Since April 2024, a multidisciplinary team from the University of the Western Cape in close collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) has been working on the AI Maturity Assessment Framework (AIMAF) project, funded by GIZ through its FAIR Forward initiative.
The project aims to develop an instrument to measure South Africa's AI maturity, offering key insights into the level of AI usage, adoption, and development across various sectors. It seeks to identify gaps, areas of underdevelopment, and critical needs for intervention, ensuring the country is well-positioned to compete globally in AI advancement.
Significant momentum was achieved following the successful completion of expert interviews and two stakeholder engagement workshops that formed part of a co-design process. The workshops, hosted earlier this year, provided a unique platform for industry experts, government representatives, and academic thought leaders to collaborate and assess the state of artificial intelligence (AI) in South Africa. The co-design process was followed by a validation phase, with the final workshop conducted at the end of November. The team extends its sincere gratitude to all stakeholders who contributed their time, expertise, and feedback, which were invaluable to the development of the framework.
With the co-design and validation phases concluded, the AIMAF project team is now focused on integrating the insights gathered into the final version of the framework. The framework aims to facilitate future AI strategies and policymaking. One of the project’s key objectives is to highlight areas where South Africa can implement interventions to advance its key sectors and position itself as a leader on the African continent.
To stay informed on further developments or to contribute to the ongoing dialogue around AI maturity in South Africa, follow the AIMAF project updates here: Artificial-intelligence-ai-maturity-assessment-framework
For the workshop social media release, please see the short video here: Linked In
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