The Rise of Agentic AI and the Future of Work in Africa

Across Kenya and East Africa, AI is entering a new phase, one defined by systems that act, decide, and execute.

This shift is already underway globally. In April 2026, Google repositioned its enterprise AI strategy around autonomous agents, Microsoft expanded agent capabilities across Copilot, and Adobe introduced agentic AI for enterprise workflows. At the same time, firms like EY are deploying these systems across core operations.

What began as chatbot adoption is evolving into AI that runs workflows and drives decisions. The Agentic Era is live.

From Tools to Systems

The shift is visible in how people are learning and building with AI:

• Interest in AI agents has surged by over 16,000%
• Searches for AI-powered learning tools are up 240%
• Demand for AI literacy and practical skills has grown by more than 1,000%

AI is moving into systems that coordinate tasks, support decisions, and operate across functions.

Why Kenya Is Positioned for This Shift

Kenya’s digital economy is built for speed and scale. Platforms like Safaricom have already shaped a mobile-first, service-driven market where technology integrates directly into daily operations.

As global AI systems roll out through cloud platforms and enterprise tools, Kenya becomes an environment where these systems are applied across fintech, agriculture, logistics, and public services.

Across industries, AI is evolving from insight to action, powering automated workflows, real-time decision-making, and scalable operations.

The Shift: From AI Usage to AI Capability

Across Kenya, the focus is expanding toward building with AI:

• Professionals are moving into workflow automation and AI tooling
• Interest in prompt engineering and systems thinking is rising
• AI agents are being adopted in customer service, operations, and analytics
• Universities are integrating AI literacy into programmes

AI is becoming part of how systems are designed and how organisations scale.

Where This Becomes Real

AI EVERYTHING KENYA x GITEX KENYA takes place at a defining moment for this transition.

As global leaders accelerate the deployment of autonomous systems, the event brings together policymakers, enterprises, startups, and investors to explore how these technologies are implemented across industries.

This is where the Agentic Era connects global innovation with local execution.