Renewable energy and critical minerals reshape AI competition for the Global South
via NewsDay Zimbabwe12 min read
The global competition in artificial intelligence is shifting from a focus on advanced chips and algorithms to the stability, cost-efficiency, and sustainability of power supply. This change offers the Global South, particularly Africa, a pathway to digital progress by leveraging its abundant renewable energy reserves and critical mineral resources. AI's energy consumption is rapidly increasing, with data center electricity use projected to nearly triple for AI-optimized servers between 2025 and 2027. This growing demand makes access to stable, cost-effective, and renewable power crucial for future AI competitiveness. Renewable energy, once seen primarily as an environmental solution, is now a strategic prerequisite for AI industrial development. Green-powered AI hubs can lower operational costs and provide stability against volatile fossil fuel markets. The synergy between AI and renewables, where AI manages intermittency and renewables power AI operations, creates a late-mover advantage for the Global South, allowing countries to build green, efficient, and flexible AI-optimized grids. Africa, despite its vast resources like 40% of the world's highest-quality solar resources and significant critical mineral reserves, remains at the lower end of industrial chains, exporting raw materials and importing finished technological products. To overcome this, Africa needs to prioritize energy integration in national AI strategies, leverage renewable advantages for green AI developme
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by NewsDay Zimbabwe.
The Embassy of Japan in Zimbabwe will partner with the OTAKUKON Anime Festival OKAF for its 2026 edition, marking the second consecutive year of their collaboration. The festival, scheduled for August 23 at Moto Republik Hub in Harare, is expected to attract between 500 and 700 attendees. The Japan Culture Corner at the event will feature a screening of "Magic Candies," an Oscar-nominated animated short film by Toei Animation, and an onigiri-making workshop led by Chef Akira, the Embassy's resident Japanese chef. A new Manga Booth will offer aspiring artists mentorship from established creators Bill Masuku and Eli Ngundu of AfroTokyo, providing portfolio feedback and industry guidance. Festival Director Archie Moyo stated that the booth aims to provide access for talented young Zimbabwean artists. The 2025 Japan Culture Corner, which included calligraphy lessons, traditional games, and green tea tasting, was a popular attraction. OTAKUKON is organized by Otaku Konnect, which also runs other events like the Button Bash Gaming Convention and the Nakamarket Market Festival.
Between 2021 and 2025, China's higher education system underwent a significant structural overhaul, phasing out approximately 12,200 undergraduate majors and launching 10,200 new programs. This reform, driven by the advancement of new productive forces, global tech competition, and demographic shifts, reorients university education towards industry-aligned, future-proof talent development, particularly in fields like embodied intelligence, semiconductor engineering, and brain-computer science. This strategic shift is seen as a proactive national strategy rather than a reactive fix for employment pressures. For Africa and the Global South, this paradigm offers a pragmatic alternative to Western academic models for cultivating talent for the fourth industrial revolution. China's updated undergraduate program catalogue for 2026 introduces 38 new majors targeting core strategic sectors such as advanced artificial intelligence, digital finance, and renewable energy. Leading Chinese universities have pioneered industry-specific academic breakthroughs, with some discontinuing traditional majors while others added digital programs to adapt to industrial digitalization. The reform also upgrades traditional liberal arts through the "New Liberal Arts" framework, integrating disciplines with big data analytics and intelligent systems. Three interconnected forces underpin this restructuring: AI-driven labor market disruption, the demand for high-end interdisciplinary talent for new qualit
Must ReadZimbabwe's gold sector is struggling to attract capital inflows, with gold miners reportedly shut out of global capital markets, threatening expansion. This comes as the country aims to unlock sector growth through formalization, as advocated by Mutapa Gold. The Ghana Chamber of Mines chief emphasized that policy certainty is crucial for Zimbabwe's mining growth. Meanwhile, other economic news includes a US$650 million investment vision reinforcing confidence in Zimbabwe鈥檚 long-term growth potential and a US$25 million climate recovery boost. The Deposit Protection Corporation fund surged 89% to US$28.8 million due to premium and investment gains, with premium contribution rates for ZiG and USD deposits remaining at 0.3% of annual average eligible deposits. Power outages and raw material shortages have impacted ART operations, with exports and paper division volumes declining by 6% and 26% respectively in the third quarter to June 2022. Additionally, colonial-era laws are reportedly hindering housing growth, and a car import boom highlights formalization failures. Political tensions over grasslands plots have led to violent attacks and forced evictions.