October 21, 2025, Kigali: The GSMA, together with Airtel, African Population Health Research Center (APHRC), Awarri, Axian Telecom, Cassava Technologies, Ethio Telecom, Masakhane African Languages Hub, Lelapa AI, MTN, Orange, Pawa AI, Qhala, World Sandbox Alliance and Vodacom, today announced a collaboration at the continental level to strengthen Africa's AI. ecosystem by developing inclusive African AI language models. The initiative aims to bring together resources and expertise to address gaps in data, computing, talent and policy, ensuring that African languages, cultures and knowledge are fully represented in the global digital future.
Under shared ambition”AI language models in Africa, by Africa, for Africa“The initiative seeks to close the region's language gap in artificial intelligence, ensuring that African voices, cultures and knowledge are fully represented in the global digital future. The GSMA recognizes existing efforts that have made great strides in addressing AI adoption in Africa; however, fundamental challenges remain and calls on ecosystem partners to join collectively to align efforts and further accelerate AI adoption in Africa.
Today, the world's leading LLMs are based on a handful of global languages, limiting access and relevance for billions of people whose linguistic and cultural diversity remains underrepresented online. As cited in GSMA's AI for Africa report series, more than 2,000 languages are spoken in Africa alone, but only a fraction are supported by digital systems or AI models. This lack of inclusion risks widening existing digital and economic divides.
By developing AI language models trained on African languages and local data, the initiative aims to empower businesses, governments and communities to create innovative AI applications and use cases tailored to African realities, from customer service and education to healthcare, creative industries and public service delivery.
This initiative follows a feasibility study led by the GSMA and its regional members that confirmed that African language models are both technically viable and economically viable. However, the study highlighted that success requires collective leadership, investment and collaboration, not fragmented efforts.
Building Africa's digital future
The study identified four crucial opportunities that need to be addressed: data, calculate, talent and policy. Continental-level collaboration will foster co-creation and mobilize major operators, governments, researchers, technology providers, investors and development partners to address these gaps and accelerate development.
To translate this ambition into action, the collaboration will establish dedicated working groups to drive measurable progress in data, computing, talent and policy. Partners have committed to regularly show results and share learnings at upcoming GSMA events, ensuring accountability and sustained momentum towards the inclusive future of AI in Africa.
Call to action
By taking an integrated problem-solving approach, the GSMA and its members are collaborating with Africa's AI ecosystem to unlock opportunities in data, computing, talent and markets. This collective effort will drive innovation and empower local industries, strengthening digital sovereignty and accelerating the scaling of AI across the continent today. Ecosystem partners, including startups, academia, creative industries, civil society, donors and global technology players, are invited to join and contribute to this shared ambition.
Angela Wamola, Africa Director, GSMA saying: “Africa's diversity of languages and cultures is one of our greatest strengths, yet it has too often been overlooked in the development of global AI systems. This initiative seeks to turn that challenge into an opportunity: build African-led AI capacity, boost innovation in local industries, and ensure that Africa shapes the digital future on its own terms. Working together, we can make AI more inclusive, more relevant and more reflective of the world in which we live”.
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About the GSMA
The GSMA is a global organization that unifies the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver critical innovation for positive business environments and social change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organizations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA offers its members three broad pillars: connectivity for good, industry services and solutions, and outreach. This activity includes policy advocacy; address today's biggest social challenges; underpin the technology and interoperability that make mobile devices work; and provide the world's largest platform to bring together the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events.
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