at Microsoft. “Think of AI agents like a football team. You don’t want eleven goalkeepers. You need specialists in different positions who understand their role but can seamlessly work together.”



This blend of personal AI assistants and autonomous agents represents a massive shift in how organizations will operate going forward. We’re not heading toward a future with a handful of all-purpose AIs but rather an ecosystem of specialized agentic AI systems. Each AI agent will handle a specific task while collaborating with others. An AI agent designed to detect fraudulent trans- actions needs different capabilities than one scheduling maintenance or providing customer support. This specialization makes perfect sense but creates a new challenge: how do we manage dozens or even hundreds of specialized agents without creating digital chaos?



Eugene De Souza, Regional Cloud Ecosystem Lead at Red Hat, a leading provider of enterprise, open source solutions, breaks down the difference between today’s AI and tomorrow’s agentic systems: “Generative AI is like a chef who creates a fantastic dish based on a reci- pe, but needs you to order it first. It’s reactive and lacks autonomy. Agentic AI is more proactive–like a maître d’ who not only takes your order but decides what dishes to prepare, manages the kitchen, and ensures everything is served perfectly without constant instructions.”



Agents of orchestration



This shift isn’t just about automation–it’s about fundamentally changing who (or what) initiates actions in our digital systems. Today, companies are developing orchestration layers–systems that coordinate multiple agents, manage their priorities, and ensure they work together rather than at cross purposes. These platforms are becoming the command centers for an increasingly autonomous digital workforce.



“AI is giving people expertise on demand,” says Colette Stallbaumer, Microsoft Copilot General Manager. “It’s providing capabilities that individuals wouldn’t other- wise have access to.” What makes this approach different from previous waves of workplace automation is how AI agents enhance human capabilities rather than just taking over tasks. Agentic AI can monitor data streams 24/7, instantly processing information that would take humans hours or days to review. When an agent detects anomalies or opportunities, it can either act within predefined parameters or alert its human counterparts with already-analyzed data and recommendations.



Despite this progress, agentic AI still faces major limitations. It struggles with context–it doesn’t always know when unusual circumstances mean it should break from standard procedures. It also can’t plan long-term very well–it’s good at executing the next step but not at developing complex strategies that unfold over time. And, of course, an AI agent lacks common sense, the background knowledge humans take for granted. Without these capabilities, agentic systems sometimes make decisions that tick all the technical boxes but miss the bigger picture.



“Users need to accept that today’s agents will sometimes get things wrong,” says De Souza. “It’s part of the innovation process.” This acceptance of imperfection is crucial because it changes how we implement AI systems. Rather than expecting perfection from day one, companies are learning to deploy agentic AI in controlled environments where it can learn from its mistakes without causing harm. A great example comes from the manufacturing industry where agentic AI is being used to monitor production lines and automatically schedule maintenance before equipment fails.



Financial institutions are also turning to agentic systems to scan millions of transactions for signs of fraud, flagging sus- picious activity for human review. That said, Riley does acknowledge that many businesses find the concept of agentic AI overwhelming at first. His recommendation is straightforward– begin with existing automated processes that can be enhanced with agentic technology. From there, companies can either empower end-users to build their own agents for specific needs or use the technology to tackle problems that were previously too complex to automate.



Strategic collaboration



“I think the next major evolution will be multi-agent systems,” predicts De Souza. “Think of it as a team of specialists rather than a single assistant. They could function like entire departments working toward a common goal.” This digital collaboration mirrors how human organizations function, with specialized roles working together. The difference is that agentic AI operates continuously, exchanges information instantly, and scales on demand. A system that works for one company can be quickly replicated to a thousand locations, creating consistent operations at a scale impossible with human-only teams.



“The future of AI isn’t one AI doing everything—it’s multiple AI agents collaborating in an open, secure, and scalable way,” adds Riley. As these technologies evolve, we’re seeing a fundamental reimagining of how work happens. The division of labor between humans and machines is being redrawn in ways that go far beyond simple automation of repetitive tasks. Agentic AI is increasingly handling not just the execution but also the monitoring, analysis, and even planning stages of work. The autonomous revolution has begun, and it’s accelerating. The question isn’t whether agentic AI will transform business but how quickly, and whether organizations are prepared for a future where some of their most productive team members aren’t human at all. “Think of agents as the new apps in this AI-powered world. It’s how people will work moving forward,” says Stallbaumer. “Agents exist on a spectrum. Some are very simple, some are highly complex,” adds Riley. “But they can now solve complex business problems that were previously too com- plicated for traditional automation.”

Artificial Intelligence Technology

The Next Critical Frontier: Are We Ready For Autonomous AI?

We no longer stand on the threshold of an AI-powered future—we already live in it. Artificial Intelligence (AI) now influences everything, from the ads we see and the routes we drive to the diagnoses we receive and the public policies we navigate.



As AI becomes more integrated into everyday life, the conversation must move beyond innovation and capability. We must ask a harder question: Can we trust it?



The answer begins with one often-overlooked word: testing.



AI systems are not like traditional software. They don’t simply follow pre-written instructions. Instead, they learn, adapt, and evolve by processing massive data. That’s what makes them powerful, but also unpredictable. Without proper oversight, they can make decisions that are biased, inaccurate, or even dangerous.



Today, rigorous algorithmic testing must become central to how we design, deploy, and govern AI. This is not just a technical necessity—it’s a moral and societal imperative.



Unlike traditional tools, AI systems are dynamic. They grow and adapt based on the data they’re fed. That adaptability comes at a cost: it’s hard to predict how these systems will behave, especially when used in new or high-stakes environments. As a result, we need to know if AI will reinforce or challenge existing societal biases. Also, can we explain how decisions are made by “black box” systems? Are these systems secured against manipulation or adversarial attacks?



Addressing these concerns requires a shift from basic functionality checks to multi-dimensional testing that evaluates how AI performs, under what conditions, and for whom.



Five pillars should guide this process:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Performance testing: AI should be stress-tested in extreme and adversarial conditions to identify vulnerabilities that could lead to failure in real-world scenarios.</li>



<li>Fairness and bias testing tools must be used to identify and mitigate bias across gender, race, class, and other social dimensions to prevent discriminatory outcomes.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.datacamp.com/tutorial/explainable-ai-understanding-and-trusting-machine-learning-models">Explainability</a> testing: People must understand how and why AI systems make decisions. This is essential for public trust and regulatory accountability.</li>



<li>Robustness testing: AI must work with <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-01180-2">incomplete</a> or noisy data and adapt to shifting real-world conditions without compromising performance or safety.</li>



<li>Compliance testing, meaning AI must follow legal and ethical standards. Compliance should be built into the system, from data protection to fairness regulations, not retrofitted after deployment.</li>
</ul>



Nowhere is the need for rigorous AI testing more urgent—or more overlooked—than in Africa. The continent is increasingly embracing this technology to tackle development challenges: improving agricultural productivity, enhancing healthcare, broadening education access, strengthening financial inclusion, and improving governance. But if not properly tested, they may do more harm than good.



African datasets are often smaller, fragmented, and reflect deeply embedded inequalities. AI models trained on such data—or worse, on data from other regions—can easily produce biased or ineffective results. They might misinterpret dialects, ignore cultural nuance, or overlook contextual realities.



Without explainability and fairness checks, these systems could entrench existing discrimination into everything from credit decisions to public service delivery.



Moreover, the digital literacy landscape in Africa is diverse. Adoption will lag if people don’t understand how or why AI systems make decisions, and trust will erode. The continent needs context-aware and inclusive AI governance frameworks that support local expertise, prioritize fairness, and embed transparency and accountability.



International partnerships must avoid ‘data colonialism’ and instead elevate African voices, priorities, and innovations.



We often hear that AI is the future. But the truth is, the future is already here. And it’s time we took its risks as seriously as we do its rewards.



Algorithmic testing must become the foundation of trustworthy AI. It’s not just an engineering task—it’s an ethical safeguard. It ensures that intelligent systems serve society, not undermine it. It is how we earn the public’s trust, prevent harm, and ensure that AI technologies are reliable, fair, and aligned with human values.



For Africa, getting this right is not optional. It’s a chance to lead in AI adoption and show the world how to build technology that truly works for everyone.

The Indispensable Shield: Why Rigorous Testing Must Underpin The Age Of Artificial Intelligence

As the world watches one of Africa&#8217;s largest economies stake its claim in the next internet era, the inaugural Nigeria Web3 Landscape Report signals the West African nation’s Web3 story is just beginning.



Nigeria has emerged as Africa’s leader in the Web3 space, contributing 4% of all new developers globally in 2024—more than any other country on the continent—according to the inaugural Nigeria Web3 Landscape Report by venture capital firm Hashed Emergent.



The study—based on interviews, platform data, and original research—also reveals that the West African nation Web3 founders have launched over 80 startups, collectively raising more than $130 million to date, with $20 million secured in 2024 alone. Most of this recent funding went to early-stage startups focused on blockchain infrastructure and decentralized finance (DeFi) solutions.



&#8220;Challenges like funding translates to limited scale. Compared to India’s $5 billion in web3 funding, Nigeria’s $130 million collective funding reflects a smaller ecosystem constrained by unclear regulatory climate and investor caution. Majority of Nigerian web3 startups cite funding access as a major issue,&#8221; Uchenna Edeoga, Platform Associate at Hashed Emergent and lead author of the report, tells FORBES AFRICA.



The growing influence in Web3 is rooted in the country&#8217;s long-standing engagement with crypto. &#8220;Nigeria’s leadership in crypto adoption positions startups to serve a ready domestic market while exporting solutions to other high-adoption regions like India or the U.S.,&#8221; says Edeoga.



In 2024, the country ranked second globally in crypto adoption, according to Chainalysis, receiving $59 billion in crypto value—$24 billion of which came from stablecoins. What was once retail-focused adoption is now expanding into system-level applications: blockchain is being integrated into public services such as identity verification, education records, healthcare, and land registries.



“These are not pilot projects,” the report states. “They’re operational systems being deployed to improve transparency and trust in public infrastructure.”



Still, challenges persist. Many government systems lack the interoperability required for seamless blockchain integration. Institutional constraints—like limited digital capacity and fragmented procurement frameworks—threaten to slow the momentum.



The report highlights the role of Nigeria’s youthful population in driving this shift. Of the country’s 1.1 million developers, 86% of those active in Web3 are under the age of 27, with more than half joining the space in the past year. Most were onboarded through community-led initiatives like Web3bridge, Web3Ladies, and Solana and Base bootcamps.



But even as talent surges, employment remains fluid: only 15% of Nigerian Web3 developers are employed full-time in the sector. A majority work as freelancers, and 45% are paid in stablecoins, reflecting both a workaround to local currency volatility and the global nature of blockchain work. Despite high engagement, 90% of these developers earn below global benchmarks—a gap attributed to local market dynamics and persistent currency depreciation.



Unlike previous investment booms dominated by mega rounds, Web3 funding in Nigeria in 2024 skewed toward ecosystem grants and early-stage support from Layer 1 and Layer 2 blockchain protocols. Infrastructure startups raised $11 million, while financial services raised $7 million—more than triple the previous year’s total. By contrast, entertainment and gaming saw a sharp drop, falling from $17 million in 2023 to $2 million this year.



Yet interest remains high in sectors like SocialFi and NFTs, even as investors double down on foundational technologies. The report suggests that growing international exposure through bounty programs could help local startups gain traction.



Nigeria’s regulatory landscape is both evolving and uncertain.



In 2021, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) banned banks from handling crypto-related transactions—a move reversed in December 2023, when financial institutions were permitted to serve licensed Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs).



The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has since launched the Accelerated Regulatory Incubation Program (ARIP), granting temporary licenses and creating clearer onboarding pathways for startups. However, inconsistencies persist: in 2024, the Nigerian Communications Commission blocked access to Binance and Coinbase, even as the SEC approved local exchanges like Quidax.



A patchwork of oversight among regulators—the SEC, CBN, and Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC)—alongside unclear frameworks for DeFi, DAOs, and NFTs, continues to deter investors and complicate compliance.



&#8220;To sustain and accelerate Nigeria’s web3 ecosystem momentum, stakeholders can focus on strengthening developer pipelines. Expanding initiatives like developer bootcamps, hackathons and building an active developer community can further grow this base,&#8221; says Edeoga.

Close-up of holding smartphone, arms wrapped with fiber optics

Nigeria Emerges As Africa’s Web3 Powerhouse, Contributing 4% Of Global New Developers In 2024

Access to the internet remains a significant barrier for many informal sectors in South Africa.



As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more prevalent, township economies cannot afford to fall behind.



Jo Griffiths, founder of Global Innovation Initiative Group that specializes in funding and fostering innovation across Africa, emphasizes that AI could be a game-changer to revolutionize township economies but acknowledges barriers such as limited infrastructure, lack of internet access and low digital literacy. Lack of awareness is also key.



“Language and context barriers present another hurdle, as most AI models are trained primarily in English, limiting accessibility for those who operate in local languages and dialects,” she says.



So, how can township entrepreneurs fully leverage AI for business growth?



Balabala of TEA says that it comes back to digital literacy. “It’s important that we not only focus on bringing digital trans- formation into these spaces but [that we] also prioritize digital literacy as a key part of the conversation.”



Innovation hubs can play a pivotal role in bridging the digital divide and making AI more accessible to township entrepreneurs, according to Griffiths. These centers also offer shared workspaces with stable internet access, AI-powered software, and access to expert guidance, which can significantly lower the barriers to AI adoption.



“Most importantly, these hubs facilitate collaborations with investors and corporates, unlocking funding opportunities and accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies,” she explains.



“Integrating AI into these innovation hubs can further empower township entrepreneurs by offering AI skills boot camps, hands-on access to AI-driven business tools, and AI-mentored business incubation programs that provide data-driven insights for growth strategies. Encouraging the development of community-led AI solutions tailored to local challenges can also drive sustainable innovation.”

South African Retail Economy And Maponya Mall

AI’s Role In Propelling Township Economies Forward

A new law signals Nigeria’s intent to position itself as a digital finance leader on the continent.



For the first time, virtual assets and investment contracts are formally recognized as securities in Nigeria, following the Investment and Securities Act (ISA) 2024 signed into law by its President Bola Tinubu.



This new legislation comes after years of regulatory uncertainty and tension between the Nigerian government and the burgeoning crypto community. In February 2021, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) issued a directive prohibiting financial institutions from facilitating cryptocurrency transactions, citing concerns over money laundering, terrorism financing, and the lack of consumer protection. The ban sparked widespread outrage, particularly among Nigeria’s tech-savvy youth, who had increasingly turned to cryptocurrencies as an alternative store of value amid inflation and economic instability.



Despite the crackdown, Nigeria emerged as Africa’s largest cryptocurrency market by volume, ranking second worldwide behind India, with citizens finding creative ways to bypass the restrictions through peer-to-peer (P2P) trading.



In response to the persistent demand and growing global acceptance of digital assets, the government began reconsidering its position, culminating in the enactment of the ISA 2024.



The new law provides long-awaited regulatory clarity, bringing Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs), Digital Asset Operators (DAOPs), and Digital Asset Exchanges under the direct oversight of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).



Nigerian financial analyst Olumide Adesina views this as a major breakthrough.



“The regulation brings clarity and affirms the input of digital assets in the Nigerian capital market,” Adesina says to FORBES AFRICA.



“The law would likely attract huge players in the global industry to engage directly by setting up a physical presence with Africa&#8217;s biggest crypto market. Finally, it will also widen tokenization usage built on traditional assets and intensify interest among the younger populace.”



While the move is celebrated for its potential to draw institutional investment, it also raises questions about the impact on grassroots innovation.



Nigerian crypto enthusiast Samuel Adebayo voices mixed feelings, noting that the legislation could have unintended consequences.



“This will likely accelerate institutional adoption of digital assets in Nigeria by providing legal clarity and investor protection. However, stricter compliance requirements may pose challenges for smaller crypto startups,” Adebayo explains to FORBES AFRICA. “While the framework enhances market legitimacy, its impact on innovation will depend on how regulations are enforced and adapted to industry needs.”

Silhouette of a man interacting with virtual computer graphics

Africa’s Largest Crypto Market Finally Legalizes Virtual Assets After Complex History

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



Around 1,100 people reported issues with OpenAI’s ChatGPT just before 10 a.m. EDT on Monday morning suggesting a larger outage, according to tracking site&nbsp;<a href="https://downdetector.com/status/openai/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">DownDetector.com</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



Reports of issues with ChatGPT began to rise around 9:30 a.m. EDT and peaked at around 1,157 people just before 9:40 a.m., according to DownDetector.com.



Reports began to dip around 10 a.m., but rose again to just over 1,000 around 10:30 a.m.



The vast majority of issues reported, 93%, were with ChatGPT, though 6% of reports were about OpenAI’s website, according to Downdetector.



OpenAI’s&nbsp;<a href="https://status.openai.com/incidents/01JQP8238VGEYM9JN39NQ3P298" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">status page</a>&nbsp;said at 10 a.m. it was experiencing “increased error rates in ChatGPT” and they are investigating the issue, and at 10:54 a.m. the status page said OpenAI’s team was “working on implementing a mitigation.”



The&nbsp;<a href="https://status.openai.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">page</a>&nbsp;also says OpenAI has been having issues with new sign ups in certain geographies for one day in a bug affecting ChatGPT and other OpenAI products including Sora, Playground and Labs.



This story is developing and will be updated.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">Big Number</h2>



More than 300 million. That’s how many active weekly users Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/OpenAINewsroom/status/1864373399218475440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1864373399218475440%7Ctwgr%5Ed69b681560ac4c2ae02bda66f7709df2cfda3dde%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theverge.com%2F2024%2F12%2F4%2F24313097%2Fchatgpt-300-million-weekly-users" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;ChatGPT had in early December. The company also estimated more than 1 billion user messages were sent daily.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-chatgpt">What Is Chatgpt?</h2>



ChatGPT is OpenAI’s&nbsp;<a href="https://openai.com/index/chatgpt/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">chatbot</a>&nbsp;model designed to operate in a “conversational way.” It was launched on Nov. 30, 2022 as a sibling to OpenAI’s InstructGPT, which was trained to follow instructions more than have a dialogue with users.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">Tangent</h2>



OpenAI’s outages follow two notable tech outages last week. On Thursday,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2025/03/27/reddit-outage-thousands-of-users-report-issues-with-app-website/">Reddit</a>&nbsp;experienced an outage for a handful of hours that impacted more than 35,000 users before they were resolved. And, on Tuesday, Meta’s Facebook and Instagram both had&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2025/03/25/users-report-outages-on-metas-facebook-and-instagram/">outage reports</a>&nbsp;spike on DownDetector.com, with more than 4,300 users reporting issues on Instagram, primarily with the app and comments, and nearly 1,000 users reporting issues with Facebook’s website and login.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">Further Reading</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2025/03/25/users-report-outages-on-metas-facebook-and-instagram/">Meta&#8217;s Facebook And Instagram Have Outages</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2025/03/27/reddit-outage-thousands-of-users-report-issues-with-app-website/">Reddit Outage: Thousands Of Users Report Issues With App, Website</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)

In this photo illustration, the ChatGPT (OpenAI) logo is

OpenAI, ChatGPT Outage Reported

The artificial intelligence (AI) landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, moving away from its reliance on Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). These powerful computer chips, initially designed for rendering graphics, have been the backbone of AI advancements for over a decade, enabling breakthroughs in deep learning, natural language processing, and self-driving cars. However, as AI systems become increasingly complex and demanding, the limitations of GPUs are becoming increasingly apparent.



GPUs are inherently energy-intensive, requiring vast amounts of electricity and water to power the complex calculations that underpin AI training. This contributes to rising operational costs and raises significant environmental concerns due to the carbon emissions associated with energy and water consumption. Furthermore, while adept at parallel processing, GPU architecture must facilitate handling the massive datasets and intricate algorithms that characterize modern AI workloads. This results in bottlenecks and inefficiencies that hinder developing and deploying advanced AI applications.



Beyond these technical limitations, the reliance on GPUs raises critical questions about sustainability and global equity. The production of GPUs depends



heavily on rare earth minerals, with Africa serving as a primary source of these essential resources. While the continent possesses abundant reserves of cobalt, nickel, and other critical minerals, the extraction and processing of these materials often come at a high cost. Child labor, exploitative working conditions, and environmental degradation are prevalent in many mining regions, highlighting the urgent need for ethical and sustainable practices in the industry.



Moreover, the current model of resource extraction perpetuates a system of global inequality. Despite being rich in natural resources, African nations often derive minimal economic benefit from their extraction. Raw materials are exported to other countries for processing and manufacturing, leaving African economies with little value addition and limited opportunities for technological advancement. This disparity underscores the need for a more equitable distribution of the benefits generated by the AI industry.



Fortunately, the AI landscape is evolving, presenting an opportunity to address these challenges and forge a more sustainable and inclusive path forward.



The industry is gradually shifting towards specialized hardware, such as Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) and neuromorphic chips, which offer significant advantages over GPUs. These alternatives are explicitly designed for AI workloads, delivering superior performance, energy efficiency, and scalability.



This transition presents a unique opportunity for Africa to redefine its role in the AI ecosystem. The continent can become a leader in developing and manufacturing next-generation AI hardware by moving beyond its current position as a raw material supplier and embracing innovation. This would boost economic development, create high-skilled jobs, and empower African researchers and entrepreneurs to contribute to the global advancement of AI.



Strategic investments and collaborative efforts are essential to realize this vision. African governments, research institutions, and private sector companies must work together to foster a thriving AI ecosystem. This includes supporting local startups, promoting research and development in AI hardware, and attracting investment in manufacturing facilities crucial to ensure that Africa benefits from technology transfer and knowledge sharing.



The United Nations (UN) is vital in facilitating this transition. Recognizing the importance of responsible sourcing and equitable benefit-sharing, the UN has established a panel on critical energy transition minerals. This initiative brings together stakeholders from governments, international organizations, industry, and civil society to develop global principles that protect environmental and social standards throughout the mineral value chain.



By fostering collaboration and transparency, the UN aims to ensure that the transition to sustainable AI technologies does not exacerbate existing inequalities but creates opportunities for all nations to participate in and benefit from the AI revolution. This includes promoting fair trade practices, supporting capacity building in developing countries, and encouraging the adoption of circular economy models that reduce reliance on raw materials and minimize environmental impact. Africa is poised to become a key player in the future of AI. With its abundant mineral resources, growing technology hubs, and a young, dynamic population, the continent has the potential to drive innovation and shape the development of AI in ways that benefit not only Africa but the entire world. By embracing this opportunity, we can create a more inclusive and sustainable AI ecosystem that empowers all nations and contributes to a better future for humanity.

Working robots

Expert-Speak: Rethinking Tech And Why GPUs Are Not The Future Of AI Training

&#8220;This will be a defining year for AI,” said Mark Zuckerberg on his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/pfbid0219ude255AKkmk4JAueXZeZ9zpjNYio2tBkd7bNmCaRbJ6iJaVVjypUgDg78CNdq5l" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Facebook blog</a> last month, hyping his plan to invest $65 billion in 2025, most of it in support of growing Meta’s AI capabilities and building upon its Llama 4 model.



The locus of these efforts appears to be on 2,250 acres of flat farmland in northeast Louisiana, where Meta has begun work on a $10 billion data center project. This grandest of Meta’s 20 worldwide data centers will be called Sucré (i.e. sweet) and cover 4 million square feet of floor space on 2,250 acres



To power racks lined with thousands of Nvidia H100 GPUs, Sucre will require 2.23 gigawatts of 24/7 electricity (enough to power more than 2 million homes), which utility company Entergy will provide via twin high-efficiency natural gas turbines at a capital cost of $3.2 billion. Meta’s plans also call for $250 million in related infrastructure spending, including roads and water systems. Construction jobs will peak at 5,000.



Is this really going to get built? And is it even a good idea, given recent revelations from DeepSeek that building advanced machine intelligence might be cheaper, and less energy-intensive than initially believed.



For some perspective I talked with Zach Krause, an analyst at energy consultancy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eastdaley.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">East Daley Analytics</a>, in Denver, who tracks data center announcements and works on handicapping both their likelihood of getting built, and how developers expect to provide for their electricity demand. Krause says he has been encouraging his institutional investor clients (many natural gas and power generation investors among them) not to panic over the implications.



“We’ve seen a short-term overreaction by the market to new tech,” says Krause, who includes on his list 290 datacenter projects with a decent likelihood of getting built.



Even if AI energy efficiency improves exponentially, the silicon brains of the future will need all of those server farms, and then some. That’s because of a dynamic called the Jevons Paradox, named after English economist William Jevons, who in 1865 noticed that efficiency breakthroughs in steam engine design did not reduce coal consumption at all, but instead caused demand for the fuel to surge. Jevons Paradox has also been observed, for example, in explosive demand for modern conveniences like air conditioning, passenger airplanes, and MRI machines.



Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in late January&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/satyanadella/status/1883753899255046301" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">tweeted about the Jevons&nbsp;</a>paradox: “As AI gets more efficient and accessible, we will see its use skyrocket, turning it into a commodity we just can’t get enough of.” Analyst Hugh Wynne, at Power Research Group, concurs: “The demand for power to train and operate AI models could be materially reduced. However, if these efficiency gains also drive down the cost of AI, the adoption of AI-based services could be significantly faster and more widespread” — thus wiping out any expected energy savings.



Krause sees America’s tsunami of advanced data centers demanding an additional 81 gigawatts of electricity by 2030. That’s enough to power all of Texas today. If developers used natural gas to run them all it would take about 12.9 billion cubic feet per day, he figures — equal to 10% of national natural gas supplies. “The Meta project is circled in red ink for its eventual impact to the natural gas market,” he says, figuring that Sucre will require 360 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, the energy equivalent of about 60,000 barrels of oil.



And Sucré is not even the biggest. OpenAI is partnering with Oracle, Softbank, Microsoft and others on the Stargate project, which they say will be a $500 billion, multi-site datacenter expansion, beginning with Abilene, Texas. In time, Stargate will need more than 5 gigawatts of electricity, though Krause has only factored in a small fraction of that demand until they build something. Microsoft plans $80 billion of capital investment on AI and cloud computing this year. Meanwhile, Amazon has earmarked $100 billion for AI over the next decade, and may spend $35 billion just in northern Virginia’s datacenter alley. Jeff Bezos has also invested heavily in the development of advanced nuclear technology.



A trend to watch: Energy giant Chevron has partnered with gas turbine specialist G.E. Vernova to develop the power systems for 4 gigawatts of datacenters. Chevron, Exxon and the like already have deep expertise in generating power at their giant oil refineries. By siting datacenters adjacent to existing natural gas fields, they can help AI developers sidestep time-consuming permitting hoops that regulated utility companies and pipeline operators must jump through. Says Krause: “The utilities are slower to react, while the pipelines and gas producers are drooling on the other side.&#8221;



Zuckerberg managed to sidestep NIMBY issues in Louisiana, where politicians handed Meta fat tax incentives to build. Gov. Jeff Landry oddly declared that the hyperscale server farm “revitalizes one of our state’s beautiful rural areas.” Northern Louisiana is also long on natural gas, thanks to fracking in the Haynesville shale.



Meta, which has committed to achieving carbon neutrality in its operations, is already working to assuage the guilt of relying on carbon dioxide emitting natural gas to run Sucré. In December Meta announced a deal with billionaire Michael Polsky’s power developer&nbsp;<a href="https://invenergy.com/news/invenergy-to-provide-over-760mw-in-renewable-energy-supporting-meta-s-energy-needs-in-line-with-its-clean-and-renewable-energy-goals" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Invenergy to buy&nbsp;</a>the green attributes (known as renewable energy certificates) from the 760 megawatt capacity of four big solar farms under construction. And in Louisiana Meta has pledged to invest $1.5 billion alongside Entergy to build out more wind and solar.



Give it another 10 years and Meta will hopefully be able to retrofit the datacenter to run on zero-emissions advanced nuclear. Zuckerberg already looked in to building a datacenter adjacent to a nuclear power plant (<a href="https://www.popsci.com/environment/meta-nuclear-power-bee/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">rumored to be California’s Diablo Canyon&nbsp;</a>site) but was stymied by the discovery of an endangered bee species nearby.



It’s why Krause excludes from his datacenter list dozens of other projects more aspirational than real. “The upper bound is inflated. Some developers take a shotgun approach to permitting — they&#8217;re trying to get land rezoned by the multitudes.&#8221;

Shot of a young female engineer using a digital tablet while working in a server room

The Trillion-Dollar A.I. Data Center Tsunami —Coming To A Field Near You

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



DeepSeek released an upgrade to its large language model this week, an update the company said featured “significant improvements” over its predecessor as the China-based startup appeared to escalate its rivalry with OpenAI and other U.S. artificial intelligence firms, after an earlier release rattled global tech stocks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



DeepSeek&nbsp;<a href="https://huggingface.co/deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-V3-0324" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">launched</a>&nbsp;an upgrade to its V3 large language model, DeepSeek-V3-0324, on the AI development platform Hugging Face on Tuesday, which the startup marketed as including improvements in reasoning and coding capabilities over its earlier V3 model.



DeepSeek’s V3 large language model was released on Dec. 26, 2024, and the company claimed it was three times faster than its V2 model as it&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2025/01/27/what-is-deepseek-new-chinese-ai-startup-rivals-openai-and-claims-its-far-cheaper/">ranked</a>&nbsp;among the top 10 in Chatbot Arena, a performance platform hosted by the University of California, Berkeley.



The latest update included “significant improvements” across several benchmark tests for the language model, DeepSeek said, in addition to upgrades to front-end web development, Chinese writing proficiency—with new features like “interactive rewriting,” according to the company—and Chinese search capabilities like “enhanced report analysis.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">What To Watch For</h2>



Whether the latest DeepSeek model impacts U.S. tech stocks. Shares for Nvidia dropped by 1.2% as of 9:35 a.m. EDT, while other stocks like Broadcom (0.6%) and Tesla (0.3%) declined slightly. Apple (0.3%), Meta (0.7%) and Microsoft (0.3%) were up Tuesday morning.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-deepseek">What Is Deepseek?</h2>



DeepSeek is an AI startup&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2025/01/27/what-is-deepseek-new-chinese-ai-startup-rivals-openai-and-claims-its-far-cheaper/">founded</a>&nbsp;by Chinese entrepreneur&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2025/01/28/who-is-behind-deepseek-heres-what-to-know-about-founder-liang-wenfeng/">Liang Wenfeng</a>&nbsp;in 2023. Liang started accumulating thousands of Nvidia graphics processors for an unnamed AI project in 2021, just before the Biden administration restricted trade of those chips to China. He called for China to “gradually transition” to being a contributor in the AI industry, “rather than continuing to ride on the coattails of others.” DeepSeek has claimed its products are more efficient and cost less to train and develop compared to similar products made by OpenAI and Meta. The company said training one of its latest models cost about $5.6 million, far less than the $100 million to $1 billion an AI executive&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/china-ai-deepseek-chatbot-6ac4ad33?mod=livecoverage_web" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">estimated</a>&nbsp;for costs to build a model.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-will-deepseek-be-banned-in-the-u-s">Will Deepseek Be Banned In The U.s.?</h2>



A bipartisan bill&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2025/02/06/deepseek-should-be-banned-from-federal-devices-lawmakers-urge-after-ai-chatbot-linked-to-banned-chinese-firm/">banning</a>&nbsp;Deepseek from federal devices was introduced in February, after a report linked the company’s chatbot to a banned Chinese state-run telecommunications company. It’s not immediately clear whether the bill will be supported by other lawmakers. The Trump administration is also mulling a ban over national security concerns, a person familiar with the matter told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/us-likely-ban-chinese-app-deepseek-government-devices-wsj-reports-2025-03-07/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Reuters</a>. Some U.S. agencies have already restricted access to DeepSeek, including the U.S. Navy, the Defense Department, the Commerce Department and NASA, among others. The House’s Chief Administrative Officer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/01/30/house-congress-bans-deepseek-ai" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">reportedly</a>&nbsp;claimed “threat actors are already exploiting DeepSeek to deliver malicious software and infect devices,” as some congressional offices have been warned not to use DeepSeek.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



DeepSeek released its advanced reasoning model R1 in January, a move that appeared to put China in close competition with U.S. tech and AI giants like OpenAI and Meta. R1 achieved performance on par with OpenAI’s o1 model across several benchmarks and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/26/deepseek_r1_ai_cot/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">reportedly</a>&nbsp;exceeded o1’s in the MATH-500 test. DeepSeek’s R1 model is available for anyone to access, use, study, modify and share, as the open-source model surged to the top of the iPhone download charts—surpassing OpenAI’s ChatGPT. R1’s release sparked&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2025/01/29/deepseek-panic-live-updates-nvidia-stock-drops-4-as-trump-reportedly-mulls-china-chip-sale-restrictions/">declines</a>&nbsp;across several U.S. tech stocks, led by Nvidia closing down 17% on Jan. 27. Nvidia’s dive cut $589 billion off its market cap, marking the largest single-day loss of value for any public company in history. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praised DeepSeek’s products and noted the R1 model was “impressive … particularly around what [DeepSeek is]able to deliver for the price.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">Further Reading</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2025/01/27/what-is-deepseek-new-chinese-ai-startup-rivals-openai-and-claims-its-far-cheaper/">What Is DeepSeek? New Chinese AI Startup Rivals OpenAI—And Claims It’s Far Cheaper</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)

Newly Launched Chinese AI App DeepSeek Causes U.S. Tech Stocks To Tumble, Amid Its Rapid Rise To #1 In Apple’s App Store

DeepSeek Launches AI Model Upgrade Amid OpenAI Rivalry—Here’s What To Know

Artificial intelligence boosts smartphones globally, but Africa faces challenges.



AI on smartphones is redefining how we interact with technology, from quicker search with voice to smarter photo edits and predicting daily needs before we realize them; plus, with AI’s pattern-learning, a more personalized user experience.



Samsung first introduced AI to the smartphone with the S24 line-up early in 2024, followed by its Z Foldable range mid-year. Subsequently, brands like Apple, Honor, Oppo and Xiaomi have all introduced some level of AI on its devices.



Androids share similar features, powered by Google AI, such as Gemini – a rival to ChatGPT; Circle to Search; Magic Eraser; Photomojis; and protection against spam and scam calls.



Other features per manufacturer include the ability to summarize notes, create bullet points, transcribe audio and turn it into notes, translate text into multiple languages, summarize web articles to bullet points, etc.



Some devices can compose emails, messages, and social media posts using generative AI, all natively. You just explain the message you want to convey and select different tones, such as professional, casual, friendly, and so on, to get the desired results.



A feature worth noting is Circle to Search, an intuitive way to search for anything you see online, even by pausing a video. You simply long-press the home button, circle what’s on your screen, and receive immediate Google results, with follow-up queries.



Apple also offers AI features, but was late to the party when Apple Intelligence rolled out to more English-speaking markets in December 2024, including South Africa, after its U.S. launch at the end of October. It helps you write; generate images by description with Image Playground or custom emojis; clean up photos by removing unwanted objects; and search intuitively with Siri, which uses ChatGPT when it can’t answer, but asks first if you want ChatGPT to fulfil the request.



You can already use the ChatGPT standalone app, but Apple gives you another layer of privacy when using it through Private Cloud Compute, which deletes your data after the request, whereas ChatGPT uses all your inputs to further train its AI.



AI’s global growth, but Africa’s smartphone decline



AI is revolutionizing industries, with companies and investors pouring billions into research and development across industries like healthcare, finance, entertainment, and consumer technology.



According to a TechCrunch article, the generative AI bubble did not burst in 2024. It reports that investments in generative AI worldwide raised $56 billion from VCs in 2024, from 885 deals. The data was compiled by financial tracker PitchBook for TechCrunch.



That figure is a new record for the segment, when compared to 2023’s total investment of $29.1 billion from 691 deals, it says.



According to the International Data Corporation (IDC)’s five-year forecast for GenAI-capable smartphones, it predicted shipments to reach 234.2 million for 2024, up 363.6% from 50.5 million in 2023, and projects 912 million in 2028.



The IDC predicted total smartphone shipments to grow 5.8% to 1.23 billion units in 2024, up from its previous forecast of 4% growth to 1.21 billion units.



While total and GenAI shipments for the year 2024 is yet to be released, data from research firm Canalys reveals that Africa’s smartphone market grew by 3% year-on-year in Q3 for 2024, reaching 18.4 million units, which it says reflects resilience amid a complex economic landscape.



“South Africa, after six quarters of double-digit growth, saw a sharp 10% decline in shipments as economic uncertainties dampened consumer spending, despite easing inflation and interest rate cuts,” it said.



In the same quarter, Kenya’s shipments also dropped by 10%, whereas Nigeria experienced a 1% growth. North African countries like Egypt saw a 34% growth, but Morocco experienced a 24% decline.



Manish Pravinkumar, Senior Analyst at Canalys for the Middle East and Africa, says the future of Africa’s smartphone market holds immense potential, but significant hurdles remain.



“Feature phones maintained a 55% share of total shipments as of Q3 2024, limiting smartphone expansion. High device taxes continue to hinder growth, posing a dilemma for policymakers between immediate revenue needs and the long-term benefits of broader smartphone adoption,” says Pravinkumar.



“Enhanced smartphone accessibility could drive the development of a robust digital economy, generating sustainable tax revenues over time. Despite these barriers, growing demand for affordable devices, expanding 4G network coverage and innovative financing models, are expected to sustain growth.”



Canalys forecasts a 1% compound annual growth rate for Africa from 2024 to 2028, with 4G remaining the primary driver of new mobile subscriptions over the next five years. The global race for AI may have started, but Africa is lagging behind.

Smiling boy using system AI Chatbot on mobile application. Chatbot conversation, Ai Artificial Intelligence technology. Futuristic technology. Virtual assistant on internet.

Call Into Question: AI On Smartphones

As artificial intelligence reshapes healthcare, the fight against cancer is witnessing unprecedented breakthroughs, from microscopic nanorobots to virtual treatment twins. This acceleration in drug discovery is just one example of AI&#8217;s impact on oncology, now and in the future.



According to the British Journal of Cancer, cancer research is one of the most heavily-funded areas of science. Billions are poured into research every year but the main ways in which we treat cancer – surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy – haven&#8217;t changed in the past 80 years.



But now artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming this landscape entirely, revolutionizing not just how doctors diagnose and treat cancer, but how we discover new treatments. “I think we are really in the golden age of scientific discovery, powered by the cloud and AI at scale,” says Dr Rowland Illing, Amazon Web Services’ Chief Medical Officer and Director of Global Healthcare and Nonprofits. At its core, cancer presents a fundamental challenge: cells that go rogue, growing and dividing uncontrollably without the normal genetic &#8216;braking system&#8217; that regulates cell growth.



“But finding a way to put the brakes on is where it gets interesting,” says Dr Divya Chander, a physician, neuroscientist and futurist. For Chander, there are three key areas where AI is making significant inroads: drug discovery, designing new therapeutics (like living medicines) and precision clinical trials and precision medicine.



From data to diagnosis



Traditional drug discovery is expensive and time-consuming but AI models can accelerate the process by identifying shared genomic features across diseases to predict effectiveness. “It&#8217;s incredibly helpful because with older medications, we already know they&#8217;re safe,” says Chander. “When we find drugs that are useful for another indication, it’s really an extraordinary gift.” This is particularly important for rare and undiagnosed diseases, including certain cancers, that affect over 300 million people globally (but only 5%-7% have FDA-approved treatments).



A new open-source AI model called TxGNN, developed by Harvard Medical School researchers, aims to close this gap by identifying drug candidates for over 17,000 diseases, including rare cancers, using existing medicines. Then there’s Insilico Medicine, a Hong Kong-based biotechnology startup, who now has one of the first AI-discovered drugs to enter the clinical pipeline. The company’s own Pharma.AI platform, which includes tools like PandaOmics and Chemistry42, uses multiple AI models trained on millions of data samples to identify disease targets and design new drug compounds. What’s really exciting about this is the speed. Insilico reached the first phase of clinical trials in just two and a half years, compared to the traditional six-year timeline, and at a fraction of the usual $400 million cost. “It can cost over a billion dollars per drug and take over a decade and a lot of lives are lost in that time,” adds Chander.



This acceleration in drug discovery is just one example of AI&#8217;s impact on oncology. Working with Genomics England, Illing and his team faced an immense challenge: analysing thousands of scientific papers about genetic links to diseases. “They have a team of bio curators – experts who do searches, pull out papers, read them and work out the associations between disease types and genes,” explains Illing. But with so much key data on cancer and genetics being published, Genomics England’s manual review process couldn’t keep up with the sheer volume of research. Illing’s team worked on an AI solution – automated bio-curation – which transformed this landscape completely. “Over an eight to 10-week period, we built a generative AI platform that was able to look at all of those papers published and identify 20 new gene associations which previously were not known,” Illing says, adding that if they had manually looked at all the data, it would be out of date. “The role of AI is very much automation. It&#8217;s how do you take stuff which needs to be done at scale globally, make it faster and take off the burden of the care providers?”



The digital patient



This revolutionary approach isn&#8217;t simply fast-tracking research, it&#8217;s shifting how quickly scientific discoveries can become life-saving treatments. Among these innovations, AI is being utilized to create increasingly sophisticated simulations of disease progression in virtual environments called digital twins. In fact, Research and Markets have projected that the digital twin industry will reach $130.77 billion by 2029, driven by demand in healthcare and pharmacology. In a new research paper published in Nature Medicine on digital twins, Dr Eric Stahlberg, a Leidos scientist, explained that “if you look at the aerospace industry, they&#8217;re using digital twins extensively to simulate fluid dynamics and materials processing to improve engine and aircraft designs. There are many similarities between those models and newer models that simulate the human cardiovascular and circulatory systems,” he continues. “The complexity of the human body is so substantial that there will always be uncertainty in the models. But ultimately, digital twins will inform patients, help them rank various treatment options and increase their chances of survival.&#8221;



UK Biobank, a global biomedical database and research hub, currently has a project underway that’s using AI to create detailed digital twins that mirror how cancer develops and responds to treatment for individual patients. “Digital twins enable precision care in a way that could never be done before,” says Chander. These computer models are groundbreaking because they combine multi-modal data from genetic patterns and protein behavior to chemical changes in the body and patients&#8217; full medical histories. “Most of the models that are coming out to date, like ChatGPT or Claude, have been language models, but we&#8217;re seeing a shift into large data models,” explains Illing. “Healthcare isn&#8217;t just language – it&#8217;s also genomics, proteins and imaging. By integrating all of those different data streams you get a much better idea, upfront, about what kind of treatment a patient can have.” By analyzing this rich mixture of biological and clinical information, UK Biobank’s AI system can spot subtle warning signs that traditional methods might overlook. First tackling pancreatic cancer, where the complex mixture of different cells in tumors makes early detection difficult, the team is hoping to look at lung, breast, colon, prostate, skin and bladder cancers in the future.



These AI breakthroughs are reshaping how doctors approach cancer treatment, turning an uncontrollable disease into one they can analyze, track and target with unprecedented precision. It’s a new era in medicine where cutting-edge technology can customize care. “The promise of personalized medicine is that when you come in with your specific problem, you will be treated as an individual, rather than just one of a &#8216;this sex, this age, in this environment&#8217;,” ends Illing. “AI is already having a massive impact on this kind of tailored understanding of what patients have got but also how things evolve over time.”



Will next-gen oncology be driven by nanorobots?



Remember those illustrations in the 1976 children&#8217;s book The Value of Believing in Yourself: The Story of Louis Pasteur? Tiny warriors drawn inside syringes, ready to battle disease. What once captured children&#8217;s imaginations is now a scientific reality. Today, AI is turning this vivid imagery into a radical new approach to fighting cancer: nanorobotics – sophisticated molecular machines that are redefining how we target and treat tumors. “These are kind of like rocket ships,” explains Dr Divya Chander, “your rocket ship could be a bacterial cell, or it could be a virus&#8230; or it can be a nanorobot that we create, but essentially it can hold a payload. And so, the shell, the main structure, is something that can actually be activated, like a heat seeking missile.” These tiny machines, typically measuring between 1 to 100 nanometers, are programmed to act as precision delivery systems. One breakthrough example comes from Arizona State University, where researchers have developed DNA nanorobots loaded with thrombin. These microscopic warriors seek out cancer cells and effectively starve tumors by cutting off their blood supply – a far cry from the broad, systemic effects of traditional chemotherapy. The development of nanorobots goes hand-in-hand with what Chander calls “living medicines”. Instead of traditional drugs, living medicine uses nature’s own tools (like bacteria or viruses) to fight diseases. It&#8217;s almost like having tiny helpers that can do things our bodies can&#8217;t do on their own. “A living medicine involves programming a life form to deliver a specific treatment, unlike traditional medicines, which are molecules that spread passively through the body based on physics and chemistry,” explains Chander. “These targeted therapies are extraordinary because they don&#8217;t come with the same side effects as systemic drugs… and chemotherapy is toxic.” What makes nanobots so exciting for cancer treatment is their ability in precisely attacking tumor cells. One new study found that nanorobots reduced tumor size by 65.2% compared to chemotherapy&#8217;s 40.5% reduction. They also delivered drugs with an impressive 92.7% accuracy, detected tumors nearly twice as fast and caused significantly fewer side effects. Most strikingly, patients treated with nanorobots achieved a 78% survival rate within 12 months, compared to 54% for those on chemotherapy.

3D virus cells attacking a DNA strand

A New Era In Oncology: Tackling The Dreaded ‘C’ Word With AI

The speed of AI development is leaving countries with limited digital infrastructure behind, and the gap is widening at an unprecedented rate.



In Africa, there is a need for massive digital infrastructure investment that prioritizes bridging the digital divide, particularly where the gap is widening exponentially. As David Martinon, French Ambassador to South Africa and former French Ambassador for Digital Affairs, said at the recent Finance in Common Summit (FiCS) hosted in Cape Town: “AI may seem virtual for the end user, but it needs a skeleton. It requires heavy investment in infrastructure and increased connectivity to democratize access.”



Yet, Africa is lagging when it comes to digital infrastructure. Many countries lack the cloud, connectivity, high-speed networks and data centers required to handle the demands of the technology. Hun Kim, Acting Vice President of Investment Solutions at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), said: “African countries lack the backbone of cloud and connectivity, among other core infrastructure necessities, and without these, AI will remain a distant concept rather than an accessible tool. Already there’s a digital divide and AI is doubling, even tripling this, as countries without digital infrastructure risk falling even further behind.”



The gap is further wedged open due to limited access to funds. Infrastructure funding is challenging to source, and prone to bottlenecks that introduce lengthy delays. The result is that Africa is slipping down the AI hill because countries can’t get a grip on the infrastructure, they need to embrace the technology effectively. There is work being done to rectify the challenge, but it remains slow. The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) committed 288 million Euros between 2021-2023 for broadband construction and datacenters across Africa, but this is just a drop in the ocean.



AI drives a growing demand for materials and energy that’s a challenge in markets where access to energy is fragile or insufficient. Ygor Scarcia, Industrial Development Expert at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), also emphasized the risk of growing inequalities: “The challenge is risking the divide between industrialized and non-industrialized economies.”



Africa is already making strides in AI with initiatives like the African Union’s digital transformation strategy, various tech hubs across the continent, and notable AI research projects.



Finance institutions, governments and private sector need to collaborate to find smarter ways of building Africa’s digital infrastructure and prioritizing critical environmental and governance requirements to ensure the continent doesn’t sit at the bottom of the slope. The continent has the talent and the potential, now it needs the investment impetus to take hold of AI and take the lead.

The Power of AI. Transforming Industries and Customer Service. A Look into the Future. Yellow AI icon processing texts and commands on smart phone. 3D render

An Exponential Threat: Is AI Leaving Africa Behind?

The fact that Africa has a shortage of clinical oncologists has been widely publicized. One international medical journal estimated that Nigeria, for example, has around 70 oncologists to serve a population of 213 million people. In South Africa – and in Johannesburg, in particular – it’s been reported that Gauteng’s health department has allocated millions to cancer care to assist the main hospitals that have become overwhelmed with patients needing critical treatment. And while there is definitely a skills shortage, Dr Duvern Ramiah, the head of radiation oncology at the University of the Witwatersrand and Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital explains that no one had really done a deep dive into what is actually holding up access to these life-saving interventions.



“The main bottleneck with radiation and oncology treatment is a lack of radiotherapy planning. That’s the irst step to patients get- ting radiation,” he says. With prostate cancer patients waiting around 5 years for radiotherapy and breast cancer patients waiting around 18 months, Ramiah came to the realization that there wasn’t just a shortage of equipment; the unit wasn’t using the equipment that it had efficiently. “The unit wasn’t creating enough radiotherapy plans for these patients to be treated in time,” he adds. When a cancer patient requires radiation, radiation is prescribed by a radiation oncologist. What happens next is that the patient is scanned and goes through the long process of radiotherapy planning. “If a patient has prostate cancer, the doctor will say (for example), this person needs external beam radiation. I’ll see him and make that call. Ater that, he’ll go have a CT scan which is done in the position that he’s going to have radiation in,” explains Ramiah.



Once Ramiah receives the CT scan, he’ll have to manually draw in all the areas that need to get radiated, like the prostate and lymph glands, as well as key areas to avoid, like the bladder. “It’s a long process, and only once that’s done, I’ll send the scan off to a dosimetrist or planning radiotherapist,” he continues. Once a plan is created, it still needs to be approved by the radiation oncologist to ensure it meets the prescription requirements.



Depending on the type, stage and biological behavior, some cancers metastasize quicker which means these plans are needed pretty quickly so that they don’t become outdated. Ramiah turned to AI to create a new process where part of this journey could be automated. “So, instead of a doctor drawing in all of those organs on scans, we’ve got a convolutional neural network (CNN) running that will contour target areas. The time a doctor is spending doing this process is very mundane when it can just be automated. It reduces the time gap massively,” he says. Another way Ramiah has reduced the bottleneck is by using remote radiotherapists in America to create a detailed radiotherapy plan that oncologists at Charlotte Maxeke can implement. What Ramiah also found is that with the planning process, there is a lot of rep- etition. A plan for breast cancer can take up to two hours but around 70% of what is needed is actually the same from one patient to the next. “So, we’re also developing a script to automate some of that,” he adds.



With the help of AI, Ramiah has cut Charlette Maxeke’s two-month waiting time for radiotherapy plans down to between 48 and 72 hours. One of the most important parts of this AI journey is that the technology system Ramiah is piloting at Charlotte Maxeke is vendor-agnostic. So, because it isn’t tied to a specific brand or model of radiotherapy machine, it could potentially be implemented in any healthcare facility anywhere in the world.



“You can go to any unit in Africa with this solution, regardless of their technology infrastructure,” he says. “Unfortunately, within cancer, we get stuck in a lot of innovative things like gene therapy, which is a million-rand treatment but not accessible to everybody. What’s interesting about AI tech is that it increases access. It’s an enabler, which is why I push so hard for it in my department.”

Medical technology, doctor use AI robots for diagnosis, care, and increasing accuracy patient treatment in future. Medical research and development innovation technology to improve patient health.

AI Innovations: What This South African Doctor Is Making Possible

FORBES AFRICA was at MWC Barcelona looking into Agentic AI and a raft of new gadgets coming up.



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Making its global debut at MWC, Xiaomi also showed off its SU7 Ultra EV, which goes from 0- 100km/h in a ridiculous 1.98 seconds. It recently went on sale in China and sold over 10,000 units within two hours, reaching its annual sales target.
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) and agentic AI seemed to be the central theme at Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona, with most companies showcasing some form of AI.&nbsp;



Agentic AI refers to AI systems that can operate autonomously, i.e., make decisions or take action without human intervention.&nbsp;



An example on Android is to ask Google’s Gemini to find flight options and send the results in an email to a colleague, or find a specific recipe and share it directly to a contact.&nbsp;



The introduction of these features means users will rely less on an app-based interface to give rise to ‘AI as the new UI’.&nbsp;



Google provided us with a sneak peek to its conversational AI, Gemini Live, that requires an advanced subscription: Gemini Live with video and Gemini Live with screenshare features.



Most smartphone companies at MWC had similar demos as they are powered by Google’s Gemini.



Meanwhile, technology brand Honor unveiled its $10-billion ‘Alpha Plan’; a change in its corporate strategy: to move from a smartphone maker to an AI device ecosystem company.&nbsp;



It shared a three-step plan to create an ‘intelligent world’ and called on the tech industry to join forces to “‘maximise human potential, ultimately benefiting all mankind”.



Honor CEO James Li said: “I am calling on all of us to unite together to address the challenges, as well as the many opportunities, of AI technology. I also call on the industry to be truly open so that we can fully embrace this exciting AI future.”



Honor said it will leverage Gemini 2.0 to create its first intelligent phone with partners Google and Qualcomm that will “revolutionize human-to-device interaction”.&nbsp;



Part of its plan is to make devices on its ecosystem work seamlessly with others, including iOS, which it demoed through file sharing to multiple devices on Android and iPhone.



Proving to be a major player in the Android space since splitting from Huawei in 2020, Honor also announced seven years of Android OS and security updates, joining the ranks of Google and Samsung.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The best of the rest



AI aside, here are some gadgets that caught our eye this year, which felt somewhat underwhelming compared to our visits in <a href="https://forbesafrica.com/technology/2023/05/17/the-metaverse-in-your-pocket-nifty-tech-and-trends-that-africa-will/">2023</a> and <a href="https://forbesafrica.com/current-affairs/2024/02/28/driving-a-car-using-your-eyes-a-good-look-at-the-ai-eye-tracking-feature-at-global-mobile-tech-show/">2024</a>.



Lenovo showed off its Yoga Solar PC proof-of-concept laptop, with a lid covered in solar panels that claims an over 24% conversion rate, which it says is one of the highest in the industry.&nbsp;



A 20-minute direct sunlight charge yields enough power for up to one hour of video playback, it said.



Realme showed off an interchangeable lens concept smartphone that lets you swap out DSLR lenses with your device. It used an older device with a Sony one-inch sensor to show its capabilities.



While Xiaomi showed something similar a few years back, this year revealed a magnetic modular lens prototype smartphone that lets you easily swap out lenses using its proprietary lens mount.



Making its global debut at MWC, Xiaomi also showed off its SU7 Ultra EV, which goes from 0-100km/h in a ridiculous 1.98 seconds.&nbsp;



It recently went on sale in China and sold over 10,000 units within two hours, reaching its annual sales target. The company announced it will sell its cars outside of China within the next few years.



On the topic of cars, the Catalonian police showed off a hyperconnected police car with a drone on its roof to help patrol and catch criminals, including a smart police management system featuring a 24 hour in-person and virtual police force. The concept is yet to receive backing and funding to become a reality.



Unveiled at CES but showcased at MWC, TCL showed off the TCL 60 XE Nxtpaper 5G smartphone, which makes the display look like paper for eye comfort, using its proprietary technology.&nbsp;



The phone features various ink paper modes for reading and limited app functionality and a black and white or colour paper mode.&nbsp;



Lastly, Samsung’s Project Moohan mixed reality headset was showcased at its booth, the first Android XR headset, however, no hardware specifications were shared. A rival to the Apple Vision Pro, it’s set to launch later this year.

Xiaomi SU7 Ultra_ image supplied

Hyperconnected Police Cars And More: Sneak Peak Into ‘An Intelligent World’ At GlobalMobile Tech Show

Our smartest technology just might be accelerating environmental challenges rather than solving them.



If you&#8217;re finding that you’re using generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) more and more to search for things online, you’re not alone. There are a growing number of people who are ditching traditional search engines like Google for large language model (LLM) chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude. And it makes a lot of sense. Instead of paging through lists of links hidden in-between ads, you get a direct answer to your question (with sources). It sounds brilliant but there’s a catch – running AI models (especially LLMs) require a lot of computational power. They also rely on massive data centers that can consume the same amount of electricity as a small city. And the more popular AI becomes, the more power these large-scale operations will need, with McKinsey &amp; Company predicting AI power consumption could reach up to 219 gigawatts by 2030 — that’s supposedly enough electricity to power more than 163 million (average) homes.



The hyperscalers, large cloud service providers like Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft, are all scrambling to secure renewable and low-carbon energy supplies. Both Meta and Microsoft are betting big on nuclear to bolster electric grids. Microsoft recently signed a 20-year power deal with Three Mile Island, an infamous nuclear plant in Pennsylvania that shut down in 2019.



“A lot of the energy plans that the big cloud providers and data centers have is focused on sustainable energy. Nuclear is not renewable but at least we are not burning fossil fuels,” says Chris Wiggett, Head of AI and Data Analytics at NTT DATA Middle East and Africa.



“Connecting to a grid is expensive,” adds Emad Mostaque, a British entrepreneur and the former CEO of Stability AI. “The human brain uses 20 watts. When ChatGPT first came out, it used over 1,000 watts for every influence, every query.” Now, every time someone puts in a prompt into ChatGPT,



it uses around 2.9 watts of energy, every hour. The energy use may be lower but it’s still nearly 10 times what it takes for a single Google search.



“We’re looking to build Africa’s largest interconnected hyperscale data center, but we need to be as efficient as possible in our design and operation,” says Finhai Munzara, ADC’s interim CEO. “Data centers are big capital and come at a high cost to operate. We do use a lot of power so it’s important to ensure that we take some of the burden off the grid and generate as much on-site as we can.” Munzara is also looking into what happens if they overproduce solar power – whether they will be able to bank that excess energy into the grid and then offset it against some of their other emissions elsewhere. “It’s not just about delivery capacity. It’s about how we are going to power it in the most sustainable way.”



Hugging Face – an open-source hub for AI – has over a million models in their library. The platform’s CEO, Clément Delangue, wrote that a new model is created every second on the platform. A Harvard report found that the training process for a single AI model, like an LLM which is what GenAI models are based on, can consume thousands of megawatt hours of electricity.



But Wiggett believes that as AI models evolve, there’s also a chance that they will consume less power. Open-source AI models, which are often collaborative, can be lower in energy consumption compared to a closed, proprietary AI model owned by a business. Wiggett also explains that algorithm solutions require less compute power than their AI counterparts.



A  great  example  is DeepMind’s AI model, AlphaGo, which was built in 2015 to master the ancient Chinese game of Go (a complex board game of strategy, creativity and ingenuity.) “AlphaGo was the first model, and it took a very long time and massive compute power to perform at the level it did. If you look at the subsequent models, they are all algorithm-based yet they outperform the first models,” says Wiggett. “If we look at the evolution of AI, we have to go heavy compute, and then over time, the evolution will involve going lesser compute. From a technology perspective, it will get better over time.”



You can already see a shift in how data centers consume water. Despite Amazon, Microsoft and Google all reporting that their water usage has escalated due to AI demands, the hyperscalers have plans in place to become water-positive in the near future.



Amazon Web Services (AWS) is funding over 20 worldwide water replenishment projects. In other words, they’re giving communities water instead of taking it away. In late 2024, Microsoft launched a new data center design that optimizes AI workloads and consumes zero water &nbsp;&nbsp;for cooling.



“Zero water means that until a data center is built, all the water pumped into the tanks is circulated in a closed loop,” explains Munzara. “The water is cooled with ambient air.” Water usage efficiency (WUE) is a metric that has been tracked since the first generation of data centers. To cut water costs, data centers are often built in icy areas to take advantage of natural cooling. Microsoft has even conducted experiments to see if underwater data centers could work and now, an American company called Lonestar, is looking to put data centers on the moon.



“The moon has no weather, no climate change, no atmosphere and it has a perfect view of Earth rotating underneath it,” said Lonestar’s CEO, Christopher Stott, in an interview. In the meantime, while AI workloads continue to strain data center resources, other eco-friendly cooling options to manage energy efficiency will have to do.

Specialist technician professional engineercontrol drone checking top view of installing solar roof panel on the factory rooftop under sunlight. Engineers holding tablet check solar roof.

Power Tussle: The Hidden Climate Costs Of AI

Access to vaccines remains a significant challenge across Africa, but technology is emerging as a key to breaking decades of relying on other nations for vaccine development- and to thereby stop the spread of disease much, much faster.



In 2021, Africa’s 1.3 billion people had to wait months for the Covid-19 vaccine. More than 40 million doses had reportedly been administered in wealthier countries hoarding the vaccine compared with just 25 doses given, in total, to one of the lowest income countries in Africa. 



The world was, said the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), on the “brink of a catastrophic moral failure”. It was a stark and unpleasant picture painted by lack of access, limited funding, and supply chain complexities. It’s also not the first time Africa has been left behind. The treatment for HIV/Aids took six years to become accessible to Africans who were among the hardest-hit by the disease, vaccines were hard to come by during the 2009 swine flu pandemic, and in 2023, there was a shortage of cholera vaccines when an Indian manufacturer stopped making the vaccine during an outbreak. 



The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has stated that over 200 disease outbreaks were reported in 2024. And they all have a direct impact on education, economic development, security and health. Yet, Africa remains reliant on vaccines produced in other parts of the world reportedly producing less than 1% of the world’s vaccinations. Out of the 54 countries in Africa, only eight have the capacity to produce vaccines – South Africa, Tunisia, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Algeria, Egypt and Ethiopia.



Today, Mpox is a growing threat in Africa. In 2024, the Africa CDC declared its first Public Health Emergency of Continental Security and WHO issued its Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), one of its highest global health alerts. Across Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa and, more recently in 2025, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mpox cases totaled more than 50,840 as of November 2024.



The continent’s leadership isn’t sitting still. The African Union and the Africa CDC committed to the ideal of Africa producing 60% of its own vaccines by 2040, signing two Memorandums of Agreement (MOUs) and forming partnerships with key organizations like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, who were instrumental in ensuring Africa received Covid-19 vaccines. But, with the continent expected to now produce 1.5 billion doses a year – 73 times more than what’s produced locally today – technology has become an essential tool to supporting vaccine development and distribution in Africa.



It sounds expensive, but as Arthur Salaün, partner at Boston Consulting Group, tells FORBES AFRICA, “Vaccines are considered one of the most cost-effective global health interventions – for every dollar you invest in vaccines, you get $20 return across economic and societal gains.”



Technology can play into the limited supply of vaccines on the continent. For example, as Michael Mynhardt, CEO and co-founder of MMH &amp; Partners Africa, explains, data can provide rapid insights into where hotspots are forming, giving healthcare providers more time to react. “You can use data to pinpoint and track outbreaks, allowing for teams to develop more effective vaccination strategies.”



He also raises one of the most significant challenges when it comes to managing vaccinations in Africa – the supply chain. There’s a growing need for solutions that can manage the cold chain efficiently while delivering vaccines to remote and hard- to-reach areas. “Drones and autonomous delivery solutions are able to access rural areas quickly and at a lower cost,” he adds.



In Kisumu, a city in Kenya, Zipline drones are being used to deliver rabies post-exposure prophylactics, malaria vaccines and measles vaccines to children. Zipline has also ensured the distribution of more than one million vaccines in Ghana, while the DRC has invested in drones to deliver yellow fever vaccines to out-of-reach locations.



Then there is the role technology is playing in the delivery of the vaccine into the human body itself. As Professor Willem Hanekom, co-national principal investigator for the M72/ AS01E TB vaccine candidate trial in South Africa, explains to FORBES AFRICA: “Most vaccines are delivered by injection – it’s practical and we know how to do it, but what if we developed patches instead? There are trials going on globally to try and convert vaccines into patches but it’s not a simple transition. They have to be safe to use and easy to deliver, and there are a lot of regulatory steps that can take years.”



Patches would be easier to manage, more cost-effective to transport, especially if using UAVs, and less intimidating for children, but their development is lengthy thanks to safety and regulatory challenges. Hanekom takes the conversation back to the supply chain and the critical need to ensure that every vial and vaccine has remained at the right temperature throughout transportation. “Technologies are coming into play that make this more efficient, for example, markers on every vial that can show whether or not there has been an interruption in the cold chain,” he says.



Dr Meg Schaeffer, EdD, MPH, MPA, an infectious disease epidemiologist and National Public Health advisor at SAS Institute in the United States, adds: “Real-time field monitoring tools ensure vaccines retain their efficacy as they move through the delivery process, but another critical factor is more of an interplay on the epidemiology side using a regional model. Technology can help us to consistently monitor where disease outbreaks are occurring and then model and potentially forecast different scenarios to assess which populations will be affected next, and to what extent. It helps us to determine where to position our resources quickly. This is the next critical frontier for Africa – using technology to deploy vaccines exactly to where they need to be so we can stop the spread of disease much, much faster.”



Finally, of course, there’s artificial intelligence (AI). AI is helping organizations reduce the time to discover a vaccine and put it on the market, allowing developers and healthcare systems to react far faster than today. “We see a future for vaccines where instead of 10 years, they will take a few months which means that when you have an epidemic, you can react far quicker than in the past,” he says. “AI-discovered drugs have a success rate of 80%-90% in phase one which is way higher than traditional drugs. The hope is that it will help Africa develop vaccines for local, daily diseases that are of no interest to global pharmaceuticals and change the narrative on the continent.”

Doctor fills syringe with medicine from vial. Vaccination and immunization

The Next Critical Frontier: Vaccine Development In Africa

Chinese brands are gaining momentum and igniting a new era in South Africa’s automotive landscape. Whether it’s a sleek new SUV rolling off a Chinese assembly line or a locally produced vehicle designed to compete on the global stage, the industry is speeding with potential and possibilities.



A Few Decades Ago, South Africa witnessed the rise of Japanese automotive brands like Kia, Hyundai, and Suzuki, which boldly entered the market to challenge well-established mass volume players like Toyota, Volkswagen (VW) and Nissan. Over time, these brands not only carved out significant market shares but also won the hearts of South Africans with their affordability, innovation and reliability. Today, a similar story is unfolding – this time with Chinese automotive brands rapidly making their mark on South Africa and the broader African continent. Brands like Great Wall Motor Company (GWM), Haval and Chery have already secured spots in the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa’s (NAAMSA) top 10 sales charts. Meanwhile, newer entrants such as GAC, Jetour, LDV and Dongfeng are aiming to steadily build momentum. With 2025 promising a wave of exciting new launches, these brands are poised to redefine the automotive landscape and spark a new era of competition.



Vision for Growth



Jay Jay Botes, General Manager of Chery South Africa, reveals that the company has ambitious plans to introduce multiple new energy vehicles (NEVs) to the South African market in 2025. While the idea of establishing local manufacturing facilities is under consideration, Botes emphasizes that Chery is still in the feasibility study phase.



On the other hand, BYD – one of China’s largest electric vehicle (EV) producers – is entering the South African market with bold intentions. As BYD celebrates 30 years, the brand is leveraging its expertise in industries like rail transit, renewable energy and electronics to disrupt the automotive industry. Steve Chang, General Manager of BYD South Africa, highlights the company’s long-term vision: building trust in a competitive environment by prioritizing customer relationships over short-term profit margins.



BYD’s upcoming launches, including the Sealion 6 plugin hybrid and the Dolphin mini, underscore its commitment to innovation. The brand’s focus on R&amp;D, with 10% of its global workforce dedicated to it, ensures that its vehicles are not only technologically-advanced but also tailored to meet the needs of diverse markets like South Africa.



The BRICS Connection



The rise of Chinese brands in South Africa is closely tied to the country’s membership in the BRICS bloc. Since joining in 2010, South Africa has seen a significant increase in automotive imports from BRICS countries, with China playing a central role. However, this growth has also sparked debates about balancing the interests of legacy automotive manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, VW, Isuzu, Nissan and Toyota – many of which have invested heavily in local production facilities – and the influx of competitively priced imports.



Mikel Mabasa, CEO of NAAMSA, acknowledges the complexities. “The disruption caused by Chinese imports is a topic of concern, but any potential interventions must align with the South African Automotive Masterplan 2035 and the second phase of the Automotive Production Development Programme (APDP2),” he explains. Mabasa emphasizes that while competition is intense, it ultimately benefits consumers by offering more choices at competitive prices.



Competing on Value



In a fiercely-competitive market, Chinese brands have positioned themselves as champions of affordability and innovation. Their focus on SUVs – one of the fastest-growing segments globally – has struck a chord with South African consumers. Equipped with advanced features and cutting-edge technology, these vehicles offer exceptional value, making them highly appealing in a market where 66.3% of vehicles sold in 2023 were priced below ZAR500,000 ($26,787).



Despite this influx, locally-produced vehicles remain strong contenders. In 2023, eight of the top 10 selling models in South Africa were manufactured locally, showcasing the resilience and adaptability of the country’s legacy OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers). Mabasa notes that the presence of Chinese brands has spurred local manufacturers to innovate, offering aggressive marketing, attractive financing options, and new model launches to stay competitive.



The NEV Revolution



As the global automotive industry pivots toward NEVs, South Africa stands at the cusp of a transformative shift. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcements at the SA Auto Week in 2024 highlighted the government’s commitment to fostering NEV adoption through policy support and incentives. However, NEVs remain a niche segment, accounting for just 1.45% of total new vehicle sales in 2023.



Chinese brands like BYD are well-positioned to accelerate this transition. By offering affordable EV options, they could drive broader market adoption and pave the way for local production in the future. Mabasa believes that a combination of demand-side incentives and hybrid vehicle inclusion in the APDP2 framework could catalyze this growth. “The affordability of Chinese EVs makes them a key player in addressing the high costs that currently hinder NEV adoption,” he says.



A Continent Alive with Possibilities



The rise of Chinese automotive brands in South Africa is not an isolated phenomenon. These brands are also making inroads across sub-Saharan Africa, leveraging the continent’s growing appetite for affordable, feature-rich vehicles. With whispers of potential production facilities and partnerships, their influence is set to extend far beyond sales figures.



This shift is indicative of a broader transformation within the African automotive landscape. Consumers are becoming more discerning, demanding vehicles that offer not just affordability but also quality, reliability and innovation. As Chinese brands rise to meet these expectations, they are also challenging local and global players to rethink their strategies.



Shaping the Future



The automotive industry is undergoing a seismic shift, and South Africa is at the heart of this transformation. Chinese brands, with their relentless focus on affordability, technology and customer trust, are reshaping the competitive landscape and redefining what it means to succeed in the industry.



For consumers, this means more choices, better value and the promise of a future where NEVs become a mainstream reality. For manufacturers and policymakers, it’s a call to innovate, collaborate and adapt to a rapidly changing world.



As South Africa enters this new era, one thing is clear: the automotive landscape is alive with possibilities. Whether it’s a sleek new SUV rolling off a Chinese assembly line or a locally- produced vehicle designed to compete on the global stage, the industry is brimming with potential. And at the center of it all are the consumers, whose preferences and demands will ultimately shape the future. This is not just a story about cars – it’s a story about transformation, resilience and the unyielding drive to innovate. It’s a story about South Africa, its people and its place in the global automotive revolution.

3d render of automatic car production line with robotic arms welding parts

Sparking Competition: The Rise Of Chinese Automotive Brands In South Africa

As traditional banking remains out of reach for many still unbanked and underserved In Africa, is Cryptocurrency slowly beginning to take a share of African wallets. 



The continent is anticipated to reach $2.9 billion in cryptocurrency revenue this year, and this growth is only going to grow exponentially as crypto becomes increasingly relevant to a digital-savvy population that’s distrustful of traditional banking services. In 2022, the World Bank reported that well over 50% of adults in 16 economies across 36 surveyed have a bank account. While account ownership has increased, the continent remains a financial playground where innovative solutions and transformative approaches to money management flourish.



Mobile money, says the World Bank, has redefined financial inclusion in countries like Kenya – M-PESA, for example, is the continent’s biggest success story and the lingo around its transactions has crept into local dialect.



And cryptocurrency, says the 2024 Geography of Crypto Report by Chainalysis, has equally found its footing in developing economies where millions opt into alternative banking and financial management solutions. The report found that sub-Saharan Africa is currently in the lead for decentralized finance (DeFi) adoption because people are craving accessible financial solutions and while the region only accounts for 2.7% of global cryptocurrency transaction volumes, Nigeria comes second in global cryptocurrency adoption while Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa made the top 30. Middle East and North Africa (MENA) account for 7.5% of global transaction volumes and was the seventh largest crypto market in 2024.



In these markets where crypto opens up doors often held shut by traditional banking systems, these digital assets have evolved to become essential to economic survival. No longer just for use by wealthy investors exploring crypto’s potential on a digital playground, these currencies are being adopted by digital-savvy users from informal sectors who want to bank, invest and spend within a trusted and accessible ecosystem.



As Frank Leonette, Founder and CEO of AFRIDAX, tells FORBES AFRICA: “It’s not the white-collar individuals who are driving crypto, it’s people from informal sectors. They’re using their mobile devices to transact in crypto because the beauty of this technology is that it is peer-to-peer. It doesn’t need a bank or intermediaries. If I send you 10 bitcoins, you will receive them immediately on your device and it removes the barrier-to-entry significantly.”



Instead of proof of address – a challenge in most rural areas – and identification and other complex paperwork hurdles, crypto users can move into the market easily.



Leonette highlights how Zimbabwe was a superb example of how bitcoin transcended the challenges of local currency because it was so easily transactable in the country.



“Cryptocurrency also makes it easier to do cross-border transactions and send money home – users don’t have to pay the astronomical fees associated with legacy systems nor do they have to wait three to four days for money to clear. It’s an instantaneous transaction.”



Financial institutions are paying attention to this shift.



In South Africa, Auguste Claude-Nguetsop, Partner and Southern Africa Head of Financial Services at KPMG, tells FORBES AFRICA that digital banks like Bank Zero and TymeBank have evolved to meet the needs of the unbanked population, structuring their costs and services to deliver what these users need. However, he believes that while cryptocurrencies do lower the barrier to entry with regards to access, cost and borders, they aren’t that easy to use or understand.



“We have a growing digital banking sector which is now also experimenting with crypto, especially as it’s attractive to those looking for cross-border payments,” he explains. “However, the complexity of crypto makes it a barrier for a large part of that market.”



He’s right. Cryptocurrencies aren’t simple – there are multiple types, different levels of performance, an abundance of crypto exchanges and the increasing risks around fraud and cybersecurity.



Thomas Lobban, Tax Legal Specialist at Latita Africa, tells FORBES AFRICA that while the walls have come down regarding crypto and it has become increasingly easy to use and access, there are dangers, and it isn’t quite as useful as perhaps pundits would have you believe.



“People aren’t abandoning their bank accounts in favor of crypto because what you can purchase is still limited, even in areas that have a primarily informal economy they prefer cash, which has a tangible value to it in their hands, as opposed to crypto which is still volatile,” he says. “Where you’ve really seen an explosion of crypto is in places that have hyper-inflationary currencies. If your local currency isn’t going to hold its value between today or tomorrow, crypto becomes an incredibly attractive prospect.”



This is exactly one of the reasons why crypto has found its feet in countries like Zimbabwe and Turkey. According to Kaiko Research, Turkey’s inflation and currency devaluation alongside bitcoins growing value has led to the country’s rapid adoption of cryptocurrencies to offset this financial instability. These digital assets are being further enhanced by the fact that in 2024 there was a swathe of regulatory changes that have shifted the narrative around crypto. Standardized regulations and licensing are building more secure and trusted digital financial environments – South Africa was the first African nation to introduce licensing for crypto exchanges which, the Crypto Council for Innovation calls a “significant leap forward”.



Perhaps crypto’s expansion in Africa is less about the unbanked and more about finding smart ways of managing money across the financial solutions that best fit the environment. In Kenya, mobile money remains king, in Nigeria and Turkey, crypto is gaining significant traction, while in South Africa, regulations are placing crypto firmly in the investor space. That said, however, there are still challenges around regulations in Africa that are inhibiting uptake and that may yet put the brakes on the digital currency’s growth aspirations. As Claude-Nguetsop concludes: “Regulators are potentially not fully comfortable about the size of the risks and the instruments are not very liquid, but it’s worth noting that things are changing, and Africa isn’t left behind. The U.S., which is quite sophisticated, only allowed listings in January 2024. It will all be allowed on the continent; it’s just a matter of time because crypto is here to stay.”

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Africa’s Crypto Cred: Transacting With The Future

Heard of catfishing? Disturbing trends from the world of online dating and how these dangerous scams are on the rise. Watch out for the red flags.



A 19-year-old university student from South Africa, Tom Harris (name changed to protect identity), is urging people to be more cautious when it comes to social media scams. After being caught last year, he says “more and more of my friends are being catfished [online romance scams]”.



He claims even amongst teens who know what to look out for, the number of those getting caught out by unscrupulous scammers is on the rise. This could be more amongst older populations who might not be as savvy online. It’s a growing global problem and perpetrators are using advancing technologies to stay one step ahead.



Interpol’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2024 estimates there’s been a 23% year-on-year increase in the number of weekly cyber-related crimes in Africa, including catfishing and ‘pig butchering’ – a scheme that combines aspects of catfishing and cryptocurrency investment fraud, where scammers use fake online identities to build trust with victims before convincing them to invest in crypto-currency scams and then disappearing with the funds.



Many of the fraudsters are reportedly from West Africa. The ‘Ghana scam’ is a well-known tactic to deceive victims into believing they are in a relationship. Once trust has been built, the tricksters manipulate victims into sending them money. South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Cameroon are also home to cybercrime syndicates, the losses of which are estimated in hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars. In Nigeria, the rise in scamming is largely due to a boom in cybercafes, a series of economic crashes from the 1980s, and the resulting joblessness amongst young people. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, ‘Nigerian Prince’ emails became infamous. As per online reports, they “typically involved someone claiming to be royalty and asking for money they promised to pay back with a hefty commission added”. The ‘Nigerian letter’ followed – a type of computer fraud “that aims to underhandedly get access to a user’s bank account or to extort money from them in a different way”. According to the United States’ Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, Business Email Compromise (BEC) fraud reports have skyrocketed, with attempts to steal nearly $9 billion from American financial institutions since 2016. Here, the scammer uses email to trick someone into sending money or divulging confidential company information. The culprit poses as a trusted figure, then asks for a fake bill to be paid or for sensitive data they can use in another scam.



Then there’s the ‘419 scheme’, named for the violation of Section 419 of the Nigerian Criminal Code. It combines “the threat of impersonation fraud with a variation of an advance fee scheme in which a letter, email, or fax is received by the potential victim”.



The syndicates work across the continent. Shane Theunissen, Managing Director of private security company, Special Ops 99, in Johannesburg, says the groups rent apartments in affluent areas. “Ten guys rent one unit and work out of it. We’ve arrested a lot of them and confiscated a lot of laptops with regards to 419 scams,” he tells FORBES AFRICA. “All these guys do is sit at home all day. They all drive fancy cars. They never go to work. That raises suspicion.” Theunissen says after his static security teams monitor strange activities in neighborhoods, his security teams pass the information on to the company’s tactical task team that then works closely with commercial crime units and crime intelligence to investigate. Confiscated laptops are sent to forensics for processing.



Tracing these criminals across borders is not easy.



Theunissen says his company works with international tracing agents and task teams, but the culprits are not easy to catch because they use sophisticated methods to cover their tracks. These include burner phones that can’t be traced, as well as VPNs. These are secure private networks that use encryption to hide their location. While they’re not foolproof, in many cases, criminals can continue their ruse for sometime as the VPN essentially sends out false location information.



The Nigerian ‘Yahoo Boys’ have been quick to exploit deepfake technology in their romance scams. Similar to traditional catfishing, they begin by luring victims through social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter). These initial contacts are usually made through direct messages, where the scammers use manipulation to gain the victim’s trust. As the conversation progresses, they move the interaction to messaging apps like WhatsApp, making the communication feel more personal and frequent.



The crucial next step in their scheme is video calling. Here, the scammers employ deepfake technology to alter their appearance and voice in real time, allowing them to present themselves as the person depicted in the photos from earlier interactions. Victims, believing they are truly speaking with the person they have come to trust, continue to build the emotional connection.



Once the trust is established, the scammers implement the final part of their plan: defrauding the victim of money. By then, the victim is deeply invested in the relationship, making them more likely to fall for requests for financial help. Many of these techniques are reportedly borrowed from Chinese romance scams. Increasingly, scammers are turning to crypto to bypass safety checks. Hacked Facebook and Twitter accounts are bought with crypto or cash and then 15- and 16-year-olds are hired to generate content and create a profile. Sometimes a full persona is set up using Clip Art or photos from other social media accounts.



Building trust can take months.



When the money comes, the boss gets 60% and the young men take home the remaining 40%.



So how do we protect ourselves against these fraudsters? South African Harris found himself caught in the dangerous web of catfishing and blackmail after he met a woman named “Chloe” on Instagram. What began as seemingly innocent messaging soon spiralled into a nightmare when Chloe, who had convinced Harris to share intimate photos, threatened to expose him unless he paid her a fee.



Based on how catfishing works, it’s fair to assume that Chloe didn’t even exist. She threatened to send Harris’ intimate photos to his friends and family if he didn’t comply. He paid, hoping the nightmare would end.



“I was terrified,” Harris recalls. “She said she’d post my pictures everywhere, send them to my friends, my family… I thought paying her would make it stop. But that wasn’t the case.”



Chloe demanded more, and more money.



Emma Sadleir, South Africa’s leading expert on social media law, advised him to stop all communication, deactivate all social media accounts, and refrain from responding to any further messages. Sadleir notes that paying an extortionist only fuels the situation and encourages further demands. The best course of action, she says, is to block the perpetrator, gather evidence, and, if necessary, report the incident to the authorities. “Honestly, I thought I was going to be exposed. I thought she would send the photos out. But it didn’t happen. Maybe it’s because I blocked her and shut everything down. I don’t know for sure, but I’m relieved it’s over,” says Harris. Sadleir tells FORBES AFRICA: “What I’m finding more and more is that it’s just such a difficult crime to deal with because people are so very embarrassed to come forward. They often feel ashamed that they’ve sent these nudes to people they don’t know.” Among the red flags to look out for: scammers often make unsolicited contact; they may quickly express deep feelings; create emotional bonds, or fabricate sob stories like medical emergencies or family crises to ask for financial help; poor grammar and spelling; urgency and pressure to push you into making quick decisions; and background that cannot be verified. While the stakes are high, the cost of giving in can be higher.

Love scam and romance fraud with fake profile online. Dating website catfish. Scammer man with phone. Money deception with stolen identity on internet.

Falling Hook, Line And Sinker: Have You Been A Victim Of Catfishing?

There’s a new compact electric vehicle that holds the title of “cheapest EV” in South Africa, or “least expensive”, whichever way you look at it.



The Dayun S5 Mini SUV EV became available in January for R399,900 ($21,668), dethroning the BYD Dolphin at R539,900 ($29,254). It was announced in July 2024 as the Dayun Yuehu S5 but has since been renamed.



The Dayun S5 Mini SUV is a Chinese import, sold by Enviro Automotive, a Pretoria-based importer and distributor of EVs, and heavy-duty electric trucks and bakkies.



Despite its positioning, it still incurs a higher import duty of 25% when compared to the 18% on internal combustion engine vehicles.



The S5 Mini SUV has a closed-off front grille, LED lights, a 7-inch infotainment screen next to an 8-inch instrument cluster, climate control, Bluetooth and a USB-A port.



Other standard features include driver and passenger airbags, ABS brakes, traction control, hill start assist and cruise control.



The S5 Mini also comes in a “VIP” option for R449,900 ($24,375), which includes a SmartLink app access with additional remote features, larger wheels, and ultrasonic radars for its parking cameras.



The company provided FORBES AFRICA with a loan unit of the VIP model for a weekend in a pale green shade.



The small five-seater EV has a modest 35kW of power and 105Nm of torque and a tiny 31.7kWh battery. It yields a driving range of about 330km, according to WLTP ratings. Top speed is 110km/h.



We tested the vehicle over a rainy weekend in Gauteng, by splitting it between highway driving and urban roads.



The car’s limited 35kW of power was felt on the highway stretch, with vehicles behind flashing us because of our slow speed, which at the time was around 80km/h, yet three lanes away from the fast lane.



The highest speed achieved on the drive to Menlyn near Johannesburg was 107km/h, while going flat out, which felt like it was eating into the range unnecessarily.



While I used 36km of range for the 40km trip one way, on the previous week I netted 8km of range on the electric Mini on the same route.



There was a huge downpour on the return trip and due to a fogged-up windscreen and limited visibility, the aircon had to be used at full speed with the demister to clear the windows.



I felt the car had unintentionally gone through a worst-case scenario, so I was looking forward to city driving the following day. I completed a 25km trip using 18km of range, which was better than the highway stretch.



The speed on urban roads with frequent traffic lights meant I didn’t need to go beyond 80km/h. I found it better suited to urban roads.



When it came to recharging the S5 Mini, it struggled on certain DC fast chargers. It eventually cut off after a short while, but I had better luck with my home AC charger. Enviro Automotive is looking into the charging fault.



The S5 Mini can charge at a 6kW speed on an AC charger and maximum 30kW on a DC charger.



I charged about 16.78kWh of the battery on my home charger, which took about 2.5 hours and cost me less than R45 ($2.43) at a figure of roughly R2.45 per kWh. However, the vehicle comes with a 3-pin plug charger.



A full charge at home costs around R76 on Eskom rates. Comparatively, a public AC charger costs roughly R182 ($9.86) based at a rate of R5.88 per kWh and around R228 ($12.35) on a DC charger at R7.35 per kWh. Eskom charges per kWh while public EV chargers are based on speed.



The Dayun S5 Mini SUV is cheap to run but due to its output, is better suited for short urban commutes, school rounds or as a small business vehicle, including ones that deliver within its vicinity.

Image supplied

For Car And Tech Geeks Only: What It’s Like Driving South Africa’s Most Affordable EV

Abu Dhabi-based AppliedAI, which helps healthcare companies and insurers automate claims and billing, just raised $55 million in a deal led by G42 with Palantir and Bessemer



Abu Dhabi is best known in tech for bankrolling foreign startups, venture funds and now AI mega projects like OpenAI’s infrastructure Stargate via its massive sovereign wealth funds. But the UAE also has a small but growing AI ecosystem.



One such startup, AppliedAI, which was originally founded in London in 2021 but moved to Abu Dhabi the following year to take advantage of government grants, has now raised one of the region’s largest early-stage venture funding rounds. G42, the AI lab controlled by United Arab Emirates’ national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed, has led a $55 million Series A round into the company, along with Palantir, Bessemer Venture Partners, McKinsey, and Accrete Capital. The new funding puts a $300 million pre-money valuation on the startup, which uses a mix of humans and AI to automate back-office jobs.



AppliedAI founder and CEO Arya Bolurfrushan has zeroed in on highly regulated insurances like healthcare, insurance and pharma that have mountains of paperwork that need to be manually processed. Among AppliedAI’s current clients are Abu Dhabi’s state-owned health group M42, American law firm Morgan &amp; Morgan and British drug safety monitoring company Qinecsa.



Bolurfrushan’s pitch is that his AI, and human reviewers, can process complex medical billing records or insurance claims faster and more accurately than traditional outsourcing companies like Cognizant, Concentrix and Wipro.&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2785479" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Studies</a>&nbsp;suggest that such paperwork and other administrative expenses count for at least 15% of the $4.9 trillion spent on healthcare in the United States annually.



“All our work is what we call high cost of error workflows where often human lives are on the line,” Bolurfrushan told&nbsp;Forbes. “You can’t afford hallucinations and that’s why we have an essential harmony between our AI and human agents.”



Bolurfrushan declined to reveal AppliedAi’s revenue but said that company had processed over 4 million pages of U.S. medical records in the last year alone.



Applied had previously raised $42 million in 2022 from G42 and Dubai’s ruling Al Maktoum family,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-17/uae-royals-back-ai-startup-founded-by-former-goldman-banker" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>&nbsp;reported. Bolurfrushan, a former Goldman Sachs banker, told&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;the new cash would be used to further develop its AI tools, and expand its team to work with more clients in the United States and Europe.



G42, Abu Dhabi’s flagship AI project, received its own funding boost last year when Microsoft invested $1.5 billion to take a minority stake. That investment came as part of a deal for G42 to divest from China and end its work with Huawei over fears from American lawmakers that this could allow China’s tech giants to access U.S. AI technology and chips.



One investor in the deal, London-based venture fund Accrete, was also cofounded by Bolurfrushan.



The deal marks Bessemer’s first investment in the UAE in what is one of the region’s largest Series A rounds for a startup. “What AppliedAI has built enables the automation jobs to be done faster and cheaper but with a human in the loop,” Sofia Guerra, vice president of Bessemer Venture Partners, told Forbes.

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Category: Technology