While South Africa is a bit behind in artificial intelligence (AI) policy formulation, the country leads in youth AI readiness among its Commonwealth peers.
This, as the Southern African nation has prioritised AI training partnerships to help prepare young people for jobs and business opportunities, according to a new global study.
Compiled by the Ayre Think Tank, the inaugural Ayre Index (also referred to as the 2026 Commonwealth Youth AI Readiness Index) assesses the AI readiness of all 56 Commonwealth countries.
It examines how each nation is positioned to equip their combined 732 million citizens aged 15 to 29 with the AI skills they will need to compete, whether in education, employment or entrepreneurial efforts.
For South Africa, the index ranks the country 13th out of 56 Commonwealth nations, scoring 56.8 out of 100, which it says is above the youth AI readiness benchmark of 53.
South Africa is also the second-highest ranked African Commonwealth member, after Mauritius in eighth place, and finishes ahead of 43 other countries.
The index underscores that the country’s high ranking comes alongside substantial enthusiasm for the technology.
In the evidence examined, 88.2% of young South African respondents expected to use AI for education or work in the following year, and around half reported already using it for study.
Additionally, in a separate survey of entrepreneurs aged 18 to 64 who were starting or running new businesses, 49.2% of South African respondents expected AI tools to be very important to their operations over the following three years – the highest proportion among the five Commonwealth countries with comparable findings.
It also calculates a potential AI-related increase in the level of gross domestic product after 10 years of $9.184 billion, rising to $13.670 billion in the optimistic case.
Calvin Ayre, founder of the Ayre Think Tank, comments: “I’ve spent my life in businesses where new technology changes everything, and I know you can’t stand still. AI is going to change how we work, how we do business and how wealth is created. But this is not a race that only the biggest or richest countries can win. What matters is giving young people the skills and the chance to get ahead – whether to start businesses, find jobs or build something for themselves.
“Some Commonwealth countries are ahead; others have catching up to do. Nobody can afford to be complacent. That’s why we created this index. It shows countries where they stand, what they’re getting right and where they need to do better. Governments now have to decide what they’re going to do about it.”
The Commonwealth youth AI readiness index findings echo recent data from online learning platform Coursera that showed AI course enrolments in South Africa increased 75% year-on-year.
The Coursera report noted that AI learning themes in South Africa included generative AI, data and analytics, and agentic AI and AI agents, adding South African’s growing participation in AI and human skills learning provides a strong foundation for workforce development.
While there are skills gaps to address, the index points to steps South Africa is already taking to turn its technological strengths into employment and business opportunities.
In March, the Department of Higher Education and Training signed an agreement with Google to provide an initial 10 000 scholarships for professional qualifications in areas including AI, cyber security and data analysis.
The programme targets students and educators at public universities and training colleges, with particular attention to rural and township communities.
Furthermore, Microsoft and the Youth Employment Service are also helping young South Africans develop practical AI and digital skills. In May 2026, the organisations reported that more than 70 000 young people had already participated in digital learning programmes.
The index identifies five priorities: affordable and reliable access to technology; education that develops practical skills; stronger routes from training into employment and enterprise; AI tools suited to local languages and needs; and safeguards that enable young people to question automated decisions.
It also calls on governments, educators and development partners to better understand the barriers young people face in each country before deciding where investment can make the greatest impact.
Professor C Justin Robinson, pro vice-chancellor and campus principal of the University of the West Indies, Five Islands Campus, notes: “We need to make sure that the next generation will be able to do more than just consume AI products made elsewhere. Access must come with its own agency and a real equitable stake in how these systems are governed.
“Young people should be equipped to question these new tools, to improve them and to be supported in building alternatives suited to their own needs. Whether that happens, however, will depend on choices made now. This index gives us a clearer view of where those choices are most urgent.”
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