Microsoft is ramping up efforts to expand artificial intelligence adoption across Africa, as the U.S. technology giant seeks to counter growing influence from Chinese AI companies such as DeepSeek according to a Bloomberg report.
The initiative focuses on expanding access to AI tools, training programs, and cloud infrastructure across the continent, where tech companies see one of the world’s fastest-growing digital markets.
Microsoft executives say the company is targeting millions of Africans for AI training programs while working with telecom operators and governments to broaden access to its AI products, including Microsoft 365 and Copilot.
The move highlights a widening global competition between U.S. and Chinese technology companies over the next generation of AI users.
Chinese AI developer DeepSeek has rapidly gained traction in emerging markets, partly due to lower-cost models and open-source tools that make AI more accessible in regions with limited computing resources.
Microsoft and other Western companies are now responding by investing in local infrastructure, developer ecosystems, and training initiatives to encourage adoption of their own platforms.
Africa has become a key battleground because of its young population and fast-growing digital economy, which many technology companies see as a major source of future AI users.
As part of its strategy, Microsoft has partnered with MTN Group, arguably the largest telecom operator on the African continent, to bring Microsoft services including AI-powered productivity tools to hundreds of millions of mobile users across the continent.
The company is also investing heavily in cloud infrastructure and data centres in Africa. In South Africa, Microsoft has committed about $330 million to expand cloud and AI capacity by 2027, while a geothermal-powered data centre project is being developed in Kenya.
Such investments aim to address one of the biggest barriers to AI adoption in Africa: the lack of local computing infrastructure capable of running advanced models.
Despite the growing interest in AI, adoption across the continent remains relatively low compared with developed markets.
Research indicates that no African country has yet reached a 20% AI adoption rate, reflecting gaps in infrastructure, digital skills, and internet access that continue to limit widespread use of the technology.
Microsoft says its training programs are intended to help close that gap by equipping developers, entrepreneurs, and students with the skills needed to build AI applications locally.
The competition between companies like Microsoft and DeepSeek also reflects broader geopolitical dynamics in the technology sector.
Chinese firms have been expanding aggressively across emerging markets, offering low-cost AI tools that appeal to price-sensitive regions.
Western companies, meanwhile, emphasise trust, security, and enterprise-grade platforms as differentiating factors.
As AI becomes a central driver of economic development, both sides are racing to establish influence in regions like Africa where the next wave of global technology adoption is expected to emerge.