South Africa sets its ambitious G20 agenda for digital public infrastructure and AI

DIGITAL technologies hold immense potential for economies’ long-term development. South Africa, through its G20 Presidency, is seizing this transformative opportunity to prioritise digital public infrastructure (DPI) and artificial intelligence (AI), both critical enablers of digital transformation, on this year’s G20 digital agenda.

- ROBERT OPP AND KEYZOM NGODUP MASSALLY

Building on declarations from the past two G20 presidencies, South Africa is now advancing discussions on how to measure the dynamic societal and economic value of DPI. This recognises that the potential benefits of DPI for people and the planet will not come about automatically - yielding them depends on how countries design and implement DPI.

On the AI front, following the announcement by South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa on establishing the G20 Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, the G20 Presidency particularly seeks to further Africa's strategic priorities on AI.

This requires investments and partnerships to strengthen AI foundations across the continent through regional and country leadership, with the AI Hub for Sustainable Development focused on private sector growth.

Unlocking the societal and economic value of DPI

Discussions on DPI are central to South Africa’s G20 Digital Economy Working Group. A critical question posed is: How can we measure the value of DPI beyond traditional cost-benefit analyses, focusing on its role in unlocking long-term development for economies and societies?

To answer this question, it's worthwhile considering the following aspects:

Regional diversity

Analyses from data collected by the DPI Map indicate stark differences across regions. In Asia, Europe and Latin America, DPI is leading transformation across sectors, such as education and health. Meanwhile, in Africa and the Caribbean, countries planning or piloting DPI face significant challenges, such as governance gaps, that limit DPI’s potential impact. A key barrier is the underutilisation of digital ID and authentication for electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) at scale in these regions, where weak adoption of DPI hinders benefits to people and governments.

Africa’s momentum