Masiyiwa Pushes for Africa to Become a Start-up Continent Powered by AI

Strive Masiyiwa, Founder and Executive Chairman of Econet Global and Cassava Technologies, has urged African leaders to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and entrepreneurship as the continent’s pathway to wealth creation, job opportunities, and inclusive growth.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly’s Global Africa Business Summit in New York, Masiyiwa said Africa must reposition itself as a start-up continent, driving innovation rather than merely consuming global technologies.

He stressed that Africa’s future competitiveness will depend on its ability to build the right infrastructure, talent pipelines, and innovation ecosystems that harness the transformative power of AI.

By Ruvarashe Gora

“We have got to turn Africa into a start-up continent. We have to drive wealth creation and job creation through entrepreneurship of the now, which is AI“.

Masiyiwa said, work is already underway to lay the foundation for Africa’s digital revolution, including investments in connectivity, digital skills, and AI-powered solutions.

The business mogul argued that Africa must not settle for being a late participant in the AI era, but should push to lead and shape global innovation agendas.

Industry observers believe Masiyiwa’s call aligns with growing efforts across Africa to adopt digital transformation strategies, with governments and private players ramping up investments in tech start-ups, AI research, and future-ready skills.