Catching the Curve: Why We’re Placing Africa at the Heart of Ai’s Future

Artificial Intelligence didn’t arrive quietly — it came like a curveball. And while some parts of the world are adjusting their swing, Africa has largely been watching from the stands. That reality hit me hard.

As the founder of Core + Bridge Ventures Inc., I’ve spent years building across borders in real estate, infrastructure, health tourism, and Ai. But this shift isn’t just technological. It’s generational, structural, and urgent.

The Observation That Sparked Ai Talent Bridge

African talent is abundant — but painfully underexposed. I met brilliant young minds - developers, coders, analysts, engineers - solving local problems with minimal resources, no spotlight, and little global access.

At the same time, I was watching the global tech ecosystem struggling to find talent, especially in AI and machine learning. Companies in Canada, Europe, and even the U.S. were desperate for skilled workers — yet had no visibility into the deep talent pools in places like Uganda, Nigeria, or Kenya.

And perhaps most frustrating of all: The Ai conversation - the one shaping ethics, governance, opportunity - was happening about Africa, but rarely with Africa. Africa was often the “use case,” the “testbed,” or the “market” - not the architect, not the co-author.

I realized this wasn’t just a gap. It was a disconnect in vision and a missed opportunity that could grow into a generational divide if left unchecked.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

• Africa has the youngest population in the world, with over 60% under the age of 25 — yet most global Ai talent pipelines barely touch the continent.

• Only 0.05% of global Ai research in top conferences comes from African institutions (source: Nature AI Index, 2022).

• Over 50% of African youth say they are interested in tech-related careers but lack access to proper training, mentorship, or exposure (source: AU Youth Survey, 2021).

• In countries like Uganda, Nigeria, and Kenya, there are thousands of self-taught Ai and ML developers building solutions for agriculture, health, and education — often with no institutional support.

• Meanwhile, tech giants are spending billions recruiting and relocating talent - while overlooking markets where that talent already exists, untapped and underfunded.

• In 2023 alone, global demand for Ai talent grew by 74%, yet only 17% of that demand is being met, signaling a massive opportunity gap.

Where AI Meets Health, Hope, and Humanity

One of the most promising - and urgent - intersections for Ai in Africa is healthcare. With long patient queues, understaffed clinics, and diagnostic delays, the system is under strain. But Ai offers a different kind of medicine: faster diagnostics, predictive health models, and remote patient monitoring that could save lives - not just time.

Imagine a rural health worker in Uganda using an Ai-powered tool to detect early signs of breast cancer. Or a clinic in Durban using machine learning to triage patients more efficiently during peak seasons. These aren’t far-fetched ideas — they’re already being piloted, just not at scale and rarely with African-built tools.

That’s why we’re looking at Ai not just for economic growth, but as a force for health equity, life-saving infrastructure, and smarter systems across the continent. This isn’t about automation for profit — it’s about automation for people.

Durban Stay: Redefining Medical Travel for Africa

Through Durban Stay, we’re not just building accommodation — we’re designing a medical travel ecosystem. One that serves families who travel across borders not for leisure but for healing. We’ve seen the stress patients face navigating unfamiliar cities, finding suitable lodging near hospitals, and coordinating treatment far from home.

What if that experience could be seamless? Imagine booking a short-term stay that’s pre-integrated with local health providers, translation support, transportation, and — soon — even Ai-driven care coordination tools to track appointments, medications, and recovery routines.

That’s the future we’re building. A space where health tourism is dignified, digitally connected, and locally rooted — with Africa as both provider and innovator.

"Have you noticed all the ‘what ifs’ AI brings with it? What if Africa was building, not just consuming? What if talent from Kampala and the rest of Africa shaped the next global breakthrough? The future of Ai must include Africa — not as a user, but as a creator, a voice, and a leader.”

What if…

Africa shaped the next era of Ai?

Our youth didn’t leave to succeed - but stayed and scaled?

Innovation was born not in labs alone, but in lived experience.?

What if the future isn’t something we catch up to - but something we help create?

At Core + Bridge Ventures, we live in the what ifs. Because inside every what if is a door waiting to be opened.