With infrastructural and structural challenges, emerging market economies have lagged behind developed nations in many sectors. Poor management of education systems alongside the issue of brain drain has also caused a talent supply gap. Without access to talent, these developing nations are unable to fully realize the potential of AI in their economies. Other challenges include poor regulatory frameworks and lack of good quality data.

However, there is a class of emerging market economies that will be able to overcome these challenges to adopt the new age technologies like AI, Big Data, IoT to address critical gaps in their societies and leapfrog developed nations in the race to become intelligent economies. These countries are termed the Emerligent Economies.

This report examines the concept of the Emerligent Economies in the context of Africa and presents some recommendations for how these economies can win in the race to become intelligent economies.