• 26 % of African CEOs expect to allocate over 20 % of budgets to AI
• Report highlights investment priorities in cybersecurity and digital resilience
• African leaders show rising confidence in economies, firms, and hiring plans

Around 26 % of African business leaders plan to devote more than 20 % of their investment budgets to artificial intelligence (AI) over the next twelve months, compared with a global average of 14 %, according to a report published on Thursday, November 13 by consulting firm KPMG.

Titled “KPMG 2025 Africa CEO Outlook: CEOs doubling down on AI and talent investment as the keys to resilience and growth,” the report is based on a survey carried out between August 5 and September 10, 2025 among 130 chief executives in Southern Africa, East Africa, and West Africa.

The document, which represents the Africa edition of the “Global CEO Outlook 2025” report by KPMG, also reveals that 41 % of these African business leaders now consider the integration of AI into corporate workflows as their second investment priority, just behind cybersecurity and digital resilience (45 %). These choices reflect a pragmatic approach that aims to secure today’s technologies while building tomorrow’s growth engine.

In the same direction, African business leaders place talent at the heart of their AI strategies. No less than 81 % say that training their staff in AI will have a direct impact on their company’s success over the next three years, compared with a global average of 77 %. At the same time, only 64 % of African CEOs fear that competition for AI talent will have a negative impact on their company, compared with 70 % of their counterparts worldwide. This indicates that the surveyed leaders on the continent favor internal AI talent training and long-term skills development, rather than relying on rapid external recruitment.

Regain of confidence in economic prospects

Behavioral change management remains a key priority on the continent, as more than half (52 %) of African leaders worry about AI’s potential impact on corporate culture, compared with 63 % of global CEOs. Meanwhile, 36 % cite employee resistance to change as a challenge in deploying this technology.

The report also highlights that 53 % of CEOs on the continent say they are confident in the growth prospects of the global economy over the next three years, compared with an average of 68 % for their peers worldwide.

Confidence levels among African leaders improve when they assess the prospects of their national economy. Around 63 % say they are confident in their country’s growth outlook, compared with 61 % in 2024, which indicates a gradual increase in optimism about national economic stability.

At the company level, optimism is even more pronounced. Around 78 % of African business leaders say they are confident in the growth prospects of their company, a notable increase from the 64 % recorded in 2024. At this level, confidence is now almost equivalent to that observed worldwide (79 %).

Confidence in growth prospects is also reflected in the appetite of companies for acquisitions. Around 86 % of African CEOs reveal that they are conducting or planning to conduct acquisitions over the next three years, compared with 77 % in 2024. This increase indicates a stronger appetite for partnerships and expansion, as companies on the continent seek to gain size and capabilities.

Another revealing indicator of the rise in confidence among African executives in economic prospects is that 88 % of them plan to increase their company workforce.

In addition, 69 % of African business leaders say they have already adapted their growth strategies, while the remaining 31 % plan to revise them over the next three years.

Walid Kéfi