Nairobi, Feb. 4 -- Kenya has only two artificial intelligence (AI)-capable data centres against South Africa's five, highlighting a growing infrastructure gap that could lock the continent out of the most valuable cornerstone of the generative technology economy.

An analysis from Data Centre Map, a global data centre directory, shows that South Africa leads Africa with 60 data centres, followed by Nigeria with 22 and Kenya with 19. But most of these centres lack AI capabilities.

South Africa only has five, which are AI-capable, while Nigeria has one.

While AI promises to be a powerful tool in boosting productivity, Africa is being left behind because it lacks the digital infrastructure, including connectivity in the form of fast fibre-...