South Africa has moved a step closer to establishing a formal national artificial intelligence (AI) framework after Cabinet approved the draft national AI policy for public comment, with the announcement made on April 2, 2026.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the policy aims to ensure that both the benefits and risks of AI are evenly distributed across society and generations, while strengthening government’s ability to regulate and adopt AI responsibly, encourage local innovation, support job creation, and improve access to AI skills.
The policy is structured around six core pillars: capacity and talent development; AI for inclusive growth and job creation; responsible governance; ethical and inclusive AI; cultural preservation and international integration; and human-centred deployment.
South Africa chose not to create a single AI regulator. Instead, oversight will be distributed among existing regulatory authorities in a coordinated, multi-regulator model, with AI governance embedded within current supervisory frameworks rather than introducing a standalone regime.
Officials have described the approach as a “middle of the road” strategy that stops short of the European Union’s stricter regulatory regime, which the department has said could stifle innovation, while still providing a policy lever to stimulate economic growth and position the country as an African leader in responsible AI.
The announcement marks a significant milestone in a process that began in 2020. The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies published a national AI policy framework in August 2024 as a first step, built on pillars including talent and skills development, digital infrastructure, research and innovation, and public sector AI adoption.
Full implementation is expected in the 2027 to 2028 financial year, with the finalised policy expected to form the foundation for future AI regulations and potentially a dedicated AI Act.
The development places South Africa alongside Ghana, which has also received Cabinet approval for its own National AI Strategy ahead of a formal April 24 launch, as African nations accelerate efforts to govern and harness AI for economic growth.
