Africa's AI ambitions face power and connectivity hurdles, Schneider Electric warns
Steven Santini, vice president for secure power at Schneider Electric Sub-Saharan Africa, has warned that Africa's aspirations to become a hub for artificial intelligence investment are threatened by inadequate infrastructure. Speaking at the IDC CIO Summit 2026 in Johannesburg, Santini highlighted that while global AI players see Africa as a new frontier, the continent lacks the foundational power and connectivity needed to support large-scale data operations. "Global AI players increasingly view Africa as the next frontier — the new gold rush, in many respects," he told attendees at the Sandton Convention Centre. Projects in the Middle East now require power equivalent to entire cities, he noted, underscoring the scale of demand AI infrastructure can place on energy systems.
Africa's existing power deficits, aging grids, and inconsistent supply in key economies make such demands especially challenging. Hyperscale data centres, essential for training large AI models, require uninterrupted, high-capacity power — a condition not currently met across much of the continent. However, Santini cautioned against assuming all AI applications depend on massive facilities. "AI exists in many different forms," he said. "Your laptop can run AI workloads. A small ten-node server cluster deployed at an industrial site can support AI applications." Smaller, distributed systems such as containerised data centres and single-rack installations are already being adopted in sectors like mining, agriculture, and financial services, allowing organisations to integrate AI without waiting for major infrastructure upgrades.
Reliable network connectivity is equally critical, Santini added. "A data centre without reliable network infrastructure is effectively just an expensive paperweight." He also stressed the importance of software intelligence in maximising efficiency, particularly in energy-constrained environments. "We need both the right physical infrastructure and the right software intelligence to maximise efficiency and performance," he said. Solutions designed for Europe or North America cannot be replicated directly in Africa due to differing constraints. Schneider Electric is positioning itself as an end-to-end partner in developing tailored infrastructure solutions aligned with specific operational goals.
Steven Santini points to Africa's power deficits while promoting scalable AI solutions, yet Schneider Electric profits from selling the very systems the continent struggles to afford. The push for distributed AI infrastructure assumes organisations already have functional cooling and power setups, which many across Nigeria and other economies lack. Smaller data units may ease deployment, but they do not resolve the underlying scarcity of stable electricity. For African industries to adopt AI meaningfully, access to energy must precede technological rollout.
💡 NaijaBuzz Take is AI-assisted editorial opinion, not established fact. Full disclaimer →
