In every society, the stories people tell about new technologies shape how those tools are understood, embraced, or resisted. Narratives do not just describe change — they guide it. When innovations like artificial intelligence emerge, the framing of the conversation becomes as influential as the technology itself.
In Africa, this framing is often inherited rather than homegrown. Much of the media coverage comes directly from Western newswires, centering the ambitions of global tech companies while ignoring the innovations happening within African labs, startups, and classrooms. Professor Sisanda Nkoala, an associate professor of media studies and research chair of media inclusion and diversity at the university of Western Cape, South Africa, explained that this reliance on external narratives risks narrowing Africa’s vision of AI, because the stories shaping public understanding do not always reflect the continent’s realities or priorities.
