Ndiho Media,LLC.

Halfway through 2025, it is another critical election year in Africa. At least ten countries, such as Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Malawi, and Tanzania, are scheduled to conduct presidential or general elections. Gabon held its elections in April. While the calendar is lighter than in 2024, when nineteen countries went to the polls, this year will test how new technologies, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI), are reshaping African democracy.

Across the continent, AI is quietly making its way into election management and political campaigns. It is being used to register voters, verify identities, analyze data, and detect cyber threats. At the same time, political actors are experimenting with AI to push targeted messages, generate disinformation, and even create deepfakes. The result is a double-edged sword: AI could help elections become more efficient and credible—or undermine trust in already fragile systems.

How AI Is Being Used

There is no single record of how many African countries employ AI in elections, since most adoption happens quietly and varies in scope. But recent studies and reports, including work by Yiaga Africa and International IDEA, point to several notable cases:

• Nigeria used Automated Fingerprint Identification in 2023 to prevent duplicate registrations and now applies AI to counter cyber threats and misinformation.
• Ghana introduced facial recognition technology for voter verification in its 2024 elections.
• Kenya utilized natural language processing under the Umati project in 2022 to monitor online hate speech, while its electoral commission launched WhatsApp chatbots for voter education.
• South Africa relied on AI for voter verification in the 2024 elections, but campaigns also used it to spread disinformation and deepfakes.
• Eswatini and Madagascar reported using AI tools for voter authentication and automated chatbots.
• Senegal sparked controversy after deploying AI in its “parrainage” system to screen presidential aspirants’ endorsements.

Yiaga Africa’s 2024 survey of 22 electoral commissions shows that only a handful are actively experimenting with AI. Most remain cautious, citing high costs, weak regulation, and fears of bias or misuse.

Promise and Risk

AI’s role in elections generally falls into two areas. On one hand, it helps electoral management bodies with voter registration, biometric verification, and detecting fraud or irregularities. On the other hand, political campaigns utilize it to target voters with customized messages—sometimes crossing the line into misinformation or manipulation.

International IDEA notes that AI can make elections more inclusive and transparent, but warns it is not a cure-all. Through its AI for Electoral Actors program, IDEA is collaborating with election officials, civil society organizations, and the media in cities such as Dakar and Johannesburg to enhance literacy and capacity in the use of AI in politics.

Expert Perspectives

For Zeph Shamba, Chairman of the International Political Campaigns Expo, Africa cannot afford to ignore AI.

“Africa doesn’t want to be left out … it’s a wave that’s coming. We can’t avoid it. Gone are the days when a leader was limited in reaching out to voters—AI speeds up processes. But it also poses risks. That’s why we need open, informed debate.”

Cape Town-based campaign strategist Glen Mpani agrees that AI is transforming politics, but highlights the dangers of its misuse.

“Technology is now at the center of all political campaigns. With mobile penetration, citizens can be reached directly on their phones. That changes everything. But if these tools fall into the wrong hands, they spread disinformation. Every tool is both an opportunity and a threat.” Mpani argues that regulation must reflect African realities.”We can’t just copy rules from the West.

Challenges Ahead  

The integration of advanced technologies presents a range of challenges, despite its significant advantages. Throughout Africa, the implementation of these technologies remains quite limited. Several electoral bodies lack sufficient funding to support these systems. Furthermore, there are growing concerns among citizens regarding issues such as privacy breaches, surveillance, and biases in algorithms..Few countries have established regulatory frameworks for AI in elections, and the opacity of some tools raises additional concerns.

Civil society networks, such as Yiaga Africa, AfEONet, and ELOG, are pushing for broader conversations. Supported by the Luminate Group, they convened election officials and observers from 22 countries to weigh opportunities and risks. The consensus is that AI can improve elections, but without transparency and accountability, it may actually deepen mistrust.

Analysts say AI is not a silver bullet. It may help close gaps in voter verification or fraud detection, but it will not solve the structural and political challenges facing African elections. What matters most is how the technology is introduced—fairly, inclusively, and transparently.