afrAIca Sovereign AI Standard

The afrAIca Sovereign AI Standard defines what it means to build and operate truly sovereign AI in an African context.

It is not a marketing badge.
It is a technical and governance standard.

Why Sovereign AI Matters

Most AI systems used in Africa today rely on:

• Foreign-controlled infrastructure
• Opaque cloud control planes
• Unclear data residency
• Limited local operational control

That creates risk - legal, operational, and strategic.

The afrAIca Sovereign AI Standard exists to remove ambiguity and restore control.

What “Sovereign” Means Under This Standard

A system certified under the afrAIca Sovereign AI Standard must meet strict, auditable criteria across five areas:

• Data Sovereignty
  Data is stored and processed within declared African jurisdictions, with full transparency and ownership clarity.
• Infrastructure Sovereignty
  AI workloads run on African-controlled infrastructure, without hidden dependency on foreign hyperscaler control planes.
• Model Sovereignty
  Models are governed, inspectable, and controllable, with clear disclosure where third-party foundation models are used.
• Governance & Accountability
  Decisions are traceable, explainable where required, and subject to human oversight for high-impact use cases.
• Operational Control & Skills
  Operational authority and skills reside locally, avoiding vendor lock-in and external dependency.

Sovereignty is enforced technically, not assumed.

Who Uses the Standard

• afrAIca products
  All afrAIca solutions are built to the Standard by default.

• Enterprise & Government deployments
  Organisations seeking assurance over AI risk, compliance, and control.

• Partners & ISVs
  Solutions built on or deployed through afrAIca infrastructure.

Certification Levels

• Sovereign Ready
  Architecture aligned, remediation required.

• Sovereign Certified
  Fully compliant with all mandatory requirements.

• Sovereign Assured
  Enhanced governance for enterprise and public-sector environments.

What the Standard Is, and Is Not

✔ A clear, enforceable AI sovereignty framework
✔ Africa-first, but globally informed
✔ Designed for real operational environments

✘ Not a legal shortcut
✘ Not a marketing gimmick
✘ Not dependent on foreign control

The afrAIca Commitment

The afrAIca Sovereign AI Standard will evolve as:

• Laws change
• Technologies mature
• African AI capability grows

But one thing will not change:

Control remains local. Transparency is mandatory. Dependency is a choice — not a default.