As AI adoption accelerates across the continent, our Group MD & CEO Geoffrey Odundo joined a panel of industry leaders at the Africa CEO Forum 2025 to discuss: “Frugal or Prodigal AI: What is the African Model?”

The forum that was held in partnership with Nation Media Group, reinforces our vision to be the Media of Africa for Africa by championing and supporting critical continental conversations.

A recent study by McKinsey & Company revealed that Africa’s media and entertainment industry could generate an additional Sh245 billion ($1.9 billion) annually by integrating generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into its operations.

Although media and entertainment is one of the continent’s smaller industries, it could boost its revenues by up to 1.9 percent if companies actively use AI to enhance their activities.

This projection follows the growing adoption of the disruptive technology across various sectors globally, where it has been improving efficiency, speed, and cost-effectiveness in business operations.

Artificial intelligence refers to technologies that enable computer systems to mimic human intelligence and perform tasks that typically require human input, such as visual perception, speech recognition, and decision-making.

The McKinsey report, titled Leading, not lagging: Africa’s GenAI Opportunity, was launched on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum on Monday in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

It further reveals that companies across the continent could generate an additional $103 billion (Sh13.3 trillion) from adopting AI in their operations, with the retail and telecommunications sectors expected to lead this transformation.

The retail sector could earn up to Sh1.3 trillion ($10.4 billion) annually, while the telecommunications industry could generate an additional Sh1.2 trillion ($9.6 billion) per year through AI use.

Mayowa Kuyoro, head of financial services at McKinsey & Company and one of the report’s authors, said that while the potential is clear, it is up to companies to take action to unlock the value AI can bring to their industries.

“For companies to really benefit from this, you need to not just do GenAI for the sake of it, but be very clear about the use case that you’re using it for, so you don’t take a scattershot approach in using it,” she said.

Africa’s media industry is estimated to generate Sh4.6 trillion in revenue by 2025, according to Statista Market Insights, with the majority coming from traditional sources such as advertising and circulation.

By 2029, it is estimated that up to 32 percent of media revenue in Africa will come from digital media sources, compared to less than 20 percent currently—highlighting the potential impact AI could have on earnings.

Speaking on a panel at the forum discussing how Africa can capitalise on AI, Nation Media Group CEO Geoffrey Odundo said that collaboration with regulators and investment in young people will be essential to realising the benefits of the new technology.

“AI is coming in as an emerging technology that is totally going to revolutionise our businesses. There has to be collaborative effort with regulators but this should not stifle innovation,” Mr Odundo said.

By Vincent Owino