Rwanda can be Korea’s AI entry point to Africa: minister

Rwanda is a strong market for the South Korean IT industry to seek expansion across the African continent, Yves Iradukunda, Rwanda's minister of state for ICT and innovation, said Wednesday.

“We think Rwanda is a good entry point for Korean companies,” he said. “The goal is for those companies to expand into other African markets.”

During his first visit to South Korea, Iradukunda met with Vice Minister of Science and ICT Ryu Je-myung to discuss artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and smart cities. He also met with digital medicine companies to discuss their technology and possible involvement in Rwanda.

According to Iradukunda, healthcare is among Rwanda's priorities, with the latest technologies, including a chatbot that helps medical professionals assess whether patients need further medical attention, being rolled out as part of the initiative.

The country’s health ministry is testing maternal care tools, including one to help assess fetal development during pregnancy, according to Iradukunda. Other potential AI applications include agriculture, education and financial technology.

Rwanda joined discussions on the Digital and AI Compact, developed with the World Bank to coordinate technology projects, private investment, development funding and government spending.

“The idea is to consolidate different projects, initiatives and investments,” he said.

Rwanda has established an AI agency to implement its national AI policy. The government-owned agency is being brought into operation through 2026 and will coordinate work previously spread across several institutions.

Its technical unit, the “AI Factory,” will build and test applications with private-sector partners. The agency will help companies access data and computing resources, train specialists and oversee AI safety testing.

“The AI agency will be a one-stop center for cooperation with private-sector companies,” Iradukunda said.

Online public services are generating data that could support research, with access subject to privacy rules, he added. An open data portal also provides research datasets.

Initially funded by the government and development partners, the agency aims to cover part of its costs by charging for AI development, training, advice and computing access.

Rwanda is seeking Korean investment in data centers, and Iradukunda proposed sharing infrastructure across countries to avoid duplicating investments.

“We have an opportunity to cooperate as regional blocs to create data center capabilities that can serve the continent’s needs,” he said.

Such projects would depend on demand from governments and businesses, he said, pointing to the expansion of online services in Rwanda.

“I would invite companies looking to invest in data center capabilities to come and use the incentives we offer,” Iradukunda said.

The Rwandan government provides investors with support in accessing land, electricity and other services, while the Rwanda Development Board assists with business registration and regulatory requirements.

“Rwanda can provide a launchpad and a testbed for technologies and services,” he said, citing similar challenges in healthcare, education and agriculture across the continent.

Rwanda hosted the Global AI Summit on Africa last year and launched an AI council for Africa with Smart Africa, an alliance of African countries and international organizations and companies, according to Iradukunda. The country also hosts programs to exchange knowledge and expertise with other African nations, he added.

South Korea outlined plans to expand AI and digital cooperation with Africa at the eighth Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation Ministerial Conference in Seoul last month, attended by ministerial-level delegations from 45 African countries.

The proposed K-AI Package would link AI services, data centers and power infrastructure with projects financed through South Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund, according to South Korea’s finance ministry.

Asked what was slowing AI cooperation between Rwanda and Korea, Iradukunda did not identify specific barriers.

“At this point, I would not say there are obstacles,” he replied. “We are very open to investment.”

“Korean companies and the Korean government can find a true partner in the government of Rwanda and our private sector,” Iradukunda said.