[Interview] Marc Stubbé, Partner, Africa Business Panel

Africa Business Panel has launched the Africa AI Barometer, presenting the first results of a landmark 2025 baseline study on how businesses across the continent are experiencing artificial intelligence in their operations. As AI development accelerates globally, this barometer provides Africa’s first systematic benchmark mapping familiarity, attitudes, and adoption levels among businesses.

Beyond numbers, it offers unique insights into both the opportunities and challenges of AI in Africa, drawn from the perspectives of over 18,000 decision-makers within the Africa Business Panel community. Marc Stubbé, a partner at Africa Business Panel offers more insights about the barometer.

What was the main motivation behind launching the AI in Business Survey across Africa, and what gap in knowledge are you hoping to fill?

AI is transforming how businesses operate globally, and Africa is no exception. Yet, there is limited structured insight into how African businesses are adopting AI. We launched this survey to map out the landscape: to understand adoption rates, challenges, opportunities, and sector-specific trends. It fills a much-needed gap by offering reliable, Pan-African data directly from the decision-makers who are shaping business on the continent.

The survey aims to create a first-of-its-kind AI Adoption Index for African businesses. Could you explain how this index will be structured and how businesses can practically use it?

The research team of MSI-ACI has done a similar survey in The Netherlands and the UK and was picked up quicky since we are all uncertain what the impact of AI will be on the economy and society. The AI Adoption Index will be built from aggregated data points collected in the survey — such as sector, company size, AI applications used, investment levels, and impact metrics. It will be segmented by region, sector, and maturity level.

For business leaders, it serves as a benchmarking tool: showing where they stand relative to peers, and helping prioritize investments in AI. For policymakers and investors, it provides a roadmap of where adoption is developing accelerating and where support is needed.

With over 18,000 decision-makers already part of the Africa Business Panel, what unique insights does this community bring to shaping the conversation on AI in Africa?

Our panel includes senior managers, entrepreneurs, and professionals from across  Africa — representing industries as diverse as manufacturing, tech, retail, agriculture, and financial services. These are not abstract data points. They’re real voices from inside the market. Combined with our extended reach across Pan-African LinkedIn groups (1.6 million+ members), we are uniquely positioned to capture both granular and big-picture insights. That’s what makes the Africa Business Panel stand out.

How can African business leaders use the survey results to influence policymakers and investors in driving AI-driven growth?

Leaders equipped with data can drive the agenda. The survey results will offer business cases, sector benchmarks, and evidence of market readiness that leaders can use in dialogue with governments, regulators, and investors. Whether you're advocating for policy changes, funding, or infrastructure, credible data adds weight to your voice.

How do you envision Africa Business Panel evolving its role as AI adoption accelerates, beyond research into enabling real-world impact?

We see our role extending into three areas: knowledge sharing, strategic matchmaking, and community-building. As adoption increases, we’ll curate insights, facilitate partnerships, and build use-case-driven communities around AI in sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and fintech. We don’t just want to measure the change — we want to enable it.

Beyond tracking adoption rates, what is the single most important insight you hope this survey will reveal about the African business landscape?

We’re particularly interested in the "why" behind adoption — the motivations, goals, and expectations businesses have for AI. It's not just about who is adopting AI, but what they hope to achieve. That insight will reveal how African businesses see AI: as a tool for survival, a lever for innovation, or a pathway to leapfrog legacy systems. We are also interested in difference between the western world an Africa.

The survey provides a 2025 baseline. What specific metric will you be watching most closely in the next wave to gauge whether AI is accelerating transformative growth or risked widening digital divides?

The key metric we’ll be watching is "AI impact per sector," especially comparing large firms versus SMEs. This will indicate not just adoption, but the actual effect AI is having on productivity, revenue, and employment. It will also show whether smaller businesses are being empowered or left behind — critical for inclusive digital transformation.

Finally, completing this survey gives participants "exclusive access" to the results. How can a business leader immediately use this report to gain a competitive advantage in their market?

The report offers sector-specific benchmarks if the number of respondents do allow that, best practices, and foresight into where AI investments are trending. Business leaders can use it to refine their digital strategies, identify gaps in their current capabilities, or even uncover partnership opportunities. In a fast-moving space like AI, early insight often leads to early advantage.

Additional thoughts?

Africa’s business landscape is undergoing a digital shift, and AI will be a key catalyst. But to drive inclusive growth, we need data that reflects the real voices and experiences of African business leaders. That’s the mission behind the Africa Business Panel and this AI survey — to give leaders the insights they need to shape the future of business on the continent.

www.africabusinesspanel.com