South Africa has been ranked 13th in a Commonwealth study assessing how prepared young people are to benefit from artificial intelligence.
South Africa is among only three African countries in the Commonwealth considered sufficiently prepared to help young people benefit from artificial intelligence (AI), according to a new study examining the readiness of 56 member states.
The 2026 Commonwealth Youth AI Readiness Index, published by the Ayre Think Tank, ranks South Africa 13th overall, behind Mauritius in eighth place and ahead of Nigeria in 15th. Singapore tops the rankings, followed by Malta, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada.
The index examines conditions affecting the ability of young people aged between 15 and 29 to benefit from AI, including access to technology, digital skills, education, employment opportunities, enterprise and safeguards.
Researchers reviewed 1,128 sources and assessed countries using 102 indicators across seven pillars. An eighth pillar, covering critical judgement and human agency, was excluded from the published rankings because comparable evidence was insufficient.
Only 15 of the 56 Commonwealth countries met the study's AI readiness benchmark of 53 points out of 100. The remaining 41 fell below the threshold.
Study warns of widening economic divide
The research also estimates a substantial difference in the potential economic impact of AI between the two groups.
Under its moderate scenario, the 15 countries meeting the readiness benchmark have a combined potential AI-related impact on GDP of US$389.2 billion after 10 years, compared with US$29.2bn for the other 41 countries.
The researchers calculated these figures by applying the International Monetary Fund's low and high estimates of AI's potential impact on GDP to national GDP figures from the World Bank. The moderate scenario represents the midpoint of those estimates.
However, the study cautions that the figures are illustrations of possible effects on the level of GDP after 10 years, rather than country-specific forecasts or guaranteed economic gains. They also do not indicate how much of any potential benefit would reach young people.
The report argues that differences in infrastructure, digital capability and access to education and employment opportunities could leave less-prepared countries struggling to benefit from the technology.
Connectivity alone is not enough
The study highlights gaps between access to digital infrastructure and the ability to use technology effectively.
In Togo, for example, 4G coverage reaches 99.7% of the population, but only 44.9% of young people reportedly use the internet. In Malawi, electricity reaches just 15.6% of the population, according to the World Bank.
The research also points to a lack of reliable information about young people's AI skills and usage in many Commonwealth countries. Of the 1,128 sources reviewed, only 59 sources beyond population statistics covered the full 15-to-29 age group.
The report identifies five priorities for ensuring that AI benefits are shared more widely: affordable access to technology, practical digital skills, stronger links between education and employment, AI tools suited to local languages and needs, and safeguards that allow young people to question automated decisions.
Calvin Ayre, founder of the Ayre Think Tank, said the technology could transform how people work and how wealth is created, but stressed that young people needed the skills and opportunities to participate.
Professor C. Justin Robinson, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of the University of the West Indies, Five Islands Campus, said young people should be equipped not only to use AI products developed elsewhere, but also to question, improve and develop systems suited to their own needs.