African CEOs Embracing AI as Key to Business Growth

African CEOs are increasingly optimistic about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to transform their businesses, but many still feel they're not investing enough in the technology.

According to new research from Cisco, 67% of African CEOs worry that their business is missing out on opportunities due to a lack of investment in AI, up from 57% last year. This concern is reflected in the fact that nearly two-thirds (63%) believe AI adoption is mandatory for modern business.

Despite these concerns, optimism about AI's potential remains high. In Africa, 93% of CEOs said they are more optimistic about AI's potential than last year, while 77% said AI beat their expectations in 2025. This growing optimism is driven by the recognition that AI can help businesses leapfrog traditional challenges and accelerate growth.

However, significant challenges remain for companies looking to scale AI effectively. Top concerns include infrastructure upgrades (43%), data quality, accessibility, and centralization issues (33%), and security and control of autonomous systems (28%).